Face it, friends. Forget all the media hype you’ve heard about the superiority of Obama’s campaign. Forget everything you’ve heard about what geniuses these guys are. The fact is, these fellows are not very smart. And they have proved it by jumping on a McCain gaffe without realizing they were leaping into a pool of quicksand.
First, either of these men who tries to portray themselves as a “Man of the People” or “more in touch” with average Americans should be horsewhipped. Neither of these gents has a clue how most of us live and both probably hit their knees every night thanking God they don’t. It is a distressing fact here in the first quarter of the third century of the American experiment that running for federal office is a rich man’s game and has become so for both parties. They are all out of touch with the average American which is why both campaigns have thrown up smokescreens instead of dealing with the hard issues that threaten our future.
Obama’s surprisingly aggressive attack on John McCain’s inability to remember how many houses he owns without thinking of how McCain could turn that attack and have it redound in his favor shows Obama is more concerned with appearing to “fight back” than with formulating any logical plan on how to attack his opponent. The netroots and other Democrats have been screaming at him to get tough on McCain, to respond in kind to McCain’s digs at Obama’s celebrity and haughtiness.
Just this morning, James Carville writes that Obama “needs to get mad about something:”
And my last piece of advice to Obama and his team is to just get mad about something. Obama’s campaign seems so intent on branding him as a “cool and calm” leader.Well, voters want to see a sense of urgency and outrage in their president: Outrage over our dependence on foreign oil; outrage over our increased cost of living, health care and education; outrage over declining incomes; outrage over an endless war and an idiotic foreign policy; and outrage over our country’s loss of prestige over the last 7½ years.
To put it bluntly, Obama needs to get outraged over something other than “attacks on his patriotism.”
Is Obama capable of getting mad? His attempts to counter McCain’s non-existent charges that he isn’t patriotic came off like whining rather than outrage. Indeed, if there is one thing the Obama campaign does extremely well it’s whine.
But in piling on about McCain’s house gaffe, hitting on the twin themes of elitism and McCain being “out of touch” along with the unspoken charge that McCain is forgetful because of his age, Obama has led with his chin. Barack Obama is the very last person in America who should bring up the subject of houses – and John McCain is going to remind Americans why that is so. His campaign released this statement:
Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people “cling” to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans? “The reality is that Barack Obama’s plans to raise taxes and opposition to producing more energy here at home as gas prices skyrocket show he’s completely out of touch with the concerns of average Americans.”
Taking the house attack and turning it 180 degrees on the Democrat, the McCain campaign has come out with a blistering attack ad that savages Obama over his relationship with convicted Chicago political fixer Tony Rezko and the still unanswered questions on how Rezko helped Obama move into a house he couldn’t afford at the time.
This isn’t the only “Glass House” offensive that Obama is trying. He also has released an ad attacking McCain’s associations – specifically with Ralph Reed who was involved in the Jack Abramhoff scandal.
Talk about leading with your chin, this is incredible. First, McCain’s ties to Reed are nebulous at best, damn near invisible unless you include money raised by Reed (and we won’t get into a fight over who is donating to each campaign now, will we?).
Beyond that, trying to attack McCain associates once again highlights Obama’s own problems with people he hangs around with. And for that, we have to look no further than Barack Obama’s long term association with Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers.
Wright will no doubt make another appearance later in the campaign. I suspect the McCain strategists are holding Wright in reserve and will unleash an attack connecting Obama with his long time preacher and mentor when it will have maximum impact – sometime after the first and before the last debate.
In the meantime, the University of Illinois has done a great service to the McCain campaign by making an issue of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge records in their refusal to release them. What might have been of minor interest to the anti-Obama internet and a story for a few days on the news nets has now piqued the interest of the national media and will be big news when (if?) they are released.
What is in those documents that could be damaging to Obama? No doubt they will show the candidate had a relationship with the former terrorist that was much more than the “just some professor who lives in my neighborhood” meme that Obama was trying to push on the press a few months ago in Philadelphia during the debate. And they could reveal some ideas that Obama has about how to reform education – ideas that could be so far out in left field that exposing them to the voters might make him look even more like an extremist.
But Obama, in raising the question of McCain’s associations, has only opened up the Pandora’s Box that leads to his own much more problematic friendships. And by doing so, the Obama campaign has proved that either they are so supremely arrogant that they think their candidate invincible or they are supremely stupid and don’t quite realize what they have done.
1:19 pm
Excellent post. You forgot to mention that McCain is a war hero. Be sure to put that in tomorrows piece about how Obama sucks and McCain is awesome.
1:30 pm
Please don’t believe that arrogance and stupidity are mutually exclusive- an argument can be made that they are inexorably coupled. Obama’s camp in general, and Obama in particular are making a strong case for the linkage. I used to think he was smart, but the bloom is off that rose. He seems to be of average IQ, is nice looking, and is excellent at reading teleprompters. In nearly every extemporaneous interview or speech, he gaffes, or in some cases, embarrasses himself. Were it a candidate of any other party, he would be the laughing stock of the media.
As far as the Chicago Annenberg records, it is a certainty that they are being scrubbed, as we speak. When they are released, anything culpable will have been redacted, so don’t get your hopes up. But as his former good friend Reverend Wright pointed out, “the chickens will come home to roost”. He’s dirty, he’s corrupt, he has terrorist and corrupt friends, and sooner or later it’ll start sticking with the public.
2:28 pm
No, McCain really stepped in it, and although Obama may be taking a chance, he had to respond. Call it arrogance if you want, but every political campaign out there cynically discusses events like this and decides how to take advantage of them. It’s way to easy to make the case that Rove is the one who led with his chin (or rather the collective Republican chin) when he tried to paint Obama as the elitist in the race. My prediction is that this will continue to hurt McCain, and he’ll continue stepping it. Righties will continue howling about Rezko, Wright, and Ayers, but so far there’s not enough out there to constitute proof to the average voter that his association with them makes him a criminal, a black militant, or a 60s-era radical. But keep up the propaganda! Maybe repetition will work where reason does not.
Reason? An american president on a first name basis with an admitted, unrepentant terrorist? Reason would demand Obama be banished to the outer darkness. Don’t bring up reason – you haven’t a clue of what the concept means.
ed.
2:52 pm
“It’s way to easy to make the case that Rove is the one who led with his chin (or rather the collective Republican chin) when he tried to paint Obama as the elitist in the race.”
Aaron, are you suggesting that Obama countered the “elitist” charge effectively (what knock-out blow did he land?)? You’ve got to be kidding- his poll number are in free-fall.
“but so far there’s not enough out there to constitute proof ”
You’re a loon. Do you think anybody (even hard-core Obamanics) actually believes that Obama never heard any of Jeremiah Wright’s racist rants? That Rezko and he didn’t do each other favors? That Ayers is “just a guy that lives in my neighborhood”?
There is abundant proof, its coming out, and Obama is indeed in very serious jeopardy.
2:54 pm
Wait a second. Wasn’t calling someone an elitist a low blow, as determined by the refs/MSM, in 2004?
If that’s a nit, why doesn’t the MSM, which collectively justifies exposing morale failures on the right due to the hypocrisy, call out the hypocrisy of all these rich lefties calling for a roll back of the Bush tax cuts none of whom pay taxes at the higher rate? The hypocrisy is far greater on the latter’s part after all: the disgraced religious leader has proven to be human – failing to live to standards he/she set – while the not so principled leftie can, with a simple order to the accountant, adhere to his professed beliefs.
3:03 pm
He just needs to counter Rezko with Keating 5. Also McCain’s mob ties. (But all that’s cool ‘cause McCain was a POW)
Good to see a Dem take the gloves off. This campaign season is going to be fun!
3:43 pm
Supremely arrogant or supremely stupid? I see no either/or here. It is both.
Any negative comment about Senator Obama has already been labeled racist, no matter the content. Question his relationship with a racist, anti-American preacher who touted Black Liberation theology; racist. Question his association on the Chicago Annenburg Council with William Ayers for the last 13 years; racist. Question Obama having MANY dinners at the home of Rashid Khalidi, someone with Arafat ties; racist.
You see, the line was drawn in our PC society. Any question of a man who in any other time would have never made it out of the Illinois senate, and your racist.
Yes, the Obama campaign has been high on arrogance. I would stake my life on the fact that there was a conversation long ago between David Axelrod and Barack Obama who decided that any critisism of Obama and they will slam down the race card. And so far, successfully.
Who cares how many houses the Hensley Family Trust owns? How many shares of Tree House Foods does Michelle Obama own that were GIVEN to her for her “part time” work there? Who the hell cares.
We have offically entered the “silly” season.
3:59 pm
It’s amazing how William Ayers has become equivalent to Al-Qaeda. Well framed, let’s hope it sticks. Soon it will almost seem like John McCain is fighting a good and noble fight against know Al-Qaeda terrorist sympathizer Barak Obama. It’s hard to believe that this known terrorist is allowed to live among us and indoctrinate our youth as a college professor. I’d like to know why Ayers isn’t locked away safely in Gitmo enjoying “stress” positions and “simulated drowning.”
4:24 pm
Wow, Melanie, you mean that we now have a candidate that has ties to the mob in the mold of John Fitzgerald Kennedy? Well, that does it. McCain will win by the simple process of the Teamsters buying all the votes in Chicago.
Keating 5? Perhaps you should read Bob Bennett’s book. He was chief investigator for the Keating 5 hearings and states, without reservation, that John McCain and Senator Glenn were innocent of any wrong doing. Oh, BTW, Bennett is a hard core DEMOCRAT.
And if you want to drag out the Keating carnard, then surely, in fairness, you also want to discuss Tony Rezko?
4:31 pm
I believe McCain was exonerated on the Keating 5 Affair.His name was included so it would not be all dem scandal. I’d like to know about the normal people urkel and michelle associated with the past twenty years. Rezko may well be sentenced for his crimes just prior to the general election.
Perphaps the media could also look into the illegal ways the Big Zero campaign conducted themselves in primary caucuses?
For the moonbats to chew over:
http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/obama-ayres-annenberg-and-acorn-a-family-affair
6:33 pm
I find it interesting that no one brings up any of the other names in the Keating 5. Two Johns, two national heroes, were found to be sullied by money. Yes, I was disheartened and it will always be a mark against McCain in my book. But, I wonder if anyone realizes what they are saying by bringing this up? It sounds to me like: “Senator Obama is no more corrupt than any other Senator.” That’s an accolade?
6:57 pm
“the still unanswered questions on how Rezko helped Obama move into a house he couldn’t afford at the time.”
What question is unanswered?
retire05 Said:
3:43 pm
See:
HE HATE ME Said:
4:31 pm
for any further questions you might have.
Rick, you are so dreamy. Dream a little dream for me.
8:52 pm
Dear Mr. Moran,
I think you are making a fundamental mistake in labeling McCain as a rich guy. He, his father and his grandfather devoted their lives to this country for Naval Officers’ pay.
He married into money because Helmsley pere, seeking entry into legitimacy, thought that he was something special. Cindy could have married into substantial fortunes. She was in love and they “took a gamble” on a very special man.
As someone who has worn the uniform I can tell you that “The Band of Brothers” are damned proud of Senator McCain. We are glad to see such a man succeed and thank God that he’s here when we need him. Again.
Regards,
Roy
9:01 pm
“...to live among us and indoctrinate our youth as a college professor.”
Like he’s the only one, or did you skip college. Only someone on the left could get so uppity defending a domestic terrorist like Ayers. Or, maybe you’d like to try and refute the charge that he is/was a domestic terrorist.
What I find incredible is that Obama has shown, in his brief political career, the kind of horrendous judgment that it takes the typical leftist thirty years in the Senate to accomplish.
10:34 pm
retire05…
Rezko is already out there (and has been for months). Time for Obama to talk about Keating 5 and the mob ties Jerome Corsi says McCain has. LOL
8:10 am
Mel, good try, it ain’t gonna fly.
7:41 am
The Obama campaign’s hysterical reaction to any mention of Bill Ayers is proof enough that the Obama/Ayers relationship was a lot closer than the candidate would have us believe. If Stanley Kurtz has the facts wrong, why doesn’t Team Obama simply set the record straight? Instead they engaged in crude bullying tactics in an attempt to shut him up. If you haven’t listened to Milt Rosenburg’s radio interview with Kurtz, including the on-air clls from legions of Obama supporters who were alerted and provided scripted talking points by an “Obama Action Wire” email, I urge you to do so—audio stream available here:
http://wgnradio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44075&Itemid=467
It’s a chilling example of just how far the Obama campaign is prepared to go to cover up his relationship with an flag-trampling terrorist who only wishes he’d detonated more bombs.