I heard an interesting argument today. There was some general discussion about the ethical implications of the recent slew of aggressive advertising by both candidates. Particular emphasis was placed on an ad run by the Obama campaign that attacked John McCain’s inability to use a computer. Apparently the ad can be interpreted as low, as shameful. My question is why?
Why shouldn’t it give the population pause that a man vying to be their leader can’t by his own admission send an email? The complaint is that the technological ineptitude is due largely in part to McCain’s injuries sustained as a POW. The argument is of course complete bullshit, and is frankly shameful itself as McCain or at least his surrogates are using his status as a POW to shield him from criticism, in much the same way Rudy Giuliani deflected questions by touting September 11th.
And if in the off chance McCain is really so physically impaired that he can’t move his fingers up and down a keypad, he has no business running for high office.
Politics has become an act in precision. With news organizations and citizen reporters watching (and recording) every public appearance, all it takes is a wrong word—macaca, say—to sink a campaign.
And yet the McCain campaign has seemed to drop all notions of caution in the last few days following the announcement of Sarah Palin as McCain’s running mate. Obama is hitting the GOP nominees hard on what can only be described as lies from the mouths of McCain, Palin, and their surrogates.
Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma spoke to a Republican National Convention crowd last week, and according to a reporter for the Tulsa World who was there, Inhofe began treading in dangerous waters when he questioned Obama’s patriotism just days before the seventh anniversary of Sept. 11th.
“Do you really want to have a guy as commander in chief of this country when you can question whether or not he really loves his country?”
Chances are, if you didn’t see Sarah Palin’s factually-challenged and overly abrasive speech last night at the Republican National Convention, you saw a headline that read something like “Palin Rallies the Base and Energizes the Party.”
Well, the always important fundraising numbers are in, and the money indicates that Palin did in fact rally the party to action. Problem is, she rallied the wrong party.
The latest round of polling is out, and it points to good news for Barack Obama.
As expected, Obama received a post-convention bounce after his spectacular speech that was viewed by about 40 million people, the largest TV audience outside of playoff football this year.
Nobody can deny the oratorical mastery of Barack Obama, whether or not you agree with the content of the man’s speeches.
He dazzled the Democratic National Convention in 2004 with a call for hope. He dazzled 200,000 Europeans eager to welcome a new America to the international arena in Berlin. He dazzled the nation as he discussed race and its role in our society in terms never before heard in the United States. And tonight, he dazzled the world with his American Promise, a blueprint for the way forward and the way up out of the misery and uncertainty caused by the Republican Party over the last eight years.
In over a year and a half, despite my support and the support of millions of Americans nationwide, I never once went to bed 100% certain that Barack Obama would be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the president of the United States.
Tonight, thanks to Hillary Clinton’s profoundly generous, moving and inspiring motion to pronounce Barack Obama the nominee of the Democratic Party by acclamation at the DNC, I can.
If you have been watching coverage of the Democratic National Convention even peripherally, you have seen and heard segments asking whether Hillary Clinton is genuinely behind Barack Obama’s candidacy or not.
Her speech last night in Denver perhaps quieted some of the rumblings within the media and the Democratic Party, but it has made little impact on some of Hillary’s supporters, specifically the crazy ones who now support John McCain.
“It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together in the Twin Cities, because its awful hard to tell them apart.”
Until five minutes ago I was still unconvinced about the sincerity of Hillary Clinton’s support for Barack Obama. But her passionate speech at the DNC has me sold.
A catchy tune indeed. There is an interesting dynamic at play between the Repubo celeb attacks and the positive outlook of hope in an America we can all be proud of. Obviously Democrats will be for Obama’s message and Repubo’s will call it an empty call for change but what does the undecided voter choose, with all other things being equal? I’m betting they choose the uplifting vision of the kind of America you read about in the history books. One where we are the good guys and we help make the world better instead of worse.
