Jim Stillman
Nevar
Senator McCain’s campaign – unbelievable.
August 22nd 2008 18:54
A while ago, on July 31 of this year if it matters, an article was posted on these pages asking why the media give the Arizona Senator and GOP candidate for president a “free pass”, skipping over both casual mistakes in the Senator’s “off the cuff” remarks but also serious substantive errors. Since I was the author of the article, I cannot praise it without forfeiture of my well earned – and deserved --trait of modesty.
Really Long Link
During the past week or so there has been an amazing confluence of events that have undermined every key basis of McCain's campaign, so much so that it is hard to see how anyone who is not an extreme right-wing Republican could even consider voting for him. Moreover, the attempts by both candidates to woo the evangelical and other Christian conservatives may be a lot of wasted focus.
A survey by the prestigious Pew organization, published today, finds
But the real problems of the McCain efforts were made more evident during the past week. They showed real and significant flaws in the candidate’s knowledge and judgment that no amount of spin can remedy.
Repeatedly, Senator Obama had taken a specific position on an issue which Senator McCain dismissed with a mocking attack, asserting it was proof of the Illinois Senator’s immaturity and lack of judgment. In the examples discussed here, the latter’s stance was proven correct by the Bush administration or by third parties outside the political sphere.
First, there’s Afghanistan where Senator Obama has argued that the real war on terror is based and that more troops were needed there to secure the country. In July, Senator McCain mocked that position, calling his opponent naive and premature. Senator McCain used Obama's plan as an example of his lack of judgment.
Senator McCain also had maintained that the war in Iraq was not affecting the ability of the United States to send a sufficient amount of troops to Afghanistan, something that was directly contradicted in early July by Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
The quoted statement did not stop the GOP campaign, but the Pentagon quietly announced this week that 11,000 soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan, thus adopting Barack Obama’s position.
The bigger problems involve Iraq, where John McCain has made that conflict and national security the center of his campaign. He has enthusiastically shouted his support of the war in Iraq, and he has repeatedly said that Barack Obama does not have the judgment necessary to be president because, among other things, he supports timetables for the withdrawal of American troops from the country. He has accused Senator Obama of trying to "legislate" defeat.
John McCain was not well advised. In July, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq was necessary, undermining the whole Bush-McCain strategy for staying in Iraq. Senator McCain dismissed the Prime Minister’s remarks as being used to bolster his political strength, just playing politics, not expressing his true beliefs.
Now we know better. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice appeared with the Iraqi foreign minister to announce that the two countries have agreed that a timetable should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Oops!
McCain now stands alone. After all his criticisms of Obama's judgment on this issue, the Iraqis and even the Bush administration have now accepted that a time table for withdrawal is necessary (essentially adopting Obama's long-held position). McCain's criticisms have blown up in his face. Can John McCain still claim that his judgment on Iraq is superior to Barack Obama's (especially considering that the latter opposed the war, while the former assured Americans it would be an easy victory, we would be greeted as liberators, and we would only be faced with a short engagement).
Yes he probably will do just that.
Other matters, silly and substantive, came to light this past week: Elitism and Houses, the Draft, and a few random items.
Perhaps because of the length of American campaigns (according to that reliable source Jib-Jab, the 2012 campaign of Hillary Clinton has started) intangible and silly issues often arise. One recurrent theme is the concept that the president has to be one of the average guys (or, now, gals); he or she cannot be perceived as an elitist. Actually, running for president requires a bunch of personal money, an ego the size of Texas or Alaska and unbridled ambition. But all candidates stress that they are just an average “Joe Six-pack” kind of guy.
When John Kerry was photographed windsurfing during the 2004 campaign, he affirmed his image of being an upper-class elitist, out of touch with the day-to-day lives of the common folks. The judgment wasn't based on policies, since his positions were unquestionably more consistent with those of the average blue collar worker than the stands taken by George W. Bush. Notwithstanding this, the photo resonated with many voters, confirming that the Democrat Kerry was not one of them.
This week, Senator McCain had his “windsurfing moment”. When asked how many houses he and his wife owned, John McCain said he didn't know and would have to check with his staffers but that the answer was probably four. In fact, the McCains had seven homes. If McCain's remark last week at Rick Warren's values forum about $5 million being the threshold for being "rich” didn't sink the idea of McCain as a "man of the people," then not knowing how many houses he owns should put McCain's regular guy status over the edge. Maybe once and for all people will realize that McCain is a man of extreme wealth. As Jerry Seinfeld would add here, “not that there's anything wrong with it," but being rich is not the image the GOP campaign likes to project for its candidate.
What would the GOP and Fox and others of the far Right do or say if Barack Obama acknowledged that he didn’t know how many houses he owned? I’ll leave the question to the readers. Of course, SL eloquently states that only “liberal loonies” read this blog.
Actually, the business about his houses and the accusation of elitism of Barack Obama is significant if only to demonstrate how outside the American experience John McCain lives.
The Nation proffered this opinion:
I do not suggest that Barack Obama is not wealthy, albeit to a lesser degree or that the McCains’ wealth is a disqualification for public office. But does he understand the concerns and anxiety of the average person? Is there anyone in his party who can explain it to him?
No – to both questions.
Then there’s the draft. At a New Mexico town meeting the other day, a woman said that she believed the resumption of the draft might be required. John McCain agreed. Again, what would be the reaction of the Right if Senator Obama called for the drafting young men and women?
To you young voters: Still think it’s not necessary to vote?
I have not, for reasons of space, discussed John McCain’s remarks about Georgia and the unnecessary provocations toward the Russians, his advisor being a paid lobbyist of the Georgian government, his repeated misstatements of fact, and so forth. I’ll probably devote some time to these later this weekend.
John McCain’s campaign won’t just roll over – much as I wish it would.
Really Long Link
During the past week or so there has been an amazing confluence of events that have undermined every key basis of McCain's campaign, so much so that it is hard to see how anyone who is not an extreme right-wing Republican could even consider voting for him. Moreover, the attempts by both candidates to woo the evangelical and other Christian conservatives may be a lot of wasted focus.
A survey by the prestigious Pew organization, published today, finds
Some Americans are having a change of heart about mixing religion and politics. A new survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters. For a decade, majorities of Americans had voiced support for religious institutions speaking out on such issues.
The new national survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. Four years ago, just 30% of conservatives believed that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Today, 50% of conservatives express this view.
As a result, conservatives' views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared.
There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are -- from 40% to 46%. Again, the increase in negative sentiment about religion and politics is much more apparent among Republicans than among Democrats.
The new national survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. Four years ago, just 30% of conservatives believed that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Today, 50% of conservatives express this view.
As a result, conservatives' views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared.
There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are -- from 40% to 46%. Again, the increase in negative sentiment about religion and politics is much more apparent among Republicans than among Democrats.
But the real problems of the McCain efforts were made more evident during the past week. They showed real and significant flaws in the candidate’s knowledge and judgment that no amount of spin can remedy.
Repeatedly, Senator Obama had taken a specific position on an issue which Senator McCain dismissed with a mocking attack, asserting it was proof of the Illinois Senator’s immaturity and lack of judgment. In the examples discussed here, the latter’s stance was proven correct by the Bush administration or by third parties outside the political sphere.
First, there’s Afghanistan where Senator Obama has argued that the real war on terror is based and that more troops were needed there to secure the country. In July, Senator McCain mocked that position, calling his opponent naive and premature. Senator McCain used Obama's plan as an example of his lack of judgment.
Senator McCain also had maintained that the war in Iraq was not affecting the ability of the United States to send a sufficient amount of troops to Afghanistan, something that was directly contradicted in early July by Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
“I don’t have troops I can reach for, brigades I can reach, to send into Afghanistan until I have a reduced requirement in Iraq. Afghanistan has been and remains an economy-of-force campaign, which by definition means we need more forces there.”
The quoted statement did not stop the GOP campaign, but the Pentagon quietly announced this week that 11,000 soldiers would be sent to Afghanistan, thus adopting Barack Obama’s position.
The bigger problems involve Iraq, where John McCain has made that conflict and national security the center of his campaign. He has enthusiastically shouted his support of the war in Iraq, and he has repeatedly said that Barack Obama does not have the judgment necessary to be president because, among other things, he supports timetables for the withdrawal of American troops from the country. He has accused Senator Obama of trying to "legislate" defeat.
John McCain was not well advised. In July, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq was necessary, undermining the whole Bush-McCain strategy for staying in Iraq. Senator McCain dismissed the Prime Minister’s remarks as being used to bolster his political strength, just playing politics, not expressing his true beliefs.
Now we know better. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice appeared with the Iraqi foreign minister to announce that the two countries have agreed that a timetable should be set for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
Oops!
McCain now stands alone. After all his criticisms of Obama's judgment on this issue, the Iraqis and even the Bush administration have now accepted that a time table for withdrawal is necessary (essentially adopting Obama's long-held position). McCain's criticisms have blown up in his face. Can John McCain still claim that his judgment on Iraq is superior to Barack Obama's (especially considering that the latter opposed the war, while the former assured Americans it would be an easy victory, we would be greeted as liberators, and we would only be faced with a short engagement).
Yes he probably will do just that.
Other matters, silly and substantive, came to light this past week: Elitism and Houses, the Draft, and a few random items.
Perhaps because of the length of American campaigns (according to that reliable source Jib-Jab, the 2012 campaign of Hillary Clinton has started) intangible and silly issues often arise. One recurrent theme is the concept that the president has to be one of the average guys (or, now, gals); he or she cannot be perceived as an elitist. Actually, running for president requires a bunch of personal money, an ego the size of Texas or Alaska and unbridled ambition. But all candidates stress that they are just an average “Joe Six-pack” kind of guy.
When John Kerry was photographed windsurfing during the 2004 campaign, he affirmed his image of being an upper-class elitist, out of touch with the day-to-day lives of the common folks. The judgment wasn't based on policies, since his positions were unquestionably more consistent with those of the average blue collar worker than the stands taken by George W. Bush. Notwithstanding this, the photo resonated with many voters, confirming that the Democrat Kerry was not one of them.
This week, Senator McCain had his “windsurfing moment”. When asked how many houses he and his wife owned, John McCain said he didn't know and would have to check with his staffers but that the answer was probably four. In fact, the McCains had seven homes. If McCain's remark last week at Rick Warren's values forum about $5 million being the threshold for being "rich” didn't sink the idea of McCain as a "man of the people," then not knowing how many houses he owns should put McCain's regular guy status over the edge. Maybe once and for all people will realize that McCain is a man of extreme wealth. As Jerry Seinfeld would add here, “not that there's anything wrong with it," but being rich is not the image the GOP campaign likes to project for its candidate.
What would the GOP and Fox and others of the far Right do or say if Barack Obama acknowledged that he didn’t know how many houses he owned? I’ll leave the question to the readers. Of course, SL eloquently states that only “liberal loonies” read this blog.
Actually, the business about his houses and the accusation of elitism of Barack Obama is significant if only to demonstrate how outside the American experience John McCain lives.
The Nation proffered this opinion:
John McCain is soaring to new heights of hypocrisy on his wife's personal jet. He flies around the country bent on duping the public into believing he's "one of them," a regular guy who can empathize with Americans facing an overwhelming economic crush. What's more, he disparages those who oppose his ridiculous policy proposals as "elitist." But who's the real elitist?
The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.
The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.
I do not suggest that Barack Obama is not wealthy, albeit to a lesser degree or that the McCains’ wealth is a disqualification for public office. But does he understand the concerns and anxiety of the average person? Is there anyone in his party who can explain it to him?
No – to both questions.
Then there’s the draft. At a New Mexico town meeting the other day, a woman said that she believed the resumption of the draft might be required. John McCain agreed. Again, what would be the reaction of the Right if Senator Obama called for the drafting young men and women?
To you young voters: Still think it’s not necessary to vote?
I have not, for reasons of space, discussed John McCain’s remarks about Georgia and the unnecessary provocations toward the Russians, his advisor being a paid lobbyist of the Georgian government, his repeated misstatements of fact, and so forth. I’ll probably devote some time to these later this weekend.
John McCain’s campaign won’t just roll over – much as I wish it would.
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Comment by Jeff Musall
Secular Humanity