Sunday, October 19, 2008

McCain Plays Old Politics Badly

Senator McCain knows how to create an issue that will get attention. That's his tactic these days. We've seen examples of it in three different issues with "Joe the Plumber", ACORN and Bill Ayers. All three of these issues make accusations towards his opponent, get media attention and sound bites. In all three cases McCain is greatly exaggerating the issue, or outright lying. It takes a little depth of awareness to see through these tactics, or at least some willingness to really look at the issues. I wonder, does the failure of a campaign using these tactics actually mean a change in consciousness among American voters?

McCain claims Joe the Plumber will fair worse under Obama's tax plan. But in fact, Joe the Plumber makes $40,000 per year and would actually benefit under Obama's plan. If Joe bought the business he was talking about, it was found the business makes around $100,000 per year and would still benefit from Obama's plan. Clearly Joe the Plumber is not an example of how Obama's plan could hurt average working Americans, which it won't. But McCain still takes Joe the Plumber and runs with him. Even though facts are facts, McCain continues to use him as an example. He goes on to say Joe the Plumber didn't ask Obama to knock on his door. The fact is, Joe the plumber approached Obama when he was out campaigning in a neighborhood in Holland, Ohio. Yet, McCain will twist the story in any which way he wants to make his point. Does this sort of twisting of the facts make any one else other than me feel crazy?

ACORN is another example. The community organization that John McCain spoke at as recently as February 20, 2006, where he was the keynote speaker at an ACORN-sponsored Immigration Rally in Miami, Florida. Now he claims the Obama campaign is involved in voter registration fraud in cooperation with ACORN. The organization admits that they have had some voter registrations come up invalid. They have brought attention to the issue themselves. Besides, voter registration fraud is a lot less serious than actual voter fraud, which no one is claiming yet. Nevertheless, a lot of hot air is blown into the ACORN issue by the McCain campaign where there is really not much of an issue at all. McCain knows this. This is a tactic of distraction, and a tactic to sow seeds of election confusion now in case the vote is close and the results need to be contested. Again, does anyone else feel abused by this dodgy tactic? Does it make you feel angry and crazy?

The same symptoms exist with the Bill Ayers tactic. Again while Obama admits to the association with Bill Ayers on a charity board, along with many republicans in Chicago, it is not true that Obama launched his campaign in Ayers' living room, yet this accusation is repeated time and time again. We would be led to believe that Bill Ayers and Senator Obama have some sort of close knit relationship. It is totally an overblown accusation and McCain knows it too. Yet, he keeps at it. I believe most American voters are beginning to see through McCain and this old style negative politicking. In fact, if you look beyond the surface, it is a kind of crazy-making.

McCain depends on the ignorance of voters who may only be hearing sound bites on the evening news to make effective these tactics based on untruths. While he tries to reach rally hardworking conservatives, and perhaps hardworking undecideds he in a way is depending on them to be so hardworking, that they don't have time to really research or look fully at these issues. Because if the light of truth is shown upon them, these issues and tactics will be shown for what they are. To take a full and honest look these three examples of Bill Ayers, ACORN and Joe the Plumber show deceit on the part of Senator McCain.

We don't need a president that employs these sort of tactics. It makes me feel crazy and dysfunctional. Much like what has been going on the past 8 years in our country's leadership. My hope is that people are waking up to this sort of negativity in politics, and not accepting it any longer. The polls seem to be bearing this out, as McCain's standing has slipped as he has introduced these attacks. Real leadership and honesty is what's needed. On the other hand, Obama has shown much more integrity, honesty, steadiness and inspiration. He has shown strength in his ability to build a grassroots organization, and will be a true populous president. He is well accepted around the world and will help restore the positive image of the U.S. internationally. As I write this on the day Republican Colin Powell announces his support of Senator Obama on Meet the Press, I have to emphasize the credibility to his words that Obama has what it takes to be an excellent president.

6 comments:

Mary said...

Nice essay, Rick, good research. While I didn't like the feel of the smearing by McCain, I didn't know all the facts you've stated here.

It is indeed so obvious the integrity that Obama maintains and I agree that he will be a competent president.

I also need to say that Obama's already been disappointing in terms of the hawkish cabinet he'll choose and also his support of the MIC and other corporate conglomerates that run america. We shall see what good and damage he'll do. All presidents do both. Clinton, for example, got us out of the red but his baby, NAFTA, has brought so much more suffering to indigenous and poor peopel around the world, not to mention how incarceration rates soared giving us the world record (lest we forget "3 strikes=you're out")

Never-the-less, I remain hopeful for our country and for the world.

peace,

mary

Keith "Nurse Keith" Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC said...

Rick,

I also remain hopeful---although my inner cynic is pretty strong, even where Obama is concerned.

Glad you're taking this on, and I know that you have a lot of intelligent and salient things to say!

(My previous comment had so many uncharacteristic typos that I just had to take it down and start over!)

Keith

Blue Spectral Eagle said...

Yes, Mary, I know what you are saying about the hawkish cabinet and globalization aspect of Obama. I'm doing a lot of studying about he economic crisis and what appears to be greater global centralized banking. More on this later.

Karolen said...

I think it is a sign of a change in consciousness. The same negative, twisted tactics that worked for Bush and other candidates in the past are not working anymore. We've been lied to so many times in this country in the past 8 years, that we are, collectively, much more skeptical about the same-old-same-old bullsh*t rhetoric from Washington, no matter if we're looking at Obama's or McCain's campaigns - whatever the source of the propaganda, we are not going to stand for it anymore.

I'm just not hearing lies from Obama like I am from McCain. However, unlike Mary and Keith who are rationally weighing the pros and cons of each candidate, I confess that I am simply a full-fledged, starry-eyed Obama girl!
Thanks for the enlightening read, Rick!

Blue Spectral Eagle said...

Thanks Mary for your comment about my tone towards McCain. I didn't intend any kind of tone, but can understand why it might read that way. Good feedback for future statements if I continue to foray into political writing. I will say I do respect Senator McCain. He has made important stands on some issues, such as torture. But I still stand by my comments about the nature of his current campaign.

Karolen said...

I don't think Mary was talking about your tone towards McCain. Here's what she said in her comment:
"While I didn't like the feel of the smearing by McCain..."
She said the smearing by McCain. I personally thought the tone of your article was fine. And if anyone did think your tone was too harsh, well, the best political bloggers have a "tone" and some people don't like it but others love it, so write on!
I wanna hear more!