I love this. Rick Davis, spokesman for the McCain/Palin campaign went out and suggested that Sen. Barack Obama's campaign gets a "free pass" on negative campaigning (story here).
Here's the thing. Negative campaigning isn't the problem. It never was the problem. It's McCain/Palin's 1) constant negative campaigning since June and 2) the veracity of the negative campaigning. It's the terrorist/Bill Ayers/ACORN's stealing the election/Obama's angry and uppity and elitist and dangerous/"he's using the race card"/inexperienced/etc. line of attacks that has gone on unendingly for the past 4+ months. Most of his attacks have been way over the line and have led to inciting violence and racial epithets (see previous posts).
Sen. McCain's campaign has not only been over-the-line, and continuously so, but has never shied away from encouraging racism. I couldn't care less whether or not McCain is a racist or whether or not anyone from his campaign is a racist, but his ads, his speeches, and the tenor of his campaign has not only encouraged racism toward Sen. Obama, but seem to have tried to find a way to get the racists onto its side.
Lastly, and perhaps most disturbing in the political world, is that I have been an active follower of this campaign season since last summer and I have to tell you this:
I can't tell you what John McCain stands for.
Think about it for a second. What is McCain's vision statement? What are his plans for the first 100 days in office? What would the McCain presidency look like?
I know he has it in for earmarks. I know he thinks that his dad being an admiral and his being shot down and held as a P.O.W. gives him military cred, but I'm not sure what he wants to do with diplomacy. He likes being in Iraq. He doesn't want to talk with our enemies. That's it. He likes having a "mavericky" VP that might get impeached before the swearing in ceremony on January 20th. What are his economic plans "I'm not going to raise taxes." Great solution--in that it actually is the opposite of one. Um...that's about it.
McCain/Palin has been so negative that it doesn't have any positive contribution. It can't tell you what its administration would look like--just what it isn't. And even that is inconsistant, since it is clearly not like Bush's, except the 90% that's identical. We'll have a spending freeze except on anything that is remotely related to running the government. Honestly, I don't get it.
So here it is. We are less than a week away, and a news junky cannot give a positive assessment of anything one of the candidates has planned for the country. This is in stark contrast to the 30 minute Obama infomercial last night that was on point, explaining economic, international, healthcare, and education priorities, with tangible plans for the first year.
So, Mr. Davis, as you cry foul, has it ever occurred to you that the problem has absolutely nothing to do with us, but in fact, everything to do with you?
Here's the thing. Negative campaigning isn't the problem. It never was the problem. It's McCain/Palin's 1) constant negative campaigning since June and 2) the veracity of the negative campaigning. It's the terrorist/Bill Ayers/ACORN's stealing the election/Obama's angry and uppity and elitist and dangerous/"he's using the race card"/inexperienced/etc. line of attacks that has gone on unendingly for the past 4+ months. Most of his attacks have been way over the line and have led to inciting violence and racial epithets (see previous posts).
Sen. McCain's campaign has not only been over-the-line, and continuously so, but has never shied away from encouraging racism. I couldn't care less whether or not McCain is a racist or whether or not anyone from his campaign is a racist, but his ads, his speeches, and the tenor of his campaign has not only encouraged racism toward Sen. Obama, but seem to have tried to find a way to get the racists onto its side.
Lastly, and perhaps most disturbing in the political world, is that I have been an active follower of this campaign season since last summer and I have to tell you this:
I can't tell you what John McCain stands for.
Think about it for a second. What is McCain's vision statement? What are his plans for the first 100 days in office? What would the McCain presidency look like?
I know he has it in for earmarks. I know he thinks that his dad being an admiral and his being shot down and held as a P.O.W. gives him military cred, but I'm not sure what he wants to do with diplomacy. He likes being in Iraq. He doesn't want to talk with our enemies. That's it. He likes having a "mavericky" VP that might get impeached before the swearing in ceremony on January 20th. What are his economic plans "I'm not going to raise taxes." Great solution--in that it actually is the opposite of one. Um...that's about it.
McCain/Palin has been so negative that it doesn't have any positive contribution. It can't tell you what its administration would look like--just what it isn't. And even that is inconsistant, since it is clearly not like Bush's, except the 90% that's identical. We'll have a spending freeze except on anything that is remotely related to running the government. Honestly, I don't get it.
So here it is. We are less than a week away, and a news junky cannot give a positive assessment of anything one of the candidates has planned for the country. This is in stark contrast to the 30 minute Obama infomercial last night that was on point, explaining economic, international, healthcare, and education priorities, with tangible plans for the first year.
So, Mr. Davis, as you cry foul, has it ever occurred to you that the problem has absolutely nothing to do with us, but in fact, everything to do with you?
1 comment:
A fellow news junkie, I agree with you. The thing that gets me is that 'negative' is used to describe anything that is critical of the other. There is a big difference between McCain/Palin's paling around with terrorists laments and Obama's ads that point out the differences between him & McCain, such as the alignment of McCain's record with GWB. I am tired of hearing from all of my Republican acquaintenances that Obama's ads are just as negative, as if that somehow makes McCain's ads acceptable. They seem to not have ears to hear Obama's message of ending divisive politics. Have they lost their critical thinking abilities? Drank too much kool-aid served by Rick Davis and his aides, I think.
I agree with your point but I wonder why, if the media is giving Obama such a free pass, why they haven't discussed the lack of plan on McCain's part.
I have a mix of anxiety and excitement about Tuesday. Although it could to Blue, I'm not sure that my home state (Indiana) will, but I'm hoping that it's Obama who is the victor when all of the votes are counted.
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