Campbell Brown Pleads: 'Don't Let This Devolve Into A Campaign That...We Are Sickened By'

Hey everybody! What do you think about the ugly turn the presidential campaign has taken in the past forty-eight hours? Truly, it has managed to degenerate considerably beyond the ugly turns that have gone on for the past 4,800 hours. It helps, of course, when one candidate tells the New York Times, "Hey, yeah, well, we sure hate your gollydarned guts, but here's an exclusive for you: WE'RE GOING CRAZY NEGATIVE." And so now it's all William Ayers and Keating Five Webisodes and pretty soon, no one in the country will be in the tank with anyone except for maybe Tina Fey's imitation of Sarah Palin, which is one of the few things you can see on teevee these days that actually takes the American people by the hand and whispers, soothingly, "This is not your fault."

CNN's Campbell Brown mounted a spirited call for a return to some degree of politesse and decorum at the top of her newscast last night. Brown termed Palin's "pallin' with terrorists" line "outrageous," but also accused Obama of dredging up past McCain issues that he once averred were "not germane to the presidency." Then, Brown took up for everyone in America who's not looking forward to their eyeballs bleeding from all of the vitriol:

There is just one month left. Please, please, don't let this devolve into a campaign that you are sickened by, that we are sickened by, and that you are embarrassed to be part of. I mean, here is a purely practical reason. The negativity you are spewing now is only going to make your job harder after Election Day. Bipartisanship is really tough to achieve when everyone on both sides is left with a bad, bad taste in their mouth.

Look at this new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll. When asked how are things going in the country today, 80 percent said badly, 80 percent. Pollsters have been asking that question since 1974 -- 80 percent is an all-time low. People want to hear solutions from you. They want to hear how you are going to get us out of this mess. And one of you is going to have to. Don't you want to be able to walk into the White House with your dignity intact and your head held high?

[WATCH.]

I've noted that during debates, ordinary citizens tend to ask questions that eschew the typical idiot obsessions of the professional political press. So Brown may yet get her wish, if whoever selects tonight's questions will allow us the pleasure of something other than a televised geek show. Fingers crossed, Campbell!

Comments

[marcusdarnley]

Calling attention to the Keating Five story is not negative campaigning, not is it irrelevant or out of bounds. In fact, John McCain has advocated radical deregulation, and has improper done favors for campaign contributors throughout his career. The favors he did for Keating are directly linked to the current economic disaster, as are the many, many other actions he's taken and promoted as chairman of the Commerce Committee, and every day of his tenure as a US Senator. The Dow has dropped below 9,000. Millions of people are losing their nest eggs and/or their homes. What could be more relevant than a candidate's history of advancing the policies which caused this melt-down?

[rchazr]

Thank you for admonishing the parties to live up to their responsibility to us to keep their discourse civil. Appealing to racial prejudice is a morally bankrupt tactic in today"s America. It raises more questions about the character of the individual [or the desperation of handlers]. It is unfortunate that McCain would use Palin in that way or engage in that type of conduct himself.

Not to reward bad behavior with free airtime, but it is important for the media to let people know when their conduct steps over the line of propriety. We can disagree and not be disagreeable. We certainly can disagree and not incite hate. Such offensive and divisive race baiting is just another form of verbal abuse that is all too prevalent in our media. It diminishes us all when we don't shine that light on it. So, thank you for taking the time to do so.

The "Keating Film" is an acceptable part of the piece since it too is something they said they would not do"even in retaliation. However, it isn't otherwise offensive or inappropriate. I need to know about the savings and loan debacle--particularly if history is repeating itself on a larger scale. I'm glad that McCain got off the first time. As a former prisoner-of-war, I don't have a problem with giving him a pass. But I want to clearly understand the problem (and the pattern) so I can evaluate the proposed solutions. Keep up the quest for truth.

[AJ39]

Good Grief! You show the same nasty spirit toward Campbell Brown as McCain/Plalin show toward Obama/Biden. Yeah, I agree, McCain/Biden have been much nastier, more dedicted to spreading lies than the Obama/Biden team; but that doesn't mean that Obama/Biden campaign is above reproach. I applaud Campbell Brown for calling for civil discussion.

[rockyersocksoff]

Too late!


Blaaghhhhhhh!



urp

[lainey]

I do believe that Ms. Campbell and others should direct such ugliness where it belongs. Senator Obama was talking about Keating because it is NOW relevant considering our economic crisis. However, Palin and McCain's incitement of their crowds to yell "kill him" and "terrorist" is the issue. It goes way beyond sickness, it is pathological. Please Campbell and other news organizations, now is not the time to suddenly feel that you need to include both sides on this issue. The McCain campaign has dragged this way down and Democrats will not lose any longer as a result. Be pointed in your criticism. Direct is where it belongs--at Palin and McCain.

[Ramirez]

Campbell Brown is a team player and she'll be there when the chips are down. It's really not necessary to ask her to direct criticism at Mccain and Palin.

[springsm]

Well, Campbell dear, YOU don't have to repeat them ad nauseum do you? After all the Palin shill is sending out lie after lie after lie and full of hate...all the while thinkin she is just the cutest hockey mom about. Also the Keating 5 had something to do with the S&L debacle didn't it. Doesn't that relate alittle to the subjects of today. My gosh MS Brown...it is at least a proven charge and not this &*()( that Palin is doing for McCain. You need to take your righteousness elsewhere and you are certainly more than a day late on this rant. Credibility?

[longislandlol]

Gore and Kerry would win in today's election cause it to us too long to learn how to counter their nasty attacks

[Owlygirl]

Oh puhleeze sister! This plea is months too late. It's totally gratuitous at this point, isn't it? Campbell and her ilk at CNN are a huge part of the problem. I think that's called irony.

In other news someone is certainly enjoying the spotlight.

[Liberal2]

OTOH, Chris Matthews is calling for more unnecessary and unhelpful and, ultimately, destructive Strum und Drang. People wonder how campaigns became exercises in futility as far as governance is concerned.

But in defense of Mr. Matthews, he lackes the intellect to discuss the differences between policies and their consequences. He missed his true vocation of professional wrasl'ng commentator.

[SheriChardonnay]

boycott her lame show...she sits high and mighty about cutting the bull well she is FULL OF IT herself!

[cengizfromoc]

Campbell Brown, you ignoramus.

Obama's documentary concerning the Keating 5 is clearly a counter punch to the attacks coming from the McCain camp. Also - it is not a guilt by association smear. It is a documentation of the man's record. And it is increased in relevance by the banking scandals of today ie the bailout.

McCain's attacks are guilt by association smears, and racially tinged.

By not presenting it this way Campbell, you are being extremely disingenuous. Obama has not made false attacks and guilt by association smears. McCain and Palin have. It is not the same Campbell. It is not even close.

[solanus]

too late already sick................

[majorteddy]

Well , Campbell, you better talk to McCain -Palin . palin isn't called that name for nothing. she has no decency.

[dawn2dusk]

good luck

[CaptainVideo]

Any campaign in which the Republican part of the campaign is run by the same fear and smear artists who ran the Bush campaigns against Gore and Kerry cannot help but get very, very ugly. McCain made a decision to run an ugly campaign by putting these people in charge of his campaign. Obama, if he does not want to end up like Dukakis, has no choice but to retaliate.

But the retaliation should be made largely by surrogates while he himself keeps giving the American people a positive message of change.

[SENATORCALLENBOWE]

2 LATE :)