I'm entering a very busy stretch and posting may be a little light the next few days. Two things worth your attention this morning:
- McCain is finally going to go after Barack Obama about his relationship with Bill Ayers. One of the standard lines about the Ayers/Obama relationship is that Obama was only 8 years old when the Weathermen were active. True, as far as it goes. But for an important perspective on why palling around with an unrepentant terrorist (as Gov. Palin would have it) is a poor idea, read this piece.
- Why the Republicans won't go after the Democrats about their role in Fannie and Freddie is beyond me. Even Saturday Night Live has figured it out. The skit I've linked to actually does an excellent job of explaining what really happened in the last five years. I especially like the caption they gave George Soros. If Obama becomes President, we'll need all the jesters we can get.
15 comments:
Looks like McCain will be going 100% negative between now and the the election. He's got nothing else left at this point so I can't really call it a bad decision, but there a few reasons to think this is a very low percentage play.
1) It hurts the McCain brand. All the poling during the primaries indicated that McCain was the one Republican with any shot at beating Obama (or Clinton). It wasn't because of any substantive policy differences from the other Rs but because people liked and respected him personally. That's started to change dramatically in the last couple weeks. His favorability ratings have been dropping as Obama's have been rising. Going negative is going to emphasize the McNasty side of his image, undercutting the only advantage he's ever had.
2) Sauce for the goose... If Ayers et al. is fair game then so is stuff like the Keating Five and maybe even some the more obscure stuff like Palin's association with the Alaskan Independence Party. The press almost instinctively presents stories in the tried and true 'on the one hand on the other hand' format and there's no way they are going to go rummaging through Obama's closet without doing the same thing to McCain.
3) The narrative that is already starting to percolate in the press, with plenty of help from the Obama campaign, is that McCain is trying to change the subject because he doesn't have anything credible to say on the issues. It's the economy stupid. And the war. And the less time McCain spends talking about those things the more it looks like he's avoiding them because he doesn't have anything to say.
All that said there isn't really much else that McCain can do at this point. A low percentage play is better than a no percentage play. Maybe it will work. Maybe if doesn't he will at least close the gap enough to avoid dragging too many members of congress down with him. We'll see.
Oh and if you have a minute in you're busy schedule I have a question. Why do you think the RNC isn't helping McCain more? They're sitting on huge pots of money while he digs through the sofa cushions trying to finance his campaign. The only things that I can think of is that they are saving up of a mega-blitz of negative ads in the last couple weeks, or that they've written him off and are already getting ready for the next election cycle. Any ideas?
Formerly SA
I doubt he'll go 100% negative, but he'll ramp up the negative stuff in a big way.
As for the "McCain brand," it hasn't been of any help to him, has it? He's been savaged anyway. Hell, you've called him Grandpa Cancer and a drama queen on this blog. He might as well fight back.
I wrote a piece a while back about Matt Millen and mentioned the former basketball coach at Wisconsin, Steve Yoder. Yoder was universally loved by the rest of the schools in the Big Ten because he always got his ass kicked. That's what the "McCain brand" means, good sir. A Republican who doesn't cause problems. You always hear about the great "bi-partisan" days in the 1960s and 1970s and the laments of the loss of such happy times from the likes of Lori Sturdevant over at the Star Tribune. They liked it so much then because the DFL always got its way back then. McCain's brand is the brand of a loser. The only way he wins is to start kicking ass, which is something that is only now starting to dawn on him.
Palin's "association with the Alaska Independence Party" is a canard. No, canard is too kind. It's a lie. Proven a lie. McCain won't mind the Keating Five, either - he's spent his entire career talking about how that experience changed him.
The narrative has never been McCain's to control, good sir. His only hope is to rub America's nose in all that Obama goodness. If they pick Obama anyway, so be it. But at least it will be an informed decision. I'm telling you, most people have no idea about Ayers, Wright, etc., because most people weren't paying attention then. I've had probably a half-dozen conversations with people who didn't have a clue about the Ayers thing until I mentioned it. Maybe it won't matter, but the current course will not win. He has to try something.
I have no idea why the RNC is sitting on the money. Maybe they'll be carpet-bombing Obama in the next month. They might as well, because if Obama wins and is allowed to have coattails, all that money won't mean a damned thing on November 5.
The one solace of the way this campaign has gone is this -- there is zero doubt that Obama is the candidate of the media. People have figured that much out; if it weren't clear before, the way Palin has been treated pretty much clinched the matter. And if Obama turns out to be as much of a disaster as I suspect he will, Obama will take his willing propagandists down with him. And that would be justice.
There's no virtually no risk for McCain going "negative". Leaving things as is will result in losing. On the other hand, doing the media's job for them, i.e. actually talking about Obama's very interesting associations, will at least inform the public of something they should know before they make a decision. In a fair world McCain wouldn't have to go nasty (as the press has on him and Palin), but he's going to have to. I will disregard any whining about negativity.
Great minds, Hammerswing!
I agree, McCain has nothing left to loose but a few tattered shreds of dignity. He might as well go for it, there's certainly no positive reasons to vote for him.
It's funny how right wingers always brag about how much more popular Fox News etc are then their competition and then whine about the ebil liberal media in the same breath. Make up your minds.
As for the AIP (or Palin's witch hunting pastor) I personally couldn't care less. But if guilt by association is the standard those things are certainly as legitimate as Ayers and Wright.
The gloves are off and so are the masks. For the next 30 days we're going to see the real face of John McCain and the Republican Party. I'm betting it won't appeal to anyone but the Bushian dead-enders, but as I always say, we'll see.
C'mon nuke (sa),
There's no positive reason to vote for McCain? None? His 26 years of dedicated service? His wisdom on the proper conduct of the war? His ability to work across the aisle, which people claim is in demand? None of that counts?
I know you're trying to pull my leg sometimes, but don't give me that. You've previously claimed to like McCain and admire him. There must have been a reason at some point.
The difference on the AIP business is this - it's not true. Obama does have a relationship with both Ayers and Wright. You may not think those things matter. You may even be correct. But the relationships exist and they merit scrutiny and provide a window into what Obama believes and how he operates. He chose his pastor and stayed with him for 20 years. Then, the minute stuff starting coming out about the good Reverend, he chucked him under the bus without a moment's hesitation. Surely that has to mean something.
Tuesday should be very interesting. I think this is the town hall debate and if a question or two about these topics comes up, Obama's response will put all this in play. Then, as you say, we'll see what happens.
Oh, and what did I say about Fox News recently? Watch that broad brush there, Picasso.
Whine? It's only whining if it isn't true. Unfortunately, the truth is that conservatives face an uphill battle every election because of the media. Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't. But don't you think it might improve the quality of our government if folks were able to get reasonably unbiased information so that they could make an informed decision? If it's whining to want integrity in our public discourse then I'm a crybaby.
The AIP stuff is completely untrue? Todd Palin was a registered member until 2002. Somehow I think Sarah Palin might be aware of this.
Obama is hitting back with the Keating 5 today. There may be a lot of interesting questions asked on Tuesday. I'm not too worried about what the results will be.
No, I can't think of any positive reason to vote for McCain that is going to be persuasive to people who have decided to, or are leaning toward, voting for Obama. And to come back from this for behind, this close to the election, that's what he needs to come up with.
And yes I did like and admire McCain for a long time. I bought in to the self-aggrandizing mythology he's created around himself. My bad.
I missed whatever you said about Fox recently, you'll have to point it out to me. Even us invalids can't read everything. I won't bother arguing with you guys about the 'liberal media' thing. Its a core component on the Republican faith and if eight years of watching the press carry water for the Bush administration won't shake it, nothing will.
You misread my point, nifo. I haven't said anything about Fox News, maybe ever, on this blog. Do I watch Fox sometimes? Yep. I watch the other channels, too.
And if you think the media have been carrying water for the Bush administration for the last 8 years, I can't help you.
I welcome the Keating Five stuff. Let's talk about what the candidates were doing 25 years ago. McCain was in Congress, Obama was doing blow.
Oh, and Todd Palin isn't running for VP. But if you'd like to discuss him, we'd love to discuss Michelle Obama.
Nope, Todd Palin isn't running for VP. Neither is Rev Wright.
Anyway, between what's happening on Wall Street today and McCain announcing that he's going to pay for his 'healthcare plan' by cutting Medicare I don't think any of it matters much. No matter how badly McCain wants to move on from talking about the issues the issues just aren't cooperating. They're mavericks.
McCain announcing that he's going to pay for his 'healthcare plan' by cutting Medicare
Wanna give me a link for that one, Seabiscuit?
Here ya go:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122315505846605217.html
Thank you, sir. Will read it and see what it says.
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