So you’re saying McCain is running a meta campaign?  That’s Democrats turf!  He hire Mark Penn or something?

He’s running on the platform “I’m a Republican, damnit.  You should be voting for me.  I deserve it.”

The fact that he’s not winning simply demonstrates how out of touch, reckless, and anti-American the average voter has become.

You mean 2000, Ms Kate.

I think McCain seems sleazier partially because of his fake honorable moderate persona he had built up in the media. When you add that to the hemming and hawing about each attack, which is inevitably followed by the actual attack the whole thing comes off as extra sleazy. Talking about bringing up a sleazy attack just makes everyone focus on the fact it’s sleazy. If you just go for it and assume it’s a totally legitimate attack then you make your opponent have to make the case that it is sleazy, but they are undermining their own campaign.

Ms Kate, where’d you read that?

This anti-Wright tactic is more dangerous than stupid.

Who are these anti-Wright claims supposed to appeal to? Dems and swing voters could care less about this crap.

McCain is just looking to incite the dimwit segment of his base - the tire slashers, the shouters - they want these cretins to show up at polling places in order to intimidate people.

I wonder how many people may be disinclined to go to the polls if they are concerned about being confronted by GOP stormtroopers? Might blunt the Obama tide in southern states like NC, VA, FL, GA.

“Might blunt the Obama tide in southern states like NC, VA, FL, GA. “

No, it won’t.

Perhaps the Obama campaign should publicly ponder whether or not to talk about how McCain seems to be in very poor health, and his mental status is not what it was 8 years ago.  Then, after a few days, Sen. Obama can state that he doesn’t want to make McCain’s physical and mental health a subject of debate in the campaign because he doesn’t think it would be dignified.

To expand on that—

Or voter protection is kick ass at the precinct level, at least I know it is in Virginia (and I assume the other states).

He hire Mark Penn or something?

Worse—McCain takes his advice from Bill Kristol.

That is not a joke.

Who are these anti-Wright claims supposed to appeal to? Dems and swing voters could care less about this crap.

CParis:  it’s supposed to frighten and offend Jews and swing their vote.  It’s also a call to help rally the base.

Jews are scared to death of the hateful “not real American”/“my opponent has a FOREIGN NAME! rhetoric. It reminds them of anti-semitism quite easily.

“Might blunt the Obama tide in southern states like NC, VA, FL, GA. “

or piss them off, and rile up those legendary Southern tempers.

redwards, i can only speak for my texan self, but you’re damn right this kind of shit riles up southern tempers around here. i think i’ll bring a camera to my polling place tomorrow, just in case…

Who are these anti-Wright claims supposed to appeal to? Dems and swing voters could care less about this crap.

Well, we could if we actually cared.  I think you mean “couldn’t care less”.

“The fact that he’s not winning simply demonstrates how out of touch, reckless, and anti-American the average voter has become.”

The fact that he’s even close in the polls demonstrates how out of touch, reckless, and anti-American the average voter has become.

The GOP does not truly fear Obama, by my lights for good reason.  He will not hold the bipartisan political racketeers and war criminals to account.  His inaugural address will be an appeal to turn a blind eye towards We The People’s blood sins, in the name of political expediency, for the sake of possessing the raw power of the Executive branch.  McCain is this simply the GOP’s sacrificial lamb of this election cycle.  I do not hold that the difference between the two parties is razor thin.  That’s not true.  But I know it to be far narrower than democratic partisans will have it during a presidential race.  And the GOP, in one form or another, will remain alive and well, and a mortal threat to our democracy, in perpetuity.  The most charitable view of the swine will always be: “They’re not to blame.  They’re only human, a victim of the insane”.

Damian, I suspect that, like me, you are British.  The “could care less” framing is the American version of our “couldn’t care less”.  Grammatically, it doesn’t make sense, but nor do lots of other sayings like that.

Can I just say that I HATE the phrase “grammar nazi”?  It’s right up there with “feminazi”. 

I much prefer “grammar authoritarian”.

Can I just say that I HATE the phrase “grammar nazi”?  It’s right up there with “feminazi”. 

I much prefer “grammar authoritarian”.

I don’t want to be pedantic, but there is already a perfectly good word for “grammar authoritarian”...now if only I can remember what it is.

McCain seems to think that his only hope is the racist voters of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  And if he can scare enough people, he might win Florida.  FL / OH / PA would be a pretty good bloc for McCain.

Obama was a conspirator in voter fraud for a weekend, a terrorist for about three days, until he was a socialist…  Before that he was a celebrity and presumptuous, a race-baiter, a shady community organizer, sexist, inexperienced, a baby killer, a sex predator and a dozen other things.

Wow!!  I didn’t know he was a baby killer or a sex predator!!

“Might blunt the Obama tide in southern states like NC, VA, FL, GA. “

No, it won’t.
——

That is what early voting is all about.  Intimidation and violence are cornerstones of southern political strategies.  Your neighbor comes home with a gash in the side of his head and tells you he got it at the polling location and was told they got plenty where that came from, you make sure everyone you know stays safe at home. (You’d surprisingly find the police were busy and unable to respond to this type of complaint)  The further back you go, the more horrific the experiences were.  The government couldn’t allow this sort of activity on election day because that would be too late - so no we have early voting - primarily in the southern part of the country.

This is why you’ll see the picketing of people exercising their constitutional right.  The vandalism of property and harassment will increase each day.

I’d say this video sums up McCain’s campaign thus far:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjomYMe6t_U

Hilarious

“Damian, I suspect that, like me, you are British.  The ‘could care less’ framing is the American version of our ‘couldn’t care less’.  Grammatically, it doesn’t make sense, but nor do lots of other sayings like that.’”

Katherine, I suspect you meant, “Grammatically, it doesn’t make sense, but NEITHER do lots of other sayings like that.”

Please stop throwing stones, you glass house resident! (or is it occupant?)

Regarding trying the shoe on the other foot (or some other metaphor), I cannot imagine Mr. Obama toying with the idea, either in the press or elsewhere, that he should run a campaign of personal destruction. I am actually naive enough to take Mr. Obama at his word; i.e. he intends to bring a new kind of politics to Washington. Hence, he avoids smear tactics. He hasn’t avoided negative campaigning, since, truth be told, he has to win first. And therein lies the rub: The whole political process is unavoidably corrupting. But let’s give Mr. Obama a chance.

“Wow!!  I didn’t know he was a baby killer or a sex predator!! “

Yup, he was a baby killer because he opposed some anti-abortion bill that that had “born alive” language as part of it.  It’s the new hobgoblin for that crowd, now that they’re done with “partial birth.”

And he was a sex predator for voting for a bill in support of age appropriate sex education, which McCain’s people decided included showing kindergarten students hard core pornography.  That accusation was blasted to smithereens by a reporter (Campbell Brown I believe) asking whether they were really attacking Obama for supporting teaching young kids about “Stranger Danger.”  The accusation didn’t even last another full day after that.