[lit-ideas] And the press used to love "Maverick" McCain
- From: "John McCreery" <john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Lit-Ideas <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 22:19:27 +0900
Courtesy of Kevin Drum and Washington Monthly
------
*CHAPMAN JOINS 'THE ENOUGH CLUB'....* The *Chicago Tribune's* Steve Chapman,
who had a column quoted in a McCain campaign ad this week, appears to
have grown
tired<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-oped0914chapmansep14,0,2290710,print.column>
of
the Republican nominee's tactics.
[P]oliticians are not saints, and campaigns are not conducted under oath. We
all expect a certain amount of deceit from people running for office, in the
form of fudging, distortion, exaggeration and omission. But the McCain
campaign's approach, as [the "lipstick on a pig"] episode illustrates, is of
an entirely different scale and character. It is to normal political attacks
what Hurricane Ike is to a drive-through carwash. [...]
Why does McCain insist on running such a mendacious campaign? There is
plenty an honest conservative might say in opposition to Obama.... But
McCain has concluded that a fact-based case about Obama isn't enough to
prevail in November. So he has chosen to smear his opponent with ridiculous
claims that he thinks the American people are gullible enough to believe.
He has charged repeatedly that his opponent is willing to lose a war to win
an election. What's McCain willing to lose to become president? Nothing so
consequential as a war. Just his soul.
The other day, Kevin came up with "The 'Enough'
Club<http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2008/09/the_enough_club.html>,"
comprised of media figures who went from loving to loathing McCain, after
watching his campaign's penchant for smears and lies. I think we can safely
add Chapman to the ever-growing list of members.
*Update*: An alert reader gave me a heads-up on a few others with similar
sentiments:
* The *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's* Tony
Norman<http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08256/911583-153.stm>:
"You once said you'd rather lose an election than lose a war. Is it worth
winning an election if it means forfeiting your soul on the altar of
political expediency? How does a man survive five years in a Vietnamese
dungeon only to allow himself to be turned into a cynical marionette by the
nihilistic disciples of Karl Rove?"
* The *Atlanta Journal Constitution's* Jay
Bookman<http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bookman/entries/2008/09/13/obama_wants_to_tax_water.html>:
"The volume and audacity of lies pouring from the McCain campaign is
startling and even historic…That's really something, lying straight out
about a FactCheck group, knowing that you're going to get caught but not
giving a damn about it. With stuff like this, the McCain camp has cut any
remaining tethers to reality and integrity and is now floating wherever the
winds of illusion and whimsy may take them. It's quite remarkable, and quite
insulting to the intelligence of the American people."
* The *Kansas City Star's* Barb Shelly<http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2045>:
"These are old tricks we've been seeing in local elections for years.
Distort. Twist. Deceive. Damage. And the winning candidate drags a load of
public contempt into office. I had hoped for better from McCain.... John
McCain may win the presidency this way, but he will lose the respect he has
acquired over the years."
* The *Boston Globe's* Scot
Lehigh<http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/09/12/pretzel_logic_from_the_mccain_campaign/>:
"Here's the question voters should be asking themselves this week: Just how
stupid does the McCain-Palin campaign think I am? The answer: Dumb enough to
hoodwink with charges so contrived and cynical they make your teeth ache....
The McCain campaign has shown it's ready and willing to say preposterous
things to win."
John
--
John McCreery
The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN
Tel. +81-45-314-9324
http://www.wordworks.jp/
Other related posts:
- » [lit-ideas] And the press used to love "Maverick" McCain
