Last week, the old John McCain made a brief appearance on the campaign trail.
Confronted at a rally by a supporter who said, “I can’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s not, he’s not, uh — he’s an Arab,” McCain responded firmly and honestly.
“No, ma’am,” he said. “He’s a decent family man and citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign’s all about.”
The John McCain who was speaking that that moment was the man who, until recent months, had been the hope of moderate Republicans, independents and even some Democrats for a presidential candidate who could reverse the years of gutter politics and institutional lying that were destroying the political process. It was a simple piece of honesty that gleamed like a polished gem in a mud puddle.
Unfortunately, that was not the John McCain the rally crowd had come to see. Some in the audience applauded, but others booed, unwilling to admit that the opposing candidate was worthy in any way of honor or respect.
That reluctance is understandable. Until this point, painting Barack Obama as an evil bogeyman has been a primary tactic of McCain’s campaign. It seems to be the only message of McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin.
Did McCain’s comment last week signal a change of direction for his campaign? Will McCain wrest control of the rhetoric from his handlers and campaign the way he did in the days of the original Straight Talk Express? Will he rein in his running mate?
There has been no sign of that, and it is a pity — for several reasons.
One reason is that the old John McCain might have a chance of closing the gap with Obama by regaining the votes of people who have been alienated by the fevered rhetoric of Palin and the bloggers.
Another reason is that the mud is growing deeper, and is is not all coming from Republicans. It is provoking responses just as disturbing from Democrats. A Democratic member of Congress has now compared McCain to George Wallace, the poster politician for racism in the 1960s.
The most important reason is that the campaign, as it is now running, seems aimed at inciting hatred of the candidate who, if nothing changes in the next few weeks, is likely to be elected the next president of the United States.
If Obama is elected, what are the people at McCain or Palin rallies who hollered “Terrorist!” or even “Kill him!” when Obama was mentioned supposed to do with all their carefully nurtured anger and fear?
Is McCain’s campaign geared to appeal to voters or to create a vigilante mentality in a losing party?
The John McCain who spoke last week — the honorable, bipartisan John McCain — is the one who should be running his campaign. For now, his reputation, talents and promise are being frittered away in what we can only hope is a futile exercise in the politics of fear and division.
shoehorn (anonymous) says...
Obama isn't the bogeyman, he's simply a Socialist who believes that if you turn control of your life over to big government, that big government will solve all your problems. Comparing McCain to Wallace is about as laughable as equating Obama with Lincoln.
October 14, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
USNretired (anonymous) says...
Obama is sounding more and more like Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov reading Marx's "Das Kapital" instead of a sane man reading Smith's "The Wealth of Nations".
October 14, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Yes, McCain used real courage to calm the crowd of supporters that were yelling for blood. I applaud him for doing that because those supporters were hateful and unAmerican. They deserved to be chastised. He should have been even stronger. I would have. He needs to put the fringe nuts out and away from him.
But who started the fire to begin with? Who whipped these people into a frenzy.
The Republicans have controlled their hate for much of the campaign because they actually believed that McCain would win. Now that the polls are showing otherwise, and time is running out, their only answer is to pitch fits and go into rages. True colors.
I am troubled by reading on some sites the promises of anarchy and massive riots. What a damn shame that these people cannot come together for the sake of our country.
October 14, 2008 at 5:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
My question to Mr. Kelley, is, "who provoked who"?
So, you seem to think the Democratic party has been playing all nicey-nicey until the GOP started slinging mud? Once again, what rock did you crawl out from under? I'm sure you've followed the DailyKos for years, since many of your editorials echo their points. Any hate there been "controlled" until recently? Obama & Clinton both attended their rallies - and they don't seem to have the courage, as McCain did, to admonish them. I've heard LOTS of wonderful, nice, complimentary things about Bush coming from the Dems in the last 6 years. Like "Nazi", "Hitler", "terrorist", etc.... but, those are well known to be complimentary and endearing terms, you seem to be telling me.
Apparently you missed Gary Lukert's recent touching, love-filled, compassionate editorial.
I'm not denying for 1 second there's alot of crap coming out of the GOP (AND the dems) as this campaign enters the home stretch. And always has been ever since politics in this country began. But, as usual, you like to spin this to fit your own sadly filtered view of the world. I'm watching right now a display of the latest Doonesbury cartoon absolutely smearing McCain & Palin.
Where is your outrage when all the above happens? Are you even aware of it? Do you actually research anything beyond what you find at the DailyKos & HuffingtonPost?
You talk about anarchy and riots. I repeat myself from another post - I didn't see any protesters having to be led out at Obama's acception speech at the convention. I haven't seen any right-wingers try to slam a pie in the face of a liberal while on stage, as was attempted at Ann Coulter. Now there's a porn movie coming out with a Palin look-alike. (A good match for the 2-year old Bush assassination movie, I guess).
But, of course, all the above is only happening because the Republicans "started it". Yeah, and I'm the King Of England. Much like the Middle East conflict, who "started it" is long lost in history. Yet, all the hate on one side is routinely dismissed, and that from the other is instantly pounced upon as the "reason" for "retaliating" from the left. You know, this really DOES remind me of Palestine & Israel.
I'm still waiting for all the Hollywood elites to keep their promise and move to a foreign country after the 2004 election. I could use a good cheap mansion.
I only know of 1 absolutely fool-proof method to absolutely completely 100% stop all the mud-slinging and hate crap coming out of both sides.
Let he who is without blame cast the first stone.
October 14, 2008 at 7:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Create, do you truly believe that is the Republicans "true colors"? And exactly what are the "true colors" of all I listed above?
The Republicans.... "true colors"......
I am truly beyond sad and dissapointed at some people right now. No more basil for me.
October 14, 2008 at 7:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jibberish66 (anonymous) says...
Please don't believe the hype that Republicans are going to riot. They're the ones with jobs that will have to support all of Obama's (and the veto-and filibuster-proof Congress's) hairbrained ideas to come. We'll all be working, folks! We don't have all day free to fraudulantly try to sway a Presidential election, like our good friends at A.C.O.R.N. Ask their former attorney, Obama. He needs us to go out there and earn money so he can tax us back to the Stone Age.
As for the soft, fuzzy McCain, being wishy-washy is what will ultimately cost him the election. Why else was he the Republican choice of the New York Times?
Don't shed any tears for Obama. He'll win...and we'll lose.
October 14, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kseyetie (anonymous) says...
Doonsbury is covering this, looking for McCain's lost honor in Vietnam. I admire the man in many ways, but he was forced to swallow Republican poop and hire the same people from the Bush team who tried to destroy him in 2000 so they could carry his water in the fight against Obama. Sad, but that's our toxic politics.
October 15, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Of course you want basil, open_eyes, especially now when the ppb (price per bunch) is coming down, a concrete sign that things are turning around.
By my comment on "true colors," I'm wondering why all the raging and threatening when the polls show McCain behind. Is all the pouting what Republicans are really all about? Or are they about what I see happening in Ohio today?
I'm glad to see Ohio Republicans doing the right thing and not raging and threatening. They have actually filed complaints with the state about voter registration fraud and the state is making election officials check all new voter registrants against current records. That's an excellent move, a sensible move. They're not going to rallies and screaming threats. That's what I meant. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I want to see sensibility, not sense. Proactive, not reactive.
October 15, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Maybe the Gazette could always have a follow-up article any time Mr. Kelley prints an opinion, titled the same as Paul Harvey's "The Rest Of The Story"........
So, maybe I'll throw some mud & spin now. Why not? Will it show my "true colors"? - LOL - Anyway, I have some idle pieces of info & thoughts to throw out....
I was reading an article talking about the many states & instances where they were finding ACORN guilty of voter & registration fraud. Looked like the Feds were really going to get after them and make them clean up their act. Then, at the end, I noticed the article was...... from 2006. With links to the same things happening in 2004, 2002, 2000. Of course, ACORN is SUPPOSED to be non-partisan, but of course that hasn't stopped them from openly declaring their endorsement of Obama. Yet they enjoy a tax-exemption for being non-partisan. WHY is that?
Ran across this article from 2006:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/art...
"Mideast terror leaders to U.S.: Vote Democrat"
So then I started digging for who other terrorist organizations have openly announced support for: Hamas, FARC.... I'll let you guess who they support. I'll be happy to print their exact quotes if anyone really wants to see them.
My question is: Why? Is it because they're afraid that there might be "rioting and anarchy" in the US if Obama loses?
Sometimes spinning is fun, if you don't get too dizzy and fall and hurt yourself....LOL
October 15, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
A concrete sign that things are turning around. Are you serious? Noticed anything bad coming down lately, along with the good?
Then denounce all the calling of Bush a terrorist, Nazi, etc. Denounce all the "whining and pouting" about Florida in 2004 (Gee, I wonder if it would have been as close if not for ACORN). Speaking of Florida, denounce Gore for trying to get the military vote not counted. Denounce all the raging & threatening that has been coming from the left for years. Denounce the crap that spews daily from the Kos. Show that, unlike Mr. Kelley, you are open-minded enough to admit that it is, and has been, coming out of both sides forever. Or show YOUR true colors.
October 15, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Although I am a registered Independent, I am admittedly more of a conservative than liberal, which I admit puts me more towards the Republican side of things than Democrat in general. But I try to be open and fair-minded to all. I have sit here for the last 8 years and listened to constant whining, pouting, name-calling, and downright nastiness from the left. And I've seen the same come out of the right, I've listened to Limbaugh's name-calling, I've seen some nasty stuff printed from that side as well. And well before the last 8 years. But since most major media started picking sides I've seen alot more, in my opinion, spewed out on one side than the other.
So when I read that when the GOP starts getting nasty, it is all them starting it, and the Dems are only retaliating in kind, and the GOP is showing it's true colors, only 1 thought crosses my mind:
What utter hypocrisy.
October 15, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )