Why McCain's Attack Makes Obama Look Big

So the McCain campaign finally found its line of attack against Barack Obama's widely heralded global tour. Ever since Obama canceled a trip to visit wounded soldiers in Germany, based on logistical disagreements with the Pentagon, McCain has used the snafu to argue that Obama -- you guessed it -- does not support the troops. A new ad, released on Saturday, assails Obama for prioritizing limelight and exercise over honoring American soldiers:

And now, he made time to go to the gym, but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras.

The ad is running in selected markets in Colorado, Pennsylvania and DC. The campaign would not release the overall ad buy, but the limited run suggests it is more focused on shaping the media narrative than directly persuading voters around the country. It's working -- the ad drove the weekend talk shows and major newspaper articles. In a 24-hour period on Sunday, the topic netted a striking 741 stories on Google news. (Under the narrow search term ""McCain ad" troops Obama visit," if you were wondering.) And the McCain camp is energized about using the canceled visit as a chance to reframe Obama's entire trip. Aides have been pushing a statement from a veteran chiding Obama that "visits with world leaders and speeches to cheering Europeans shouldn't be a substitute for comforting injured American heroes." McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds is hammering that contrast between homegrown heroes and foreign crowds. On Saturday he told me that Obama:

...failed to recognize the need to visit wounded combat troops, instead choosing to continue on with a schedule that included meeting with international leaders and fawning Germans.

In a statement, Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor countered that McCain "is running an increasingly dishonorable campaign." He added:

"Senator Obama was honored to meet with our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan this week and has visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed numerous times. This politicization of our soldiers is exactly what Senator Obama sought to avoid, and it's not worthy of Senator McCain or the 'civil' campaign he claimed he would run."

Ultimately, the McCain Campaign's melodramatic attack is wrong on two levels. First, it is false to suggest that the trip was canceled over "cameras" or the "gym." The trip was spiked during discussions with the Pentagon over whether a defense aide could accompany Obama and how to prevent the trip from being politicized. (Both Obama and McCain have recently made closed-press trips to visit wounded soldiers.)

Second, these trip logistics have nothing to do with being president. The related attacks, just like attempts to measure patriotism by lapel jewelery, are a complete diversion from the actual foreign policy issues at stake. Every candidate kisses babies and visits soldiers, but the rituals reveal nothing about our potential leaders. McCain has often talked about his commitment to running a campaign based on issues. Yet now he is seizing on a meaningless non-event, exploiting American troops by casting them as victims in this petty squabble, and impugning an opponent who just addressed soldiers, international leaders and foreign citizens to outline a new course for America in the world.

Obama's trip clearly made Obama look big. It took McCain's reaction to make McCain look so small.

Ari Melber writes for The Nation, where this post first appeared.

Video: Republican Senator Chuck Hagel condemning McCain's attack on ABC yesterday, followed by the attack ad.

Follow Ari Melber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AriMelber

Comments

[Piatt]

McCain claims that he's "always been there for our troops." If so, why did The Iraq and Afghan Veterans of America give McCain a D and Obama a B+ for "supporting our troops"? Why did McCain state his opposition to Senator Webb's GI bill and then not even show up for the vote?

This b.s. is a continuation of the Rove playbook. Remember how the Clean Air Act actually increased particulates and the Save Our Forest Act permitted first growth cutting. These people couldn't tell the truth at gun point.

[OverIt]

THIS SAYS IT ALL:



Worth the Fighting For, p. 374, by Senator McCain and Mark Salter:



"I didn’t decide to run for President to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be President because it had become my ambition to be President.­"

[JC1c1]

I dont know if anyone recalls the smirk that always stares at you from the T.V. when Bush is talking, but I do, the one that stands out the most is right after Katrina, when he gave his speech, with that stupid smirk. Serious and sad situation, but Bush smirked away. As it gets closer to the end of office for him, I am glad, for many, many reasons, one being, I wouldnt have to look at that stupid smirk anymore. It really is annoying.

Now I watch McCain and he has a stupid smirk on his face at the most unlikely times. I dont support McCain bc of several issues. The war, the economy, health insurance, no child left behind and ect. It would only be a bonus to me if he doesnt win, that I would not have to see another smirk after several mistakes. Bush can not seem to speak, and McCain seems to forget.

Please America, we had a "cowboy" for eight years, dont give us a "maverick". I dont even see how the most stauch repubs could put up with this for another 4 to 8 years.

[LeftLeanWing]

Another reason that these ad are not working is that they make Obama LOOK photogenically great.

He's smiling, looking charming and poised.

At 1st I thought they were ads FROM the Obama campaign, until I heard the narrative.

When your opponent looks GOOD and better than you in your ads; it's time to rethink your ad-buys.

[anfractuous]

McCain looks small because you stand at a distant intellectual remove, where its still possible to arrive at a reasoned response to his shameless blatherings. Then, try shaving off a few dozen IQ points (known as a redstatotomy) and you'll cower before McCain's Brobdignagian presence, while marveling at a Lilliputian Obama.

[LemonFreshScent]

It's ok. McSmall is probably just well. Small. And thats that.

[Merersu]

McCain is doing what all Repugs do, throw lies and cheap shots. But thank the heavens that at least one Repug, Hagel, is man enough to admit the truth and testify to the real character of Obama. Not that Obama needs the help. Every time he doesn't react with anger or snipes pettily about something stupid McCain has said, shows Obama's sheer superiority of character. McCain's desperate after trying for what, a decade to become president. First the idiot outflanked him with the smear campaign and now an opponent, truly superior to him and the idiot in every way, has sounded the death knell for his chances to become POTUS. He's pissy, I get it, but this didn't work for Clinton (equally pissy) and it's not gonna work for him.

[InfosolutionWiz]

SO TRUE!!! GREAT POINT!!!

[PatBurns]

I'm waiting for McSame's Willy Horton ad. This is all water off a duck's back though, McSame doesn't make Obama look big--he makes himself look small.

[joanndarc]

What Gen. Clark said about McCain could prevent these attacs if Obama managed to support the Gen Clark...

[Jezreel]

Obama did support Clark. The media simply did not report on that aspect of the story because it did not support their narrative.

[UncleScum]

Uncle Scum does not support McCain because he does not stand for what America truely can be. I support Obama because Obama understands. He will bring peace to the middle east, he will fix our economy, he will bring down our countries walls so that others can see how understanding and multicultural we are.

Obama will make american the greatest country to live in once again because you see Obama understands what multiculturalizum will do to our country, if we embrace everyone for their cultural backgrounds and accept them for who they are. My brother believes we should all just be americans, that we should conform to his will. Uncle Scum does not believe in that, Uncle Scum says we should embrace people of their cultural heiritage.

Obama also knows that if we bring our countries' children back from war that peace can finally be achieved. That the countries in the middle east will create peace treaties. Uncle Scum supports Obama, but I do not support McCain nor his followers. I believe, that if Obama keeps under my guidence and support, that Obama may be our countries greatest president.

[bluevillage]

All of McCain's attacks make Obama look big. First, just by paying so much attention to him. One pundit said that the only way McCain could get any media attention was to talk about Obama. Second, by focussing on how "big" Obama is, i.e., on how much attention he gets. The jealous video on McCain's website, "Obama Love," had to be pulled because it was itself getting so many views on YouTube: people love seeing Obama loved. Unless McCain stops this pettiness, he's boxed himself into a no-win situation.

[tcagle]

You know, these ad campaign firms are just like high school biology students jolting a frog leg with an electrode. They just want to center in on those intense, reflexive knee-jerk reactions and hit them over and over again, make us do the hokey-pokey. The ad campaigners can be distinguished from the students by their ethics.
I think we have been hit with the juice too many times in this decade for them to have much effect now. Instead of things getting weirder than they already are, people pretty much want to get back to being a sane society making progress, and the prodding just isn't working as well lately. I can't see them go fast enough to suit me.
This is the most disgraceful and destructive administration in my lifetime by far.