When the going gets tough, McCain gets disgraceful
It’s nothing short of breathtaking to watch a once honorable man want the presidency so desperately, he’s willing to flush his credibility and reputation down the toilet. John McCain’s new TV ad marks a turning point, not only in this presidential campaign, but as a measurement of McCain’s increasingly absent character.
“Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan,” the ad’s announcer says. “He hadn’t been to Iraq in years. He voted against funding our troops. And now, he made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn’t allow him to bring cameras. John McCain is always there for our troops. McCain: Country first.” It concludes with the candidate’s voice: “I’m John McCain and I approve this message.”
There are eight sentences in this campaign commercial, and the only honest one was McCain approving of this message.
There are three angles to this ad worth considering: what it says, what it tells us about McCain, and what it tells us about the state of the race.
First, in terms of the substance, the ad the demonstrably ridiculous and the most fundamentally dishonest campaign commercial of the cycle thus far. The claim about Senate hearings is wildly misleading. The attack about voting against funding the troops is ridiculous. The argument about Obama not spending time in Iraq is disingenuous. The notion that Obama would rather go to the gym than visit wounded troops is insane. The claim that Obama would only visit troops if he could bring cameras is an inflammatory, transparent lie. The notion that McCain is “always there for our troops” is demonstrably false.
The media is using predictable words to describe this new ad. We’re hearing words like “tough,” “hard-hitting,” and “aggressive.”
But let’s cut through the nonsense. The ad is a work of fiction. It’s a sucker punch thrown by a pugilist willing to cheat to win. John McCain is lying, and he knows it.
Perhaps the greatest irony of the ad is that it shows Obama playing basketball in a gym, while blurring the image to prevent the viewer from noting that Obama was surrounded by U.S. troops at the time, and the gym was actually on a U.S. military base in Kuwait. McCain’s ad, in other words, attacks Obama for blowing off the troops, while literally showing him hanging out with the troops.
Second, the ad is instructive, inasmuch as it tells us a great deal about McCain’s character, or in this case, the lack thereof. McCain, after hiring the leaders of Karl Rove’s operation, seems to have come to the conclusion that he prefers dishonor to honor. Lies to the truth. Smears to the issues. This isn’t a mystery — it’s about doing whatever has to be done to win. There is no dignity in McCain’s tactics, but for McCain, this isn’t about acting honorably, it’s about winning at all costs. Anyone who still respects John McCain simply isn’t paying attention.
And third, let’s not lose sight of the broader context here. It’s July, and the McCain gang is rolling out an attack ad better suited for October. What this tell us is the sense of panic at McCain campaign headquarters must be palpable. The tracking polls over the last couple of days have shown Obama’s lead going up, and one assumes, McCain’s internal polling shows the same trend. If McCain were closing the gap, and making real headway this week, there’s no way the campaign would green-light a reality-challenged hatchet-job ad like this one. It’s impossible — the campaign wouldn’t want to take the risk. That it launched the ad anyway suggests these guys are watching the campaign slip away, and they’re feeling more than a little desperate.
Other random tidbits I noticed this morning about this:
* Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who accompanied Obama to the Middle East, said, “I was with Senator Obama last week as we met privately with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Obama listened to their concerns and expressed his gratitude for their service without press or fanfare. He cares for our troops deeply and has worked hard to give them not only the resources they need, but also honor their service with a clearly defined mission and by providing them with the support they have earned when they come home. And just as Senator McCain’s support of President Bush’s veto of funding for our troops doesn’t mean he does not support them, neither does Senator Obama’s insistence that we not give George Bush a blank check.”
* When he Pentagon asked Obama not to visit wounded troops, Obama called them instead.
* Obama visits wounded troops all the time, without cameras, and without telling the press.
* “John McCain is an honorable man who is running an increasingly dishonorable campaign,” said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor in an email to reporters Saturday evening, adding: “Senator McCain knows full well that Senator Obama strongly supports and honors our troops, which is what makes this attack so disingenuous. 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.”
It’s shocking to watch the sleazy attacks and misrepresentations come from the campaign and the candidate themselves. Usually they outsource the sewer diving to shadowy outside “Swiftboat-type” groups.
The debates could be fun as McCain’s own words will come back to bite him. Pass the popcorn.
Yes, but if a huggy bear takes a sh*t in the woods, and no one reports on it, did it actually happen?
All McCain has to do is knock Obama down a couple points to make this year’s election theft less glaringly obvious. Fortunately for his campaign, the media only scrutinizes ads and statements by Obama.
Sure Obama may not have held a hearing on Afghanistan, but at least he knows where it is.
McCain is still looking for the Iraq/Pakistani border.
What would be even more fun is the traditional media actually doing their job and asking “president” mccain to explain himself…I thought the interview in front of the cheese display when he explained the true meaning of the word “surge” was hilarious in it’s incoherence…maybe it’s just me…
as for this newest “ad”, it makes me furious, mostly because I know there are people out there who wont question 1 thing about it…even a reporter from Mcclatchy was flogging the aborted visit at Landstuhl as a “gaffe” this morning on MSNBC…disgusting…
How can anyone be surprised by McCain’s behavior? He cast his lot in 2004 when he turned down the Democratic vice presidential nomination and supported George Bush, a man he loathed. All McCain’s actions till then showed he thought defeating Bush would have been the best thing for the country. But he wouldn’t settle for vice president. He became the last man to drink the Kool-Aid, supported Bush and turned his sights to 2008.
I really do not understand how you can refer to McCain as a “once honorable man”. He showed in 2000 that he had no honor when it came to running for the presidency. One has to look no further than his stand on the Confederate battle flag in the Carolinas. Before the Southern primaries, his position was that it was all a matter of “States Rights” and local history and he supported flying tyhe Confederate battle flag over government buildings and said no one should interfere or criticize. After the southern primaries were passed and the campaign moved to other states where people recognized the battle flag as a symbol of racism, he suddenly had a conversion and was against flying the flag over government buidlings.
There is also the example of the despicable attacks on his family the Bush people engaged in with rumors and push polls. Yet once Bush clinched the nomination, McCain openly embraced him (literally) to maintain his standing in the Republican party. The man has no honor and has had no honor for at least a decade.
Hopefully, with Obama back in the U.S., we will see an aggressive push-back on these ads and other McCain claims. I believe Obama’s campaign needs to organize a large system of high profile surrogates who challenge McCain vigorously anytime he or his ads throw mud. I recommend surrogates attacking McCain and putting him on the defensive so that Obama can stay on message. We want McCain to be “debating” with folks such as Joe Biden and other high profile Democrats. It would also be good to get some middle level Democrats (like the governor of New Hampshire for example) a little time in the spotlight as they counter McCain. That’s the strategy I would endorse.
I’m looking for one, just one, prime time reporter on a national channel to do a short yet thorough fact check like the one the poster did. And while I wait for pigs to fly and hell to freeze over, I’ll run around screaming we’re all doomed…
I don’t really think this is a hail-mary pass or anything — I think it furthers the Republican desire to make this election about Obama & not Bush.
I expect McCain to look like a pretzel by the end of the campaign.
TomB: I believe Obama’s campaign needs to organize a large system of high profile surrogates who challenge McCain vigorously anytime he or his ads throw mud.
Yes. Quite. And let them not be “dimocratic” about it either. Juxtapose the facts next to the lies. Do not call Mr. Macgoo a liar…. rather, show him to be one. As in: Look here! Now decide!
Enough . The gloves need to come off . I want to see every one of McCain’s lies in and ad with him blabbing and LIE stamped over it. The non response to the swift boats is what sank Kerry. They need to hit back fast and hard using McSame’s pledge for a civil campaign to shame him. Then start publishing the gaffes that the MSM has so conveniently fluffed over. I was visiting some folks in Central Florida and they were typical “low information” voters . They never read a newspaper , rarely watch the news..except if it happens to be tuned to FAUX news. I’m sorry , but if this is going to be about low info voters , that is the battle we have to fight
On ‘Meet the Press’ this morning Brokaw read 2 editorials that did not like Obama’s speech in Berlin, of course Obama smiled and pointed out that they were both conservative writers. I have noticed that with all of McCain’s hit jobs on Obama, he has not responded in kind, but has pointed out the differences in a respectful way, and never made McCain the butt of jokes. Apparently when on his tour someone was critical of Bush and Obama refused to do the same. This alone tells me that Obama is more honorable than McCain and the right man for the job. If we have any journalist worth his salt he would bring this up.I guess most are owned by the corporate media. Oh and Frank Rich of the New York times is great!!!!
Newsweek has a good article today with some tough question for Senator Obama and it was refreshing that the Senator answered the questions honestly without degrading Sentor McCain. I have yet to read/see any interviews with McCain where he answers the question – instead the answer is always an attack on Obama.
My video response to this ad is here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StvCkAFKu4w
McCain’s recent tack toward outright lies and personal attacks proves that he’d rather be president than John McCain. It’s no coincidence that this started shortly after he enlisted a couple of Bushrovians. That he’s willing to be to go along with them in making a mockery of his own stated pledge to run a decent campaign makes me wonder what else he’d go along with if elected.
What is so depressing is to see the “MSM” parrot McCain’s talking points. They lead off with them and the sometimes mention what Obama is actually doing.
Katie Couric is absolutely unbelievable – what is going on with her?
What makes McCain’s campaign so insubstantial to me is the absence of any positive direction by McCain himself. He’s always reactive, a critic of his opponent, not someone who has a different vision who proclaims it. He changes position on the turn of a dime to either agree with Obama or disagree with Obama. He’s wholly fixated on tearing down Obama (rather ineffectually), rather than giving anybody a reason to vote for him.
This fixation may be Karl Rove’s doing, but it’s obvious that when Rove was a big part of Bush’s campaigns, Bush had other policy advisors or maybe knew more about campaigning, and Rove’s swiftboating was a sideline, even it if was very active.
In contrast, McCain seems to be capable ONLY of replying to Obama’s principles. McCain’s campaign simply has no core values, quite likely because McCain doesn’t have any himself.
It’s as if McCain learned nothing from the Democratic primary.
Like Hillary, McCain is the familiar, safer candidate. If Hillary had run a straight-forward, cleaner campaign she would have won against Obama easily. Unfortunately Hillary ruined a lot of her own credibility with some of her attacks on her fellow Dem as well as some of her frivilous, fictitious claims. (tarmac story)
If McCain ran a smart, strong campaign he’d really improve his chances of winning against Obama. I don’t understand why he’s doing the exact opposite. For pete’s sake, it’s not even AUGUST and a candidate who has claimed that he wants a dignified campaign is going really UGLY and delving into personal attacks. Isn’t it far too early for such mudslinging?
It’ll be interesting to see if this style of attack backfires on McCain as badly as it did with Hillary. Does this line of attack reflect more on the attacker than the attackee? Does it make him look like an unlikable, ill-tempered liar?
It does make McCain look like he’s worried. They’re trying in the most hamfisted way possible to try and make Obama seem like an uncaring, self-centered person who hates the troops/America/apple pie. The fact is that they SHOULD be going after the experience issue– that is Obama’s weakness. Tossing around such scurrilous allegations only makes the accuser look like a desperate asshole.
Apologies to S&G ( to the tune of Slip Sliding away )
Flip floppin McCain , flip floppin McCain
you know the more desperate his is
the more he flip flops away .
There once was a man , he came from the USA
he wore his passion for country and served in an honorable way .
He said ” My Friends ” you should have no fear
but his lust for power has caused his honor to disappear .
He met a woman , cheated on his wife
he left her for money and was then set for life .
She said a good day aint got no pain
she said a bad day is when I’m caught
taking pills I stole and haven’t bought .
Flip floppin McCain , Flip floppin McCain
you know the more desperate he is the more
he flip flops away
I know a father he had a son got into the academy
to take advantage of the things his father had done .
He’s come a long way on the tax-payers dime
he’s had ” socialized ” health care for a very long time .
He kissed his chance at president goodbye
when he lost his moral standing with flip flops and lies .
Flip floppin McCain , flip floppin McCain
ya know the more desperate he is
the more he flip flops away .
God may judge , God has his plans
the truth of his fall are available to the thinking man .
We’re working our jobs for less and less pay
Believe he changes his stance depending on who he’s addressing today .
Flip floppin McCain , flip floppinn McCain
the more he panders the less respect he shows for the USA .
We’ve seen before what desperation to be president will do; look at Hillary Clinton.
This is just insane. We’ve all been talking about desperation in the McCain camp, but this is taking it to a new level. July is too early to run slanderous attack ads, even for a Republican.
How is McCain’s campaign not over?
zhak said: “I don’t really think this is a hail-mary pass or anything — I think it furthers the Republican desire to make this election about Obama & not Bush.”
If so then they are being particularly STUPID. If the election is about Boy George II then the Democratic president has no mandate. If it is about Obama, then he has all the mandate he needs (not to mention a Democratic house and Senate).
Re #21. Nice work John B.
mim said: “We’ve seen before what desperation to be president will do; look at Hillary Clinton.”
Sadly, I can’t argue with that. I think she improved at the end, but much toooo late.
McCain has been unworthy of the “honorable man” label since the Keating savings and loan scandal. They might as well have Duke Cunningham do the voice over.
The media is using predictable words to describe this new ad. We’re hearing words like “tough,” “hard-hitting,” and “aggressive.” — CB
But never what it really is — a litany of lies. Not only that… I’ve heard — can’t remember where, sorry — that the ad buy itself was small and that the campaign relied on the Corporate Media to make it go viral nationally, by showing it for free, prior to commenting on it. And CM obliged, like the good lambs they are…
The McCain Campagin introduces In-house Swiftboating.
I am a Navy veteran and I am absolutely disgusted by McCain’s behavior. I can’t wait to see his whole face crumple during the first debate.
McCAin Interview with Wolf Blitzer
In an interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN on July 25, McCain “guaranteed” that when under his stewardship US withdraws from Iraq, conditions will be such that US will not have to return. He said this with reference to Obama’s vote against “surge”, stating that if the US did not send the “surge” of troops, Iraq would fall under Iran influence.
My question to Sen. McCain is that in a stable democratic Iraq, which has over 60% Shia muslims, how can US prevent Iran (with over 90% Shia population”) from influencing Iraq policy? Saddam the tyrant was a US friend (enemy of the enemy – Iran) and with his demise, the US has delivered the golden goose of Iraq to the Iranian hands. Iran wil influence Iraq, if not today, no too distant a future from now!
Obama_Supporter
Memo to Senator Obama: “Never murder your opponent [McShame] when he is committing [political] suicide.” –Winston Churchill
Sometimes no response is all you need to defeat your opponent.
Country first, then Western!
I’m John McShame and I approoooooove this message, durp!
Hello,
why doesn’t the CNN article mention the fact that McCain and his campaign has insulted the majority of the German people? CNN has not mentioned this in any article, though it’s important news. Quite interesting: all German newspapers today are reporting this fact on page one!
I always appreciated CNN news. But this time it’s really not good journalism.
And then I think, that this insult, brought forth by the McCain campaign (i.e. McCain insulting Germans!) will finally have (indirect) implications. Surely.
Personally, I was never “anti-American”. never. But if an important US presidential candidate starts insulting the majority of the German people, I’m beginning to think things over. And not just me.
And what do Germans really know about Senator Obama? Senator Obama might perhaps think the same thing about us, and about Europe — we don’t know it. Perhaps Senator Obama is simply too intelligent to say it openly.
Klaus
McCain’s foreign policy advisors, Randy Scheunemann and Kori Schake, are finding that their ineptitude and inexperience allowed Obama’s foreign policy team to seize the initiative and they are suffering a wholly demoralizing setback to their own aspirations for gaining future rewards in terms of high-level jobs after the election.
They created a dilemma for themselves and their candidate that is not easily solved. In the past month McCain has had to change his positions on Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran but he only did so when all the data washing over decks of Team McCain sent from the commanders on the scene had utterly convinced him that his past judgment was overcome by events. Now McCain has to walk back his comments on the timeline for Iraq, the Afghan troop increase, and the Iranian nuclear negotiations while trying to avoid being tarred by the same brush he and his team are tarring Obama with on a daily basis.
The most disappointing aspect of the response by McCain, Scheuenmann, and Schake to the past month’s setbacks is the clearly unwarranted and in the latest case maniacal attacks on Obama’s intentions regarding the Iraq troop withdrawal and visiting the troops during his trip to the Mideast and Europe. McCain’s temper has probably gotten the better of him lately and impacted his judgment on these issues and along with Scheunemann’s and Schake’s unethical approach to political discourse has severely shredded any credibility McCain had left to muster.
Klaus-Please provide give links to English language articles on McCain insulting Germans. Thanks.
McCain is not a hero. Being captured and tortured by the enemy does not make one a hero. It makes one a casualty of war. I wonder what irreversible mental damage was done to McCain when he was in the Hanoi Hilton that would allow him to permit these shameful lies to be said in his name.