McCain On Negative Turn: "I'm Very Sorry About It"

The Washington Post's David Broder talks to both candidates about the campaign tone:

The first question I asked John McCain and then Barack Obama was: How do you feel about the tone and direction of the campaign so far?

No surprise. Both men pronounced themselves thoroughly frustrated by the personal bitterness and negativism they have seen in the two months since they learned they would be running against each other.

"I'm very sorry about it," McCain said in a Saturday interview at his Arlington headquarters. "I think we could have avoided at least some of this if we had agreed to do the town hall meetings" together, as he had suggested, during the summer months.

TNR's Chris Orr is impressed that Broder managed to write about negative campaigning without mentioning any of McCain's, well, negative campaigning:

Broder manages the remarkable feat of writing on negativity in the campaign without once mentioning McCain's "troops" smear (which his own paper led the way in declaring untrue), any of his ads deriding Obama as a Paris-Hilton-like celebrity or self-imagined Messiah, or the GOP's hilarious tire-gauge antics. (Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln....) The only actual attacks Broder cites are the charge that Obama was "playing the race card," and McCain's suggestion that Obama would be willing to lose a war in order to win an election. (Moreover, he backs into this latter attack, citing Obama's complaint about it rather than the smear itself.)

But none of that will happen again if Obama agrees to a town hall.

Comments

[poco767b]

Sorry, I wasn't paying attention and suddenly went really negative, but it was Obama's fault really.

[kallopolis]

Ugh. More Two-Faced drivel from the GOP.

[oxford]

I saw a kitten on TV that must be related to McC. because it had 2 faces also.

[GerryT]

.....I did not have sexual relations with that woman....

[marchamlin]

Someday you will. You might have to pay for it. But someday you will.

[BillForObama]

If Senator Obama had agreed to the Town Hall meetings, then it would be all over by now. Unfortunately, John McCain and main stream media would have beaten Senator Obama in the end.

What I mean by this is that Senator Obama would have waxed McCain's A** and the media would have spun everything in McCain's favor.

Senator Obama's constant lead is the only thing that is helping people believe that he can win. When Senator Obama waxes McCain's A** in the upcoming debates, this will carry over until November.

[kallopolis]

You know McCain is going to try to turn the debates into a misdirection-fest.

If only we had townhall meetings..­..
If only we had subtantive debates...
If only, if only, if only....

WITHOUT EVER ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE.

OBAMA. PLEASE CUT THROUGH THIS BS.

[FaceYourFears]

If only I wasn't such an a-hole.

[SCG2]

I'd like to dedicate this to John the Maverick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2e4NlnLr28

[obamanation31]

Maverick no more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBsRbMimtlA

[wanj]

It's lip service. He's not sorry at all! He'll continue to be his nasty self till Nov. Why is he wearing such a big shirt in that pic above? Did he borrow Brett Favre's clothes or is he just trying to seem bigger?

[impassionator]

"I think we could have avoided at least some of this if we had agreed to do the town hall meetings" together."

So, bigMAC still refuses to take personal responsibility, and pass the blame to O for his "I approve this message" campaign ads.

Still not clean.

[blaising]

Blaming McGook's negative campaign tone on Obama's refusal to do the town halls is classic!!

He really DOES take pride in being ignorant!!

"If the face of America is the John McCain town hall meeting, we're in trouble, because the McCain town hall meetings are old and white."

Mayhill Fowler
John McCain's Fake Town Halls
Posted July 16, 2008

Good night America...­and GOOD LUCK!!

[Charles1Goodwin]

Abusers ALWAYS blame the victim. First they abuse. Then they apologies. Then the rationalize. Then the blame the victim. When the victim responds, they get mad and abuse again. Rinse - Repeat.

[seriously29]

You are so correct!

mccain started cheating on his first wife once he returned home to find that she had been disfigured in an accident, then married cindy for money; then got angry with cindy and called her a c**nt. (Google)

This is classic abusive behavior. I knew that he was angry with O for not joining his bias town hall meetings. He then threatened like an abuser by saying if you don't participate I will attack you again.

Can you imagine what he will do to the U.S. in office. It is scary.

[zonafan51]

If he's so sorry then why do the negative ads continue?? Today he's sorry when just the other day he was saying how proud he was of the one with Brittany and Paris.

Now he even flip flops on his ads! Which is it . . . what will he think tomorrow?? Is he EVER consistent on anything????

I can't wait for the debates!! Be careful what you wish for McBush . . . you're probably going regret ever getting on the same stage with Obama!!

This man is a loose cannon packed with old, unstable gunpowder. He needs to be defused and put out to pasture!!

[mergina]

Oh you're SORRY ALRIGHT!

[mouselion]

Sounds like media-hype extortion.

"I can't win if we meet in a real debate. So do my townhall prop, or else I'll keep running attack ads. But, I'm truly sorry about -- only it's your faul that I'm attacking you."

[jollyelle]

save it, no one believes you
McBoywhoCriedWolf now, huh???

[gurukalehuru]

He's not sorry.