you just can't take it seriously.
Who says I take it seriously? They want to fight dirty and McCain is up in the polls, we (demos) fight back harder. Niceness, unfortunately will not win this election, as we saw very clearly in 2000 and 2004. I have a son that could still be eligible for wars. I will do my best--in reaction to smut--to see that it does not happen. I think Obama has moved recently from being back on his heels to putting them back against the ropes.
Did you think the interview with McCain's fellow prisoner was made up? I didn't think so.
I know that I risk losing points about my character by this, but I'm ok with it.
Even Rove is saying the McCain's ads have gone too far; but they are working.
Karl Rove: McCain's Ads Have Gone Too Far
September 14, 2008 04:25 PM
Read More: John McCain, John McCain Campaign, Mccain Lies, Mccain Strategy, McCain Truth, Politics News
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The McCain campaign, in running TV ads which defy prior political standards, is gambling that the traditional rules governing what is permissible in presidential contests -- as defined by the mainstream media -- can safely be discarded this year.
The normally cautious and even-handed Associated Press on Thursday declared, "Even in a political culture accustomed to truth-stretching, McCain's skirting of facts has stood out this week." The controversies have surrounded McCain television commercials and stump speeches asserting that Barack Obama "supports" comprehensive sex education in kindergarten, that Obama called Sarah Palin a "pig in lipstick," and that Palin stood firmly against the "bridge to nowhere" -- despite videotape evidence that the Alaskan governor provided support for the earmark before she opposed it.
So far, based on polling over the past two weeks, McCain's roll of the dice has paid off. Not only has McCain made substantial gains, pulling modestly ahead in most national polls, but his assaults on Obama appear to have damaged the Democratic Party as well, raising Republican hopes of minimizing House and Senate losses.
There are 50 days left until November 4, and the outcome remains unpredictable. The public could become hostile to McCain's negativity; the Obama campaign could find a way to reverse current trends; or McCain's candidacy could simply fail to thrive, as happens to all losing presidential nominees.
If, however, the current Republican strong-arm approach to this year's contest proves effective, not only will Democratic expectations be crushed, but the triumph of image over substance, of playing to bias, and of coded rhetoric will mark a significant advance of the dominance in politics of advertising "ethics."
University of North Carolina political scientist James Stimson, an expert on public opinion, said that when he seeks to determine the strength of a trend, he looks "for uniformity across multiple surveys as a sign of meaningful movement and I see meaningful movement (toward McCain)."
The McCain strategy is based on a series of major premises. These include, first, that what many thought was the fading salience of wedge issues -- evoking stereotypes of liberals as 'weak on terror' and 'sexually permissive' - can be revived; second, that Obama is particularly vulnerable to these stereotypes, in part because he is African American; third, that standards of accuracy and truthfulness in political competition have eroded; and fourth, that the traditional authority of the national media as arbiter of what is legitimate in political discourse has disappeared.
Preliminary evidence suggests the McCain wager to abandon restraint is paying off. The Gallup/USA Today survey released September 12 found an abrupt decline in the Democratic advantage that many expected to define this election. When respondents were asked whether they would vote for a Democratic or Republican congressional candidate, the sustained Democratic pre-convention advantage of 11 to 15 points dropped to just 3 points.
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Throughout the Republican convention, primetime speakers showed no hesitancy in seeking to revive liberal Democratic stereotypes -- no matter how outdated or inaccurate such caricatures have been found to be:
"Is a Supreme Court liberal or conservative that awards Guantanamo terrorists with constitution rights? It's liberal! Is a government liberal or conservative that puts the interests of the teachers union ahead of the needs of our children? It's liberal!" roared Mitt Romney from the podium.
If Romney took a shot at Obama and the Democrats, Palin fired a cannon:
[Obama] is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word 'victory' except when he's talking about his own campaign.... Victory in Iraq is finally in sight; he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay; he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America; he's worried that someone won't read them their rights.
Damage inflicted on Democrats on national security issues is readily visible. Through much of 2005-7, when the Iraq War was a palpable disaster, the Republican advantage of military and security issues disappeared. More recently, however, that advantage has reappeared, posing a threat to Democrats. A September 5 survey performed by the Democratic firm Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner for the progressive organization Third Way found: "Old doubts about Democrats on security, after diminishing during 2006-2007, have begun to re-emerge: concerns that Democrats follow the polls rather than principle; that Democrats are indecisive and are afraid to use force; and that Democrats don't support the military.
The study reported that when voters were asked, "Do you think the Democrats or the Republicans would do a better job of ensuring a strong military?" they chose Republicans by a 57-27 margin. When asked "Which party do you associate more with the term 'Too hesitant to use force'," likely voters chose the Democrats by a 59-21 margin.
It was these vulnerabilities that Rudy Giuliani pounded on in his September 3 convention speech, a tactically conceived offensive reflecting Republican understanding of their potential strength on this terrain:
For four days in Denver, the Democrats were afraid to use the words 'Islamic terrorism.' I imagine they believe it is politically incorrect to say it. I think they believe it will insult someone. Please tell me, who are they insulting if they say Islamic terrorism'? They are insulting terrorists.
Of great concern to me, during those same four days in Denver, they rarely mentioned the attacks of September 11, 2001. They are in a state of denial about the biggest threat that faces this country. And if you deny it and you don't deal with it, you can't face it....
The Democratic Party had given up on Iraq. And I believe, ladies and gentlemen, when they gave up on Iraq, they had given up on America. The Democratic leader -- the Democratic leader of the Senate said, and I quote, 'This war is lost.' Well, well, if America lost, who won, Al Qaeda, bin Laden?
While many Democrats dismissed the Republican convention as a collection of failed sword rattlers, the data to date suggests that the rhetoric of St Paul-Minneapolis should be taken seriously.
A September 13 Democracy Corps poll found that while Obama and the Democrats were viewed as having held a successful convention in Denver, those gains were wiped out by the success of the Republican convention in St. Paul:
The latest (pro-McCain) shifts have been driven in part by the Republicans' effectiveness in painting Obama as too liberal, too inexperienced and a weak leader who favors giving up in Iraq. Obama addressed all these doubts effectively in Denver but St. Paul erased the gains and more: there was a 6-point increase in numbers seeing Obama as 'too liberal' (from 49 to 54 percent), and an 8-point increase on 'too willing to reduce troops in Iraq' (from 57 to 65 percent). After Denver Obama moved even with McCain on strong leader, but McCain took a 12-point lead following St. Paul. And even though Obama's work in Denver had narrowed McCain's margin on national security, McCain came out of his convention with a 25-point lead on this issue.
In addition, the Democracy Corps survey found substantial erosion in Obama's advantage as an effective agent of change:
McCain has contested the mantle of change and defined it in his own terms that are believable to some voters....In the absence of a coherent change message from Obama, many voters are accepting McCain's definition, particularly since they want to change Washington and clean up government. As a result, Obama has lost his double-digit advantage over McCain on the right kind of change. He now holds only a 7-point lead nationally and 6-point advantage in the battleground states on what was a key driver of his vote. Obama has also lost his double-digit advantage on standing up to special interests in Washington and is now tied to McCain on this measure of government reform.
UNC's Stimson said that "'Democrat' is a heuristic for liberal and race probably adds a little bit," but, he argues, Obama's difficulties lie less with his race than with a perception among some voters that he is elitist:
There is the sense that he has visited working class America, but he has never lived there, and he just doesn't know what the world looks like to people who get dirty on the job....Middle class intellectuals, even with the best possible motivations, don't know that world, don't know how to reach out to people they actually want to help.
The McCain ticket is by no means, however, in the clear. Palin may, herself, become the victim of stereotyping. Geoff Layman, professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland, pointed out, however, that "voters make inferences about candidates' issue positions based on their demographic traits. The most powerful of those appear to be race and gender, with voters viewing African-American and female candidates as more liberal than white male candidates.... Not surprisingly, that tendency is strongest on the issues most closely associated with African-Americans (civil rights issues, affirmative action) and women ('women's issues' like abortion and gender equality)."
University of Chicago political scientist Michael Dawson noted that Obama has tried to counter excessively liberal perceptions of him by doing "some mild versions of the Sister Souljah route (or more the Bill Cosby route). I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a more stringent version, if the current poll stats stay firm. My guess they want to avoid it, since mentioning race at all has potential negative consequences, but they will do so if he continues to stay even or fall behind."
The Obama strategy so far has been to challenge the accuracy of what the McCain campaign is putting on television and saying on the stump with the presumption that the media will rise up in revolt over McCain's false assertions.
To a considerable extent, the media insurgency has materialized. There have been tough, highly critical stories about McCain's claims in the New York Times "McCain Barbs Stirring Outcry as Distortions," the Washington Post "McCain Wraps Distortions Around One Truth," the Los Angeles Times --"New election low: distorting the fact-checking -News outlets and independent truth squads seem to agree that the McCain camp's distortions on Barack Obama have gone too far"--and many others.
The McCain campaign, however, is banking on the notion that the steady decline in trust in the media has reached the point of no return, that the press and television can no longer play the role of umpire or national arbiter of what is accurate and what is untrue, what is fair game and what is out of bounds.
The McCain campaign is making no secret of its changed stance. "We recognize it's not going to be 2000 again," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers told Politico, referring to the campaign eight years ago when McCain was revered by the media for his transparency and accessibility.
"He lost then," Rogers said. "[Now] We're running a campaign to win. And we're not too concerned about what the media filter tries to say about it."
* John McCain
The McCain campaign in running TV ads which defy prior political standards is gambling that the traditional rules governing what is permissible in presidential contests -- as defined by the mainstream...
The McCain campaign in running TV ads which defy prior political standards is gambling that the traditional rules governing what is permissible in presidential contests -- as defined by the mainstream...
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- + New Roguewolf See Profile I'm a Fan of Roguewolf I'm a fan of this user permalink
Now I understand why so many Liberals are vegetarians.
Eating veggies shrinks the brain
14 Sep 2008, 0103 hrs IST,AGENCIES
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:34 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New elsija See Profile I'm a Fan of elsija I'm a fan of this user permalink
I'm not an American, but I'm scared shitless as it is and I simply cannot understand how this is happening!!!!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:13 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Cilantro See Profile I'm a Fan of Cilantro I'm a fan of this user permalink
to understand remember our elections are always decided by a 15-20 percent of the voters who are in the middle, no strong allegiance to either party. Some call themselves independents. They tend to be wishy-washy, not having strong beliefs or principles. They tend to go with who they think the "winner" will be near the election day so they can brag they voted for the "winner" , i.e. they are not as stupid as they fear they may be. This is the crowd that is catered to by the lowest form of politicking ala McCain and Republicans... A solid 40% of voters will always be Democrats and a solid 40% Repubicans and won't budge... it's always about the folks in the middle who decide our future for the rest of us.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:33 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Troubledwawa See Profile I'm a Fan of Troubledwawa I'm a fan of this user permalink
The Republicans are getting deserate.
When they can't win on the facts, they lie.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:19 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New jgalvan See Profile I'm a Fan of jgalvan I'm a fan of this user permalink
sorry wrong placement, my bad.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:32 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New jgalvan See Profile I'm a Fan of jgalvan I'm a fan of this user permalink
blowmeoops!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:30 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Roguewolf See Profile I'm a Fan of Roguewolf I'm a fan of this user permalink
Minn, Florida and Pennsylvania all breaking for McCain. Go Sarahcuda.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:07 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Troubledwawa See Profile I'm a Fan of Troubledwawa I'm a fan of this user permalink
pollster.com
Minn and Penn are Obama.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:16 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Roguewolf See Profile I'm a Fan of Roguewolf I'm a fan of this user permalink
Updated: 9/13/2008
Summary:
McCain - 49.1%
Obama - 44.3%
Not Sure/Other - 6.6%
"This is a classic case of polling as a snapshot in time. We"re turning Pennsylvania purple today, as McCain takes a small edge. But as in Ohio, we are watching this closely and things could change in this classically blue state."
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:31 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New luvangelHussein330 See Profile I'm a Fan of luvangelHussein330 I'm a fan of this user permalink
So basically McCain may win by playing drity as heck and the media will help him they've already done everything in thier power to cover up or not even talk about his issues, flip-flops and gaffes and then wonders why he is so close in this race. This election has brought out the very worst in folks. Willfull ignrorance, hate, lies....
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:07 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New GZLives See Profile I'm a Fan of GZLives I'm a fan of this user permalink
"This election has brought out the very worst in folks. Willfull ignrorance, hate, lies...."
And it's only just begun.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:29 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New bgrp See Profile I'm a Fan of bgrp I'm a fan of this user permalink
It is now clear that John McCain is insane. I don't mean that his policy ideas are insane, though many of them are. I mean that based on his behavior, conduct, mien and tone over the past several days, there is every reason to believe that John Sidney McCain III desperately needs help. I think he needs medication, and I think that if he is already on medication, his doctors need to adjust it or change it entirely
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:03 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New anopenmind See Profile I'm a Fan of anopenmind I'm a fan of this user permalink
New Ad - McCain's lying to you"
youtube.com
McCain's a Gamble
youtube.com
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:02 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New patrickgarret See Profile I'm a Fan of patrickgarret I'm a fan of this user permalink
America voted for Bush TWICE because we didn't LEARN after 4 years. Now some are "doing it again." America deserves whatever may come. Funny part is it REALLY effects states like Ohio, MI, IN, KY, Alabama..not so much the blue states where 75% of the GDP is made.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:53 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New DRaymond See Profile I'm a Fan of DRaymond I'm a fan of this user permalink
I am afraid that if McCain wins the 'lesson learned' is that you can lie your way into the white house. Not just spin, but outright lie. You can go ahead and repeat the lies as often as you like. But you can lie the guy with humble beginnings into the elitist. You can lie about your support of programs. You can lie about being a victim of nasty attacks, you can lie about the programs the other guy supported. You can lie about your own previous abuses of power. You can lie about everything all the time, and if you lie about enough things often enough not only will the american people believe it (if you are telling a myth that they are willing to accept) but there will be so many lies that your opponent will not be able to respond to them fast enough. You can lie to your hearts content because you have discredited the institutions in the US charged with uncovering the truth while you can use astroturf and dittoheads to confuse the websphere enough to give yourself cover.
If McCain wins against such overwhelming starting odds the proof will be in that Rovian politics is the only game that stands a chance of winning. Nobody will dare run a campaign any other way in the future for any office anywhere. Rovian politics will have triumphed in its greatest possible challenge and thus proved that it is invincible. And it will just as we deserved.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:45 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Thefamilyvan See Profile I'm a Fan of Thefamilyvan I'm a fan of this user permalink
I wouldn't be surprised if MCSAME and the CONSERVATIVES resort to RACISM AND SMEARS to convince voters that they are America's choice. WAKE UP AMERICA and vote the issues! If you do, you WON'T vote for more of MCSAME.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:42 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New knowledge_is_power See Profile I'm a Fan of knowledge_is_power I'm a fan of this user permalink
We should be attacking one of McCain's supposed advantages. He has more experience than Obama? Well, much of that is experience supporting failed the policies of W. Voting with Bush 90% of the time... is that really the kind of experience that our country needs?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:39 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New knowledge_is_power See Profile I'm a Fan of knowledge_is_power I'm a fan of this user permalink
fixed typo:
We should be attacking one of McCain's supposed advantages. He has more experience than Obama? Well, much of that is experience supporting the failed policies of W. Voting with Bush 90% of the time... is that really the kind of experience that our country needs?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:48 AM on 09/15/2008
- + cyclewerker See Profile I'm a Fan of cyclewerker I'm a fan of this user permalink
Why hasn't the democratic party learned how to fight?
Obama and Biden can only do so much...
Why aren't the Democrats fighting back? Unifying that they won't be slandered, won't be painted as weak? Where are the democrats in the military who shout down the republicans? When did the republican party become the party of Guns, Gods and War, and when did those things supercede all the other elements of what defines a person as an american?
Democrats have to fight back, not be painted as some how un patriotic because they believe in helping all citizens, not just the friends of the wealthy/powerful...
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:29 AM on 09/15/2008
- + codwix See Profile I'm a Fan of codwix I'm a fan of this user permalink
This is a classic confrontation between good and bad; if our nation makes an incorrect choice we will all suffer the consequences.
Its funny how sometimes things don"t matter, and sometimes they do.
We elected bush twice and now we seem poised to do the same thing again.
What happens when you do the same thing over and over and expect a different result?
bush/mccain/palin 2008
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:28 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Thefamilyvan See Profile I'm a Fan of Thefamilyvan I'm a fan of this user permalink
When you repeat the same thing over and over again it's called INSANITY!
OBAMA - BIDEN '08
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:48 AM on 09/15/2008
- + kevenseven See Profile I'm a Fan of kevenseven I'm a fan of this user permalink
I keep thinking it is time to stop banging the drum about how unqualified Sarah 451 is, and then I come across a gem like this from the Times of London.
timesonline.co.uk
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:27 AM on 09/15/2008
- + StillIRise See Profile I'm a Fan of StillIRise I'm a fan of this user permalink
Watch Oprah tomorrow to keep her ratings up! Republican women are boycotting Oprah on Sept. 8 to protest the fact that she's not having Sarah Palin on her show before the election. Even if you don't watch Oprah (as I generally don't), turn the TV on or program your VCR/DVD to record the show! However, I doubt if Oprah will even be phased by this. Oprah doesn't play these games, and she'll just keep on doing what she does best, and keep on being #1.
Also, in support of Senator Obama, Sept. 30th will be BLUE DAY FOR OBAMA. Wear blue and register two new voters.
Pass it on!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:18 AM on 09/15/2008
- + gotnostyle See Profile I'm a Fan of gotnostyle I'm a fan of this user permalink
that's not how it works. sorry.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New bigbenny See Profile I'm a Fan of bigbenny I'm a fan of this user permalink
You're just a "nattering nabob of negativism" (quote from another disgraced repub VP)
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:18 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New StillIRise See Profile I'm a Fan of StillIRise I'm a fan of this user permalink
That's not how WHAT works?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:48 AM on 09/15/2008
There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All
- + lohy See Profile I'm a Fan of lohy I'm a fan of this user permalink
Oprah will love it... She has more money that God or Cindy McCain...LIke she cares...
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:25 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Thefamilyvan See Profile I'm a Fan of Thefamilyvan I'm a fan of this user permalink
I say that we should boycott FOX NEWS for even calling themselves a news organization, when all they do is affirm conservative opinion and sprinkle it with a pinch of news! At least, Oprah TRIES to be objective!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:58 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New Osprey3 See Profile I'm a Fan of Osprey3 I'm a fan of this user permalink
Unlike Cindy McCain, Oprah earned her fortune on her own!
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:52 AM on 09/15/2008
- + ds2oo8 See Profile I'm a Fan of ds2oo8 I'm a fan of this user permalink
If you want to know more about Sarah Palin, please visit:
www.dailysource.org/palin
In-depth research, audio clips, videos, excerpts, and links to hundreds of articles, including many from newspapers and TV stations in Alaska. It has rare footage, including her telling the "08 convention of the Alaska Independence Party, whose aim is to give Alaska a vote on seceding from the U.S., to "keep up the good work." The level of research is unparalled.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:16 AM on 09/15/2008
- + New bigbenny See Profile I'm a Fan of bigbenny I'm a fan of this user permalink
That's: dailysource.org
This is a great link but you've got to add the http:// to you links or they won't work unless you cut and paste
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:23 AM on 09/15/2008
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