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Mon 28 Jul, 2008 10:29 am
McCain's New Tactic: Savage Obama's Character
by Rachel Weinerrachel - Politico
July 28, 2008 09:06 AM
The Politico reports that, having tried unsuccessfully to paint Barack Obama as a liberal flip-flopper, John McCain is getting personal:
As Senator Barack Obama traveled overseas, the campaign against him appeared to take a decisive new turn with Senator John McCain zeroing in on his Democratic opponent's character.
In a year when polls show an easy victory for a generic Democratic candidate, McCain has until now been loathe to employ the tack many strategists see as essential and which anonymous e-mailers and commenters with no apparent links to his campaign have been practicing since last summer: hitting Obama not on his record or his platform, but on his values and person.
The Democrat's Achilles' heel in this model is an inchoate sense among some voters that the new arrival on the national stage with the unusual biography--and who's the first black nominee from either party--isn't American enough.
Whatever his motives, McCain's new hit on his foe's patriotism hints at two years of whispered, viral rumors and myths about Obama centered on his patriotism and American values, or, more to the point, his lack thereof. The emails --cataloged in snopes.com's lengthy Obama section and Obama's own "fight the smears" page --often have contradictory particulars, but the thrust is clear: Obama, various false emails claim, is not really a natural-born American citizen; is not really a Christian, and refuses to pledge allegiance to the American flag.
Not all Republicans think this is a good idea. Sen. Chuck Hagel said Sunday that McCain is on "thin ground," and the Washington Post quotes a strategist questioning the new tactics:
One GOP strategist with close ties to McCain's campaign said the new line of attack reflected the operation's "schizophrenic" nature. He said that tendency was also on display last week, as McCain spoke at length about media coverage of Obama rather than sticking with his plan to focus on the economy.
"They couldn't help themselves," the strategist said, adding that the ad over the hospital visit is "churlish and unlike McCain, and hardly will resonate with the swing voters who are going to decide this election." The strategist continued: "They're doing it because the candidate, and the campaign, is not happy with where they are and they're lashing out."
If McCain hopes to win the election, the strategist added, "he needs to be a happy warrior."
Pointing out known flaws does not equal savaging.
What! MoveOn still active?
Mr. & Mrs. Bill Clinton must has funneled them some more money.
its so obvious.
they shouldnt even be allowed to use those retarded commercials.
its like seriously flat out lies and utter nonsense.
i mean the conclusion they give at the end had nothing to do with what they say about obama.
good god. im so glad i havent seen an obama commercial like that or id lose respect for him too.
I know you guys on the right hate MoveOn because it tells the truth about your candidates. I defy you to show me a lie it told.
Your replies are funny considering the Republican use of the swiftboat liars, et al.
Advocate wrote:hate MoveOn because it tells the truth
Truth?
You are basing your opinion on a very strange interpretation of the truth.
I left this on the another thread but since it give a perfect example of McCain lies in a desperate attempt to savage Obama...
McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence
Quote:The essence of McCain's allegation is that Obama planned to take a media entourage, including television cameras, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during his week-long foreign trip, and that he canceled the visit when he learned he could not do so. "I know that, according to reports, that he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers," McCain said Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
The Obama campaign has denied that was the reason he called off the visit. In fact, there is no evidence that he planned to take anyone to the American hospital other than a military adviser, whose status as a campaign staff member sparked last-minute concern among Pentagon officials that the visit would be an improper political event.
[Note: not move on, the washington post has not always been a friend of liberal politics.)
Advocate wrote:I know you guys on the right hate MoveOn because it tells the truth about your candidates. I defy you to show me a lie it told.
Your replies are funny considering the Republican use of the swiftboat liars, et al.
Why can't we move on from MoveOn?
It was formed as a flak organization to pretend that perjury charges against Clinton were irrelevant because his sex life was the only issue.
Now that Billy's gone, why can't we move on and get rid of these FOBs ?
revel wrote:I left this on the another thread but since it give a perfect example of McCain lies in a desperate attempt to savage Obama...
McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence
Quote:The essence of McCain's allegation is that Obama planned to take a media entourage, including television cameras, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during his week-long foreign trip, and that he canceled the visit when he learned he could not do so. "I know that, according to reports, that he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers," McCain said Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
The Obama campaign has denied that was the reason he called off the visit. In fact, there is no evidence that he planned to take anyone to the American hospital other than a military adviser, whose status as a campaign staff member sparked last-minute concern among Pentagon officials that the visit would be an improper political event.
[Note: not move on, the washington post has not always been a friend of liberal politics.)
I asked this in another thread:
So why didn't he go?
He could've gone by himself or with another aide?
Why didn't he go?
real life wrote:
I asked this in another thread:
So why didn't he go?
He could've gone by himself or with another aide?
Why didn't he go?
He wasn't on that trip to meet with any of our troops unless he could make the meeting a big photo op.
Obama's trip had nothing to do with supporting our troops
real life wrote:revel wrote:I left this on the another thread but since it give a perfect example of McCain lies in a desperate attempt to savage Obama...
McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence
Quote:The essence of McCain's allegation is that Obama planned to take a media entourage, including television cameras, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during his week-long foreign trip, and that he canceled the visit when he learned he could not do so. "I know that, according to reports, that he wanted to bring media people and cameras and his campaign staffers," McCain said Monday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."
The Obama campaign has denied that was the reason he called off the visit. In fact, there is no evidence that he planned to take anyone to the American hospital other than a military adviser, whose status as a campaign staff member sparked last-minute concern among Pentagon officials that the visit would be an improper political event.
[Note: not move on, the washington post has not always been a friend of liberal politics.)
I asked this in another thread:
So why didn't he go?
He could've gone by himself or with another aide?
Why didn't he go?
Perhaps he didn't have time to lay out last minute change of plans for the trip because of the tour's schedule. But one thing is for sure the cancellation had nothing to do with cameras and news crews as he didn't plan on taking any in the first place. So the charge from McCain and water boy are without merit.
H2O_MAN wrote:He wasn't on that trip to meet with any of our troops unless he could make the meeting a big photo op.
He visited a combat support hospital in Baghdad without making the meeting a big photo op.
How can a persons non-existent character be savaged by anyone?
H2O_MAN wrote:How can a persons non-existent character be savaged by anyone?
Doesn't his background over many years helping the poor give him a modicum of character? I believe it does.
Talk about bare assertions!
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