McCain's New Tactic: Savage Obama's Character

The Politico reports that, having tried unsuccessfully to paint Barack Obama as a liberal flip-flopper, John McCain is getting personal:

As Senator Barack Obama traveled overseas, the campaign against him appeared to take a decisive new turn with Senator John McCain zeroing in on his Democratic opponent's character.

In a year when polls show an easy victory for a generic Democratic candidate, McCain has until now been loathe to employ the tack many strategists see as essential and which anonymous e-mailers and commenters with no apparent links to his campaign have been practicing since last summer: hitting Obama not on his record or his platform, but on his values and person.

The Democrat's Achilles' heel in this model is an inchoate sense among some voters that the new arrival on the national stage with the unusual biography--and who's the first black nominee from either party--isn't American enough.

...

Whatever his motives, McCain's new hit on his foe's patriotism hints at two years of whispered, viral rumors and myths about Obama centered on his patriotism and American values, or, more to the point, his lack thereof. The emails --cataloged in snopes.com's lengthy Obama section and Obama's own "fight the smears" page --often have contradictory particulars, but the thrust is clear: Obama, various false emails claim, is not really a natural-born American citizen; is not really a Christian, and refuses to pledge allegiance to the American flag.

Not all Republicans think this is a good idea. Sen. Chuck Hagel said Sunday that McCain is on "thin ground," and the Washington Post quotes a strategist questioning the new tactics:

One GOP strategist with close ties to McCain's campaign said the new line of attack reflected the operation's "schizophrenic" nature. He said that tendency was also on display last week, as McCain spoke at length about media coverage of Obama rather than sticking with his plan to focus on the economy.

"They couldn't help themselves," the strategist said, adding that the ad over the hospital visit is "churlish and unlike McCain, and hardly will resonate with the swing voters who are going to decide this election." The strategist continued: "They're doing it because the candidate, and the campaign, is not happy with where they are and they're lashing out."

If McCain hopes to win the election, the strategist added, "he needs to be a happy warrior."

Comments

[zull2]

Well, if McCain wants to go down in history as a desperate, vicious little weasel, then that's his choice to make. He should have gone down as a convict after that S&L scandal that cost a lot of people their lives' savings, but someone had to lie down and prostrate himself, blubbering and selling out his conspirators in order to preserve his political career.

That's exactly the kind of president McCain would make. When push comes to shove, he cracks. If he can't bully his way out of it, he whines his way out. There's a reason the military didn't consider him Admiral material, even though McCain did everything he could to follow in his pappy's footsteps. It's what happens when you grow up spoiled with higher expectations than you can handle.

[Insearchoftruth]

What is becoming clear is that Republicans are intellectually bankrupt. Instead of offering us something to vote for, they are forcing us to vote against Obama. They have done this the last two election cycles. After being successful, they are able to act like they are not accountable for anything. This country needs leadership and solutions to real problems. The republican strategy demonstrates a disdain for voters at best and a disregard for the nation at worst. I am an independent and I want a real choice. I am angry as hell with McCain and the media for treating this election like a sporting/e­ntertainme­nt event.

[DWP]

What a shame! I always thought better of McCain than this. As many have said there is a lot of dirt out there on the McCain's. But even without the dirt their is McCain's record on the votes against various things which would have benefitted veterans. Then this business about off shore drilling -- what doesn't make sense is why the oil companies are not drilling on the leases they already have. Just pounding away on off shore drilling just doesn't make sense.

[Phil123]

That's BS. McCainb doesn't need to savage Obama's character.

Obama does a great job of that just by being himself. The question is how long Obama can pretend to be something that he's not.

[Citizen08]

Here you go Mr. savage tactic's right back at you, this is GOOD!
Tonight on KO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBTOPyiCXQY

[Perla]

Bad idea, Johnny. There are plenty of anecdotes about YOU that won't play well with women and family-values folks. If you throw the first stone, be ready for an avalanche.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Sen. McCain should be asked about his "fact finding" trip to Europe in March/08. This was a publicly funded (as opposed to political/campaign funded) trip.

According to the following article in The Jed Report

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/07/why-didnt-mccai.html

Sen. McCain was in Paris (on your dime, remember). Paris is a 4-hour drive from Landstuhl (Berlin is a fair bit further away from Landstuhl than that.) Sen. McCain did not go to Landstuhl. He instead went to London for some kind of fundraiser held at the London mansion of Earl Spencer (Princess Diana's brother) and involving a Rothschild too.

Everyone should be asking Sen. McCain why he didn't take the time (while on a trip funded by you American taxpayers) to go to Landstuhl to visit your wounded troops.

[kinnycut]

Character Assassination? This shows McBush is running out of cards to play.

[Skepticat]

It's never a good strategy to attack an opponent's character when it's better than yours.

[protagonia]

Everything these lil' devils do is in reverse.

[GenXLiberal]

McCain is trying to use Obamas strength as a weakness. It's a Rovian trick used on McCain himself in 2000. I would like to ask Mr. Axelrod to please, please bring up the purple heart band aids that McCain condoned in the 2004 RNC convention. He has never stood up and said that we should never mock those who have recieved the purple heart. By condoning these actions he is making a mockery of our troops.The purple heart has prestige and has no place in the gutter with Republicons.

[Lupin77]

In the above write up Hagel said that McClain is on thin ice in the campaign and the way it's going. I agree with is statement. McClain is not a happy camper and trying his best to smear Obama.

[Lupin77]

Obviously everything else is failing - so the new tactic is to attack the candidate's character!! This is really scraping the bottom of the barrel.

[MadJeffersonian]

This is funny coming from John McKeating V (on his second wife after cheating with her on the first wife). This guy's character (or lack thereof) is the one people should concentrate on.

[ebanks84]

When will JM realize he is doing the exact same thing that HRC did by fighting in the gutter of politics and look where she ended up. Gutter politics turns on you and all those negatives you keep throwing at BO will eventually fall right on your shoulders, JM. That straight talk express has turned out to be a "slow talk caboose" it seems.

He is looking so ugly that it is hard to even look at his evil face any more. I can't understand how he can think he is presidential material when he can't even remember what he said from day to day. His character is lacking tremendously because he outright lies and doesn't care who knows it. He's so used to the press letting him slide and not confronting him on those lies, that he feels he can get away with more and more each day.

This jealous little man is the most sorrowful candidate we've ever had for president. He and GWB will go down in history as the most heinous politicians America has ever had back to back. The political rethugs have lost all their previous respectability and standing in the human race. They need to drop out of sight and regroup.

[Lupin77]

He doesn't care about the worsening economic situation in the country nor the higher fuel and food prices, nor the foreclosures - it doesn't affect him - he's got his wife's millions to live on so for him it doesn't matter. Let them eat cake!! So what if people are hurting - he's not , nor is his family. So his attitude is attack the other guy's character. How low can you go? Is this what it's come down to?

[MikeMidCity]

Isn't McCain the guy who divorced his wife after she had a car accident and was disfigured?

That's character for you. Loyalty to a fault right?