Going Negative

The right is now convinced that they will lose on economic issues, lose on social issues, and lose on foreign policy. At best Sarah Palin mobilizes the base. The focus now will be going negative. Not from the 527s, but from McCain and Palin directly. It will be interesting so see how far the McCain camp will go down this path. McCain has been running negative ads, but will he go hard negative in a personal way against Obama on Tuesday?

McCain seems to have immense contempt for Obama, building perhaps upon longstanding animosities.

Sarah Palin appears to relish the role of the attacker, not only in this campaign, but in ever campaign and political job she has held. It's part of her political DNA.

The Republicans' negative attacks on character won't be on Obama's apparently wholesome marriage, an awkward line of attack for McCain, and perhaps for Sarah Palin also. It will focus on Obama associations with three people, Reverend Wright, Tony Rezko and William Ayers. This is pretty much the last McCain Hail Mary.

The Wright matter seems to have been already beaten to death, and I doubt there is much new mileage in that. Who doesn't already know more than they want about the Trinity church? And unless Rezko newly alleges that Obama has promised favors for cash, something that seems unlikely on its face, I don't see that much there either. The Ayers story is the one that is the more transparent smear. There just isn't much of a story, except that the Nobama crowd is making a lot of noise. But since "make something out of nothing" smears probably put Bush 1 in the White House and re-elected Bush 2, it continues to excite the Republican base, and well connected party hacks who will have power if McCain wins. Politics is a contact sport, says the McCain campaign, and we will probably see plenty of contact from here out.

How will or should the Obama camp respond? So far Obama has shown a steady hand in dealing with one crisis after another, but he has gone through some tough patches. With the election now less than a month away, it seems important to get it right. I personally would emphasize the lateness of the attacks, and that it is a character flaw to offer exaggerated and unsupported allegations against your opponent.

Sarah Palin in particular might be reminded that her "aren't I cute" routines and the slashing smears, when put together, have a phony element. Like others I was struck by the way her seemingly genuine and touching "may I call you Joe" was a calculated set-up for "say it ain't so Joe" in the debate. The attack dog can be a snake, and I think someone has to make that point. Ok, she doesn't know much, but she knows enough to know that her own personal fairy tale is based upon exaggerations and lies (the Bridge to Nowhere, reasons for firing the head trooper, taking a cut in pay as Mayor, trade missions with Russia, etc.). Her attacks on Obama are lies and exaggerations and she knows they are lies and exaggerations, but she continues to lie and exaggerate. If she continues to deliver negative attacks on Obama, Biden should step up.

But Obama may have to step up too, and challenge McCain in the debates about the tone of the McCain campaign attacks. I would ask John McCain, do you think you can win this campaign without making exaggerated and untrue attacks on my character? Do you think you can win on the issues? And let him respond. I doubt that McCain is deeply comfortable with his own campaign. He has a short fuse when this topic is raised in interviews.

Comments

[BarackMarley]

Someone should tell Palin don't throw stones from glass homes. Why she is calling Obama's tangentail relationship with Ayers pallin around with terrorists, when she has strong ties to the AKIP, a radical alaskan secessionist party.

Read about Palin and the AKIP Here
http://current.com/items/89376096_palin_pals_around_with_radical_alaskans

[4real]

Let Joe Biden attack their campaign and put James Carville out there to smear them back.

[ConEd]

"Who is that masked man?"

[grantkuper]

James, Great Article...

At this point, I see only an October Surprise (essentially a coup) as a potential road to defeat for Obama:

IMAGINARY SCENARIOS:

1) On October 23, 2008, a speedboat carrying 6 Egyptian/Saudi/etc. nationals was intercepted by the US Coast Guard following pre-dawn total destruction of the Statue of Liberty. They had no inkling that they were "set up" by untraceable CIA "handlers" (Arab-speaking agents) who gave them plans, materials, and the concept. Accusations of a conspiracy leading all the way up to covert agents with Republican ties are flatly denied. The terrorists are being held incommunicado at Guantanamo.

2) On October 27, 2008, a prominent tabloid (oxymoron?) magazine refuses to name a "confidential source" that Obama had an extramarital affair in 2003, but states that she will sign an affidavit to that effect. The reporter's alleged affiliation with a Karl Rove associate is vehemently denied.

3) On Nov. 4, 2008, electronic voting machines in key Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, and Pennsylvania counties throw the election to Herr McCain & Frau Palin, in some cases reportedly recording higher vote totals than the number of registered voters in key preceincts. Manufacturers say all errors are minimal and unsubstantiated. Congress will investigate in 2009... but CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NY Times, Washington Post, et al say that the charges are overblown. Obama, thinking forward to future campaigns and not desiring to appear as sore loser, phones McCain to concede & congratulate him.

[CIEUSA]

I think Obama should mention US Senate Vote 1999/105. McCain voted "YES" and it deregulated the banking industry. Obama can folow up on that with McCain's votes for big business. Obama could also mention the fact that McCain has lied about his US Senate voting record in regards to Katrina and US Veterans. Not to mention that McCain's senate voting record is not very good on children issues, protecting the people, and alternate enrgy. I also haven't heard anyone call McCain on his "NO" votes to help first responders, police, firemen, and emt, to fight/respond to terrorism.

check: http://www.truth24x7.spaces.live.com

[JJW33]

McCain actually doesn't care one iota about the growing millions of American children who are forced daily into a diet fitting of the Third World.

You need PROOF: Quitting in Michigan because their in such dire straits, and therefore, they won't vote for him. What does this really say about character?

John McCain: ANOTHER COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE.

TRUTH IS THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE.
USE IT!

[magen]

So McSame is gonna go with the "kitchen sink" tactic.

It's all he has. Desperation, much??

Didn't some lady try to do that to Obama and fail?????

[PulSamsara]

Why would America REWARD complete Republican failure ?

We wont.

[twisted-european]

It was done with W's reelection. BO should have run for 2004 instead of John Kerry. Oh, did I mention that the same smear team had a ball in that campaign too?

[twisted-european]

So all they have left is smearing - no wonder because there isn't any message of substance in the McCain/Palin smearpain. Campaign? I don't think so, "mavericks"!

[wingman1]

Suggested Obama camp response to Ayers smears:

TV Ad. Mention Palin's smears about Ayers. Debunk them in one sentence. Raise Palin's connections with Alaskan Independence Party and her husband's membership. Quote AIP founder's anti-American remarks. Then swivel to McCain and put the question: why does John McCain think that someone with verifiable connections to a fringe party that wants to secede from the Union is qualified to be VP of the USA?

[Kindheart]

I hope Obama follows your advice. The key is that Johnny can't win on the issues. He has given us absolutely nothing specific on how he would solve our major issues in this country. And he will only make the economy worse than it is now.

[Dynamohum]

If the republicans are going to keep up the intensity of the racial attacks, associations with controversial figure attacks and the complete lies about Obama's platform, then I say pull out all stops and just tell the TRUTH loudly and emphatically. After all Obama and Biden have the TRUTH on their side.

Hammer McCain on Tuesday about the campaign ads and attacks. He will pop. American needs to see him lose it. It goes to the core of why he is dangerous and should not be President.

[radiclib]

.
.
Smear them back.
Get that video of Sarah Six-Pack praying with that Witch Doctor in the church.
Run it again and again and again.
Then ask the voters: Do you really want this sort of person anywhere near nuclear weapons?
Hey, it's not even a smear: It's the truth.
.
.

[tuttlemsm]

As Bill Clinton once famously said, "that's not mud-slinging, that's fact-slinging."

[ruffmama]

Obama needs to try try and get McCain to come unglued during a debate. We need to witness first hand McCain's short fuse on live television.