10/11/2008

I actually feel for John McCain

Watching john McCanin tonight on the news having to defend Barack Obama at his campaign rallies against racist and xenophobic attacks from right wing Republicans really does make you feel for McCain in a big way.

John McCain is not a bad man. Indeed, as Republicans go he is a fair, honest, decent gut with an amazing war record and is known throughout Washington (so the reports say) as honest, intelligent and does his duty without partisan politics getting in the way.

He spoke at the beginning of his campaign how silly comments from Barack Obama's former Paster would not be used against Obama and likewise he said the issue of his son serving in Iraq would also not become a political issue. It is clear he wanted to fight on policies, not personality.

Sadly for McCain, the polls were against him, and in desperation he went for Sarah Palin, a disastrous gaffe which suddenly put in to question his judgement and also made people focus on his health (and age) in a new way. People fear a Palin presidency.

And now, with Republic party bosses pushing for McCain to be more and more negative, with hatred spewing forth from Palin and Republicans across America towards "that Arab" Barack Obama/ Palin goes on about Obama and terrorism, she also goes on about his Pastor whilst John McCain's wife now attacks Obama and brings up her son serving in Iraq. And suddenly John McCain is confronted by people who claim to be his supporters who are the very sort of people McCain has spent his whole political life fighting to oppose.

It's a sad day for McCain. A decent man trapped in a campaign not of his choosing.

6 comments:

Tony said...

What is racist or xenophobic about exposing and reinforcing the nature of Obama's links with people of questionable character?

Jeremiah Wright has been Obama's spiritual leader for years, yet his sermons have been overtly racist and sought to demonise white people. Is it wrong to point out the religious influence a man promising to be a one-nation President, was happy to keep listening to?

People have been happy to tear Sarah Palin apart for the religious views she has been immersed in, so why should the religious views Obama has been immersed in be out of bounds? Fair is fair Nich.

William Ayres has been connected with Obama for years and his organisation has been instrumental in developing Obama's political power base in Illinois. Yet this is a man who committed terrorist acts, says he does not regret them and refuses to rule out doing it again. Why is it wrong to scrutinise that?

Obama only distanced himself from these men when his association with them looked set to undermine his prospects for nomination.

You describe Republican eagerness to make these issues central to the campaign as negative and hatred spewing forth. Do you not think the electorate has a right to be told about these issues? Should they not have the facts so they can decide if Obama is indeed a fit and proper person to lead the free world, considering the influence such people have had on him?

Suppose McCain worshipped at a church where black people were denigrated, and only distanced himself from it after it became known by the media. Suppose McCain's political rise was partly inspired by a member of the Aryan Nation who had carried out bomb attacks and said he did not regret them or rule out future action. Would Democratic howls of outrage be "hatred spewing forth" or justified focus on McCain's character and influences?

Anonymous said...

(It's a sad day for McCain. A decent man trapped in a campaign not of his choosing.)

If you can't control your campaign you don't run for President - simple as that.

I have no sympathy - he wanted to choose Lieberman although the wise choice would have been Romney. The die was cast when he let them walk all over him with the Palin pick.

Standards are slipping in politics - basic things that used to be a given are now seen as accomplishments

Nich Starling said...

So Obama sat on a Charity board with a local University Professor (Ayres) and that makes him a risk to US national security ? You are having a laugh aren't you Tony ?

Tony said...

Who said anything about a risk to national security? I thought you were above strawmen and twisting people's words to entirely change the context of what had been written. I am very disappointed. All I have mentioned is character and going beyond that I have alluded to Obama's questionable judgment.

Do a Google search and have a read of the extent of the relationship between Ayres and Obama via the Democrat machine in Chicago. You might dismiss it, which is fair enough.

But ask yourself why the Obama campaign has gone to such great lengths to cover up Obama's history - including his university transcripts and past associations - effectively reinventing him from a North Korean style Year Zero. Again you may dismiss it. But there is much more to it than meets the eye.

You can also include Obama's evasive and indeed deceptive account of his involvement with ACORN and the concerted effort to remove all traces of references to him/about him in relation to ACORN from the web.

Paul Walter said...

So let's hear more about McCain's role in the Keating loans affair. And Sarah and Todd Palin's long association with a seccessionist party in Alaska.

And while this is all going on, the American economy is disappearing down the toilet.

Nich Starling said...

Tony, I was paraphrasing becaus o many others who use the same arguments as you then claim he is a risk.

Paul, I am not wanting McCain to win, far from it. I just think he has become a hostage to fortune.

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