Jones Alley
Letter To the Obama Campaign
August 10, 2008
Please excuse my bluntness, but as a loyal Obama supporter I have to wonder, are you trying to lose this election? John McCain has presented so many opportunities and you have squandered so many of them, all in the name of “clean” politics. Unfortunately, you are like the schoolboy whose mother told him not to fight, ever. Every day he takes the high road, and every day he comes home from school bloodied and beat up. At some point you have to fight back. John Kerry sat back for weeks while the Swift Boaters killed him, and by the time he responded it was too late. McCain has been successful in painting a distorted picture of you and your policies, often lying outright, and all we get from you is complaining about his tactics. Responding with facts and figures is not dirty politics, it’s smart politics. You already know what I’m about to say, but here are so many examples. What’s unfortunate is that these are found in Factcheck.org, Newsweek and Jon Stewart, but rarely from the Obama campaign directly. Every one of this can expose John McCain for what he really is, yet you choose time and again to look the other way.
1. McCain talks a big game about conservation but last year missed every singly major vote on this topic, according to the League of Conservation Voters
2. McCain paints himself as a maverick, but in 2007 voted with Bush 95% of the time
3. McCain, to this day, criticizes you for an Iraqi pullout timetable at the same time as the Bush Administration is negotiating one with the Iraqi government
4. McCain continually lies about your tax position. I’m not talking about spin, I’m talking about blatant lies. He’s making some of this stuff up. It’s all in the following article http://www.newsweek.com/id/151621. Do the American people want to elect a blatant liar for President?
5.McCain talks about drilling “here and now”, yet even if we start today, no oil will flow for many years. The Department of Energy says the impact will be minimal. Yet you allow him to mock you on tire pressure.
6. McCain mocked you for being the biggest celebrity in the world. After 5+ years of the world hating us, with world opinion at all-time lows, a little popularity doesn’t seem so bad, does it? How about a commercial showing tens of thousands protesting Bush in a foreign country, juxtaposed with Sen Obama being cheered by hundreds of thousands. The announcer asks us, “Why after so many years of degrading world opinion, does John McCain think it’s unimportant?”
As I see it, you have two choices. Either stick to your noble game plan, all the way to the loser’s bracket, or fight back hard. None of this is “Dirty” politics as I see it, this is all smart politics. It’s all facts, not smear. All valid responses to false, but effective attacks. The time is now. Seize the moment.
Please excuse my bluntness, but as a loyal Obama supporter I have to wonder, are you trying to lose this election? John McCain has presented so many opportunities and you have squandered so many of them, all in the name of “clean” politics. Unfortunately, you are like the schoolboy whose mother told him not to fight, ever. Every day he takes the high road, and every day he comes home from school bloodied and beat up. At some point you have to fight back. John Kerry sat back for weeks while the Swift Boaters killed him, and by the time he responded it was too late. McCain has been successful in painting a distorted picture of you and your policies, often lying outright, and all we get from you is complaining about his tactics. Responding with facts and figures is not dirty politics, it’s smart politics. You already know what I’m about to say, but here are so many examples. What’s unfortunate is that these are found in Factcheck.org, Newsweek and Jon Stewart, but rarely from the Obama campaign directly. Every one of this can expose John McCain for what he really is, yet you choose time and again to look the other way.
1. McCain talks a big game about conservation but last year missed every singly major vote on this topic, according to the League of Conservation Voters
2. McCain paints himself as a maverick, but in 2007 voted with Bush 95% of the time
3. McCain, to this day, criticizes you for an Iraqi pullout timetable at the same time as the Bush Administration is negotiating one with the Iraqi government
4. McCain continually lies about your tax position. I’m not talking about spin, I’m talking about blatant lies. He’s making some of this stuff up. It’s all in the following article http://www.newsweek.com/id/151621. Do the American people want to elect a blatant liar for President?
5.McCain talks about drilling “here and now”, yet even if we start today, no oil will flow for many years. The Department of Energy says the impact will be minimal. Yet you allow him to mock you on tire pressure.
6. McCain mocked you for being the biggest celebrity in the world. After 5+ years of the world hating us, with world opinion at all-time lows, a little popularity doesn’t seem so bad, does it? How about a commercial showing tens of thousands protesting Bush in a foreign country, juxtaposed with Sen Obama being cheered by hundreds of thousands. The announcer asks us, “Why after so many years of degrading world opinion, does John McCain think it’s unimportant?”
As I see it, you have two choices. Either stick to your noble game plan, all the way to the loser’s bracket, or fight back hard. None of this is “Dirty” politics as I see it, this is all smart politics. It’s all facts, not smear. All valid responses to false, but effective attacks. The time is now. Seize the moment.
posted by Mary K. Goddard at 3:04 PM
3 Comments:
This has been one of my big concerns about Sen. Obama from day one. The real down and dirty hasn't even started yet, and if he thinks he is going to win an election in this country by "rising above it," he's not paying any attention to who his countrymen really are. The "can't you see he's a ni-" campaign has yet to begin in earnest, things are going to get meaner and cruder than in any previous election, and if he can't beat down the rovian liars he doesn't stand a chance. Even if he were to squeak a win that way, he would be utterly hogtied as president because the right would know that he would yield and they would be relentlessly obstructionist for his entire term.
Yes, I'd agree....my only concern ever with Obama is that he's not treacherous enough.
Interestingly, I actually heard from a repugnican at a social event last week, that the British are "very concerned" about America electing a president of African heritage. Wow. They don't have the guts to admit it's their problem--they blame it on the British.
I sent a query to a long-time friend in London, (born/raised/educated in the London ara) and his response was:
"I don't know where that idea came from.
Most of the people I know and the serious political commentators over here are very much pro Obama. Not only for his charm and rhetoric, but that he represents everything that the dreaded Bush is not! Hillary, although much respected and a democrat, is still seen as part of the old guard and what America needs is a fresh look at the world."
They don't have the guts to admit it's their problem
Olbermann had a great piece last night (in Worst Persons, of course) about how Sean Hannity is claiming that neither he nor Limbaugh has brought up the issue of race regarding Obama. As usual all you have to do is look at the records, but these guys aren't exactly interested in history--even their own.
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