I'm sure that the Barack Obama camp will denounce the latest John McCain ad as a "smear." However, the best way for the Obama-ites to respond would be to point to his legislative accomplishments in the Senate.
Oops, he has none!
Or that he has a leadership role in the Senate.
Oops, he doesn't!
Even before this web ad, "Fan Club," came out, the Democrats were feeling the pressure about the Cult of Change leader. Yesterday afternoon, I received a telling e-mail from David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager:
While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts. Instead, they're spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a "celebrity" and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans.
A lot of them certainly are just that. All they know is that Obama was a community organizer and he stands for "change." Oh, he's not George W. Bush either.
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Why does the McCain campaign keep presenting Sen. Obama with white women and swooning people... Hmm.... I'm sure it has nothing to do with Uncle Chester. No, not at all.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it's just a coincidence that Camp Mac couldn't find any guys who are celebrities to use instead of Paris and Britney. And, clearly, it's nigh impossible to find any guys who support Sen. Obama.
Then again, why is Sen. McCain afraid to talk about his policy proposals, let alone himself, in his ads? All he's running lately are downers with no substance to them. Could it be because John McCain does not speak for John McCain and you're supporting a guy who has no good judgment whatsoever?
The woman in the ad, unlike the Bob Corker ad against Harold Ford, Jr, is not an actress. She is real. The only ppl bringing up race in this contest are the Obama ppl.
ReplyDeleteJohn mistakenly writes, "The only ppl bringing up race in this contest are the Obama ppl."
ReplyDeleteErrrm, no.
Listen John, it's a free country. You and other McCain supporters can continue promoting these under-the-radar, dog-whistle racial ads if you want. But at least be a man and own up to it when you're called out. (It's quite telling that the first thing you bring up is the white woman ad against Harold Ford, Jr. -- I know other people have brought it up, but I purposefully didn't because that was a different campaign.)
What does it matter if this white woman is or is not an actress? McCain used a white female actress and a white female singer in his last white women + Obama ad.
The point is that the McCain campaign now has a series of ads juxtaposing white women with Obama when they could've just as easily used white men, or black men, or black women, or a whole mix of celebrities and regular people to get across what they claim was their original point (that Obama's some sort of celebrity)...
Instead, they've deliberately chosen only a series of white women so now I and others are calling them out on the silly-if-subtle racial intonations of their ads.
And, again, what does any of this have to do with McCain's positions on actual issues that matter? Why won't he talk about his policy positions instead of putting out such fluff?
Let's talk about Obama's legislative accomplishments in the US Senate.
ReplyDeleteSure, let's talk about Obama's record...
ReplyDeleteConservative pundit Andrew Sullivan writes of several legislative accomplishments here.
Another writer, over at TPM Cafe, discusses some of those same bills and others as well here as they compare and contrast Obama and Clinton.
Four that are standouts to me (among the many others he's introduced and the several which have passed and been signed into law) are:
- The Lugar-Obama nuclear interdiction act (S2566)
- The Coburn-Obama "Google for government" act which many conservatives and progressives alike have praised (S2590)
- The Lugar-Obama bill to reduce dependence on foreign oil, introduced in 2006... long before the current GOP temper tantrum over drilldrilldrill
- And, the Feingold-Obama Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act, an ethics package that WaPo called the strongest reform effort they'd seen
...Let's talk about Sen. McCain's record too:
- Everyone's heard of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance law... Candidate McCain found a way to circumvent his own finance reform law by bundling donations to his presidential campaign with larger dollar donations to individual state parties. Why work on a reform bill if all you're going to do is get around its intent?
- also allegedly broke another campaign finance reform law by agreeing to take public financing for his campaign, then using that acceptance as collateral for a loan, and then reneging after he'd gotten cash from the bank
- Back after he exhibited "poor judgment" in relation to the Keating 5 scandal he introduced legislation to bar lobbyists from working on campaigns ... he now has gobs and gobs of lobbyists working on his campaign, from the top on down. Many of those lobbyists have admitted to doing their lobbying work from the campaign bus, etc. (including one lobbyists/campaigner who took in $200,000 from the Georgian government on the day McCain made a speech that cuddled Georgia)
- McCain also likes to talk about supporting our military, yet he was a no-show on the recent Webb GI Bill after pooh-poohing it for weeks
- He's also been all over the map on Iraq and Afghanistan... saying first we should finish the job in Afghanistan before doing anything else (incl. invading Iraq); then saying we shouldn't send more troops into Afghanistan before thinking maybe it would a good idea after Obama talked about why we should; McCain's also alternatively praised or denounced Rumsfeld and Bush re Iraq (seems to depend on the weather); and he's even said it wouldn't be smart to put a timeline on Iraq redeployment even though he himself has said our GIs should be out by 2013 (though most recently he's again agreed with Obama that a 16-month plan might be ok too)...
- He claims to be against lobbyists yet he employs over 100 of them on his campaign, lets them do their lobbying work for major corporations and foreign governments from the campaign bus, and, during his years in the Senate, has "changed his position" after lobbying money gets doled out to his pals and his own campaign coffers, even though it costs Americans their jobs. Go figure
- And, of course, let's not forget energy policy. McCain told America inflating their tires was a good idea, after saying he wanted to drill right under his feet, after a McCain staffer admitted that more drilling wouldn't actually accomplish much
...Carpetbagger Report is keeping a tally of significant McCain flip-flops (including a few that are within days of each other). These aren't examples of McCain simply changing his mind or shifting his thoughts based on new realities and facts on the ground. These are good ol' fashioned, politically expedient flip-flops intended to shore up the GOP's conservative base.
Maybe those flip-flops are working because, after so many years of consistently displaying what his own Senate colleagues termed "poor judgment" (as you once noted to me) it's clear he's got you entranced by his celebrity-like, fictional "maverick" aura, John. ;)
Hmm...two bills made it into law? Three? Pretty flimsy stuff. And remember, Obama saw no problem flying a corporate jet at a first-class airline rate--until he became Mr. Ethics.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Sullivan is not a conservative.
ReplyDelete...Do you not know how to click a link John?
ReplyDeleteOr are you deliberately sticking your head in the sand to ignore reality?
Many more than just two bills.
And you've failed to explain why Sen. McCain talks a good talk but consistently fumbles the "walk" part.
Three? Amendments don't count.
ReplyDeleteOne of those bills was co-sponsored by a Republican, and Obama "bus victim," Tom Coburn.
Obama attempted to equate him to Bill "Bomber" Ayers.
Audacity!
That must explain perfectly why Sen. McCain cannot articulate a clear policy on military affairs, foreign affairs, the economy, labor and the job market, future energy platforms, health care, and more... He, like you, is too busy talking about things that don't matter because he knows the only way he can eek out a win is to completely tear the other guy down with whatever slime and mud he thinks he can throw.
ReplyDeleteWonderful campaign you've got there. Very uplifting and positive.