Alter: "Smear Gap" Between McCain And Obama

This is hardly the nastiest campaign in recent memory. But it's not shaping up as the "civil" contest that both candidates promised either. Instead, we're seeing the emergence of a "smear gap". John McCain making stuff up about Barack Obama, and Obama trying to figure out how hard he should hit back.

As usual, news organizations are deeply afraid to say that one side is more negative than the other. Doing so sounds "unfair." It's much easier, and less controversial, to say that "both candidates" are being negative. That would be "balanced", but also untrue. ...

Obama has negative ads airing in more than a dozen states below the radar of the national media. One ad, in Ohio, links McCain to the 8,200 lost jobs at DHL, the German-owned overnight delivery service. That goes too far. McCain's support for a merger involving DHL hardly makes him culpable for the job loss. But overall, and to his credit, Obama has not engaged in anywhere near the number of falsehoods as McCain.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[the964kid]

Nobody has to smear McCain because the truth is already a nightmare.

[BlueOnBlue]

Want a laugh? Here's what Ari Fleischer said about McCain....

"Our nation has been through enough and John McCain's ad has gone too far."

Of course, he said that back in 2000 and it was in response to a McCain ad which said Bush couldn't be trusted any more than Bill Clinton.

[dutchess2]

The McCains are both proven liars.

[imusintheevening]

It is time for Obama to get out his switchblade and have the alley fight that McCain is spoiling for. There is only one way to keep these repugs out of the oval office, and sorry to say but it will be nasty. For all his polish, I think Obama has the innate survival instincts necessary to take McCain down, but he had better get started, cause they are sensing advantage and victory right now.

[5150]

If as the poet said: the child is the father of the man, and the man is the father of the child, then you're your own grandpa and McCain is the one.

[Xenopus]

McCain is a falsehood. Everything he says and his wife says is a figment of their imagination. John McCain is a hypocrit who says one thing one day and something the opposite the next. Everything he says in his stump speech is negative misinformation about Obama -- and he knows it isn't true. The only thing he says about himself is I am a POW, you owe me.

[Susanfrom29]

But isn't this something that Republicans always do?

[jhink465]

"I think he knows what Rome is. Rome is the mob. Conjure magic for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the senate, it's the sand of the coliseum. He'll bring them death - and they will love him for it."

From the movie-Gladiator

This idea is as true in this society as it was in Rome 2000 years ago. The American mob loves the sands of the arena. That is how the Republicans have been able to take the food off our tables and have the American mob roar for Bush and Reagan . They were good in the arena. They knew how to use the trident and Thracian sword against reason and good governance. I kinow Obama wants to change the way politics are done in this country. So did Kerry and so did Gore. Where did it get them with the mob? Obama is fond of saying "not this time". Oh if only that "marble of the Senate" could be the beating heart of the American electorate" As the polls are showing, it is still the sand of the arena. So as much as I hate to say it, Obama has to suit up for a contest that will leave blood in the sands of the arena. The mob demands it.

[demfriend]

If Mccain will lie cheat steal misrepresent and use the vile evil brand of Rove to win the white house then how will our economy get fixed when he is in bed with all of the lobbyinsts he can associate himself with? How can we get US jobs back when Mccain is helping to given them away? How can we fix our military? A draft is now his OK meter on that. The good things and values we had such pride in for so many years gone now and what Mccain is doing is no more than Bush 3 and worse as Bush has the big companies and oil as his interests, Mccain has whatever interest or whatever lobbyist is handing him something. What is so very hard about understanding these things? Why are people willing to vote for someone who has sold his very soul for his chance at the oval?

[knowwhatimsayin]

McCain has simply picked up the Karl Rove/Swit Boater rule book from 2004 and has run with it. Defame and smear your opponent with lies about his record, cast doubt about his patriotism and experience, make him seem foreign or scary, and sit back and watch the MSM eat it up and regurgitate it to the masses. And why not? It's worked before and could very well work again.

[MelDel7365]

McCain, apparently, has decided that he will win the Presidency by default. He won his party's primary by telling everyone why not to vote for the other candidates and he is (apparently, given his recent ascendence in the polls) going to be perfectly happy winning the Presidency by telling everyone why not to vote for Obama. (and then he can't even come up with a valid and FACTUALLY ACURATE reason) I don't know which is more pathetic - McCain or the people who are voting for him after this nonsense.

[Faith101]

Obama will stay on the high road for as long as he can, but this thing will be a dog fight before it is all over with. McCain want to get in the dirt. I can tell by some of the pundits that they think Obama won't get tough with McCain. They keep saying negative ads work, Obama and crew have not even begun to fight yet. Is this what the voters really want?

[LAB10]

Truth, Mac is devoid of morals, judgment and brain cells.

[rollingdivision]

The voters are turning, McCain needs to do more of what works.

[rwe]

in order to be a smear there has to falsehoods ( that is why the Swift Boat charges have never been refuted and are not smears) SO FAR EVERYTHING SAID about Obama has been true....Thus , not smears... A challenge to ones ineptness or vacuousness is not a smear, especially when barack's only responses have been ones of deflection and ratiionalization

[MrTessier]

You should actually read the article. It even mentions that the "challenge to ones ineptness or vacousness" is not a smear. It does list the ones that are lies. Those are indefensible on both sides.

[Strywever]

Don't know how to read, hm?