Sunday, August 03, 2008
|
|
McCain's Choice: Being Loved by the Press, or Winning
|
|
Posted by:
Carol Platt Liebau at
12:51 PM
|
Well, here it comes -- the predictable denunciation of John McCain's campaign as racist for daring to make fun of Barack Obama.
Today, Bob Herbert does the honors:
Now, from the hapless but increasingly venomous McCain campaign, comes the slimy Britney Spears and Paris Hilton ad. The two highly sexualized women (both notorious for displaying themselves to the paparazzi while not wearing underwear) are shown briefly and incongruously at the beginning of a commercial critical of Mr. Obama.
In writing Prude, I had the dubious pleasure of spending a lot of time of writing and thinking about the "two highly sexualized women" Herbert refers to here. The point about them is that they're famous -- not because of their achievements-- but mostly for being famous. (The vehicle through which they became famous was their sex appeal, but that's not the point of the ad.)
Given the context, the display of Spears and Hilton isn't "incongruous," as Herbert claims. It's the very point of the ad -- that, like the two of them -- Barack's experience or history of legislative accomplishments aren't the rationale for his candidacy. It's charisma that got him where he is (or, to stretch a point, what comes out of his mouth -- not singing, like Spears, but rhetoric).
Given that the Obama family has proffered interviews to "Access Hollywood" and appears on the cover of "People" magazine, it's hard to argue that they're not courting the same kind of coverage sought by celebrities. And check out the MSM outlets that have referred to Obama's "star power" in their coverage of him -- the list includes ABC News, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, among others.
The bottom line for McCain is this: Either he will have to endure being called a racist by journalists like Bob Herbert, or he will need to resign himself to sitting back and politely allowing Barack Obama to win the election. It will be interesting to see whether Obama partisans overuse accusations of racism so much that by the time the election rolls around, Americans are simply tuning the accusations out.
|
|
When the other side pulls out all the stops to discredit the tactic.
|
|
As an independent-minded Democrat who really liked John McCain in 2000, I'm disappointed by the negative, nasty tone his campaign has taken. Yes, I'm an Obama supporter, so take this for what it's worth. But two things strike me as interesting:
- The McCain campaigns almost complete unwillingness to actually talk about their own proposals, and their almost complete focus on Obama. For example, this morning on CNN's"Late Edition" McCain Economic Advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer was asked if McCain and Obama were in fact moving closer together on the drilling issue. She basically started out her answer with "Well, what's important is that Barack Obama has...". In other words, she totally ignored his question about McCain in order to maintain complete focus on Obama. This, to me, is just wrong. It's OK to talk about the other guy, but you should talk at least as much about your guy. Otherwise, you just look like a hack. Especially when you are asked a direct question about your guy.
- The "Celebrity" ad. Here's the thing about this ad that strikes me as really offensive. There are lots of big celebrities, some of them arguably even better-known than Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. There's Bono, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Madonna, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, etc. But the McCain team chose Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Why? Is it a coincidence that they are two young, white girls who are known for being promiscuous? Maybe it is just a coincidence...but it smells. Bad.
I just think the John McCain of 2000 would not have behaved this way. I admired that John McCain. This one...not so much.
|
|
Who cares what Bob Herbert thinks? He's black and he's perfectly entitled to think, vote, and opine as he wishes. But he has no useful perspective to offer because he's totally in the tank for Obama. He should stand in the corner with Mathews, Olberman, and too many others.
And Kimberly wrote:
"He went on the attack in June with his Obama currency and playing the race card - only to try and turn that rovian dirty trick into Obama playing the race card by calling mcnasty out on his baiting. Some hero, eh? Jealousy, pettiness and juvenile race-baiting is what it's come to for our 'esteemed' war hero."
What are you talking about? And are you living in the same universe as the rest of us? I don't know how significant this past week will be for election results, but Obama got his head handed to him and his surrogates do nothing but dig his hole deeper when addressing the way he played race at McCain. Gloves are off, and I do hope McCain's VP candidate and surrogates spend the next 14 weeks hammering home Obama's radical positions with a two-by-four up his a**. |
|
http://scaredmonkeys.com/2008/08/03/barack-obama-chickens-o ut-of-town-hall-debates-against-john-mccain-what-happened-t o-debate-mccain-any-where-any-time/
Bravely bold Sir Obama
Rode forth from Illinois.
He was not afraid to die,
Oh brave Sir Obama.
He was not at all afraid
To be attacked in nasty ways.
Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Obama.
He was not in the least bit scared
To be called a Muslim.
Or a leftist too,
And a celebrity.
And Britney too.
To be called a Paris Hilton type,
Clearly a racist sterotype
Brave Sir Obama.
And Rove sent men to aide McCain
They called Barack chicken
And yellow
And scared
And then Obama cried its foul
And ran around like barnyard fowl
"That's... that's enough debate talk for now lads,
*** there's dirty "cynical" work afoot*** ???."
Brave Sir Obama ran away.
("No!")
Bravely ran away away.
("I didn't!")
When campaign danger reared it's ugly head,
Obama bravely turned his tail and fled.
("no!")
Yes, brave Sir Obama turned about
("I didn't!")
And gallantly he chickened out.
****Bravely**** taking ("I never did!") to his feet, Obama beat a very brave retreat.
("all lies!")
Bravest of the braaaave, Sir Obama!
("I never!")
|
|
It has a lemon sauce, nice and yellow.
Obama is afraid of McCain, hence the reason he will not debate him in a townhall (even though Obama said anyplace, any time, he would take on McCain).
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/08/03/its-official-obama-ru ns-from-town-hall-debates/
As poster "David" so elequently stated here previously:
Brave Obama ran away.
Bravely ran away, away!
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Obama turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Obama!
|
|
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12264.html
A decent choice. Better than Pawlenty.
Virginia Patriot, you better call your congressman! |
|
|
A decent choice. Better than Pawlenty. |
|
Indeed, the Obamagans played the race card on Bill and Geraldine, got Imus fired and have served notice. Whites dare not speak truth to a racial issue/situation unless its favorable! Blacks and Obama groopies dish it out then go into denial and deny the obvious when chal-
lenged. They can't get away with it with John. Hillary had to overlook the insults and fakery for her Partys sake. There is only so much one Democrat can say against another!
Sic em McCain, you haven't a racist bone and Obama will now think twice before he uses/hides behind the Race card. We know if he loses, the Blacks will claim its only because he is black! They will never acknowledge that their great Superstar just isn't fit or qualified! ExDemocrat |
|
..."mavericks." Questionable loyalty. Except I guess there's no question with Mack where his loyalties lie.
But they are not repaying the favor. Poor John. |
|
|
McCain is no flip-flopper. When he says he hates conservatives, he means it. Just like his liberal Democratic party pals and the MSM. |
|
..and win? Or cave to media opinion?
Cowboying up and taking his hits seems out of character for Mack. Sure, he doesn't mind offending the cons or the Pubs. But taking hits from Left or the MSM? He's always been their darling and courted their favor.
I wonder how apt he is to change. |
|
|
the only racebaiting in this campaign has come from obama. he used the race card on the clintons and now he's trying it on mcain .no one cares about his pigmentation , we do care about his frightening economic policys . they would devastate lots of elderly peoples retirements . my mom lives off of social security and income from some modest investments . obamo will tax her investments along with millions of others that are in similar situations . i'm old enough to remember the carter years obama's policys are far far too close to jimmy carters who was the worst president in american history |
|
think it's already worn thin, every time something he perceives as negative he whines about racism. I think the whole country is sick and tired of hearing Jesse, Al, Jerry Wright and other assorted BLT preachers and the very whiney 45 yr. old crying race everytime something doesn't go their way,
and it also includes their brain washed followers
and the latte guilt ridden whitey's.
I know I'm sick of it, and if this so called
great orator (doesn't work for me) is the prime
example of affirmative action Harvard education,
it doesn't say much for it, especially with his
wifey's tedious thesis. Maybe we should all start demanding we go back to the merit system,
H.S. validictorians have put together better speeches and delivery than this prince. |
|
when Herbert wakes up in the morning and his wife says "Good Morning, Bob" he responds with, "Conservatives are racists!"
and B, Obama is a celeb who seldom wears underwear according to his interview in OK magazine.
What a lightweight. America is awesome! |
|
|
I saw this ad and it runs 30 seconds -- For all the flak it has created, I think too many sheeeeple are way too sensitivo! -- Is B.oo H.oo O running for POTUS or Prom Queen? -- He needs to man up -- |
|
The MSM and his Hollywood friends have always been his anchor and his means of staying afloat while he was a lousy senator and terrible Republican. Now that he has stuck it to the GOP base only to find himself floundering in the center and being abandoned by his friends in the media, he just doesn't know what to do.
And now we have the disgruntled House Republicans staging a revolt that could spread become a revolt by both parties against their respective leaders who are in bed together. The voters are very upset at the status quo which is why Congress is at 9% support. This is a leadership problem, not a partisan problem. Normally, this is when McCain would ride over the hill with a "Gang of Liberal Scoundrels" to win the day for Ted Kennedy. We'll see but it is very interesting the Townhall has dropped this event like a hot potato already.
Maybe things aren't looking too good for RINOs. |
|
Barack.
Stay on the attack. There are plenty of good issues to go after. Lindsay Graham did a decent job with Daschle today on FoxNews Sunday. Press the attack! And keep telling the American People why John McCain is the better canidate. |
|
|
|