McCain Pledged To Run "Respectful Campaign Focused on Issues"

Tag : continuously cast

Mark Nickolas dug up a strategy memo from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis after McCain captured theGOP nomination in March.
It's a fascinating trip down memory lane.
"It is critical, as we prepare to face off with whomever theDemocrats select as their nominee, that we all follow John's leadand run a respectful campaign focused on the issues and values thatare important to the American people," Davis wrote. "Throughout theprimary election we saw John McCain reject the type of politicsthat degrade our civics, and this will not change as he prepares torun head-to-head against the Democratic nominee."
Added Cindy McCain in May: "What you're going to see is a great debate. Which is whatthe American public deserves. None of this negative stuff, though.You won't see it come out of our side at all."
What happened to the honorable campaign McCain pledged to run?Particularly in recent weeks, McCain's campaign has been marked bycheap lies , deliberate fabrications and ominous attacks on Barack Obama.
McCain's false charge about why Obama canceled a visit to woundedtroops in Germany was a low point for the former straight-talker.Wrote Joe Klein of Time Magazine, a previous McCain admirer: This is the sort of thing you put on the air when: 1. You're desperate. 2. Your Middle East policy has been superseded by events andabandoned by your allies. 3. You apparently have nothing substantive to say about America'sfuture role in the region and the world.
McCain's new ad linking Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears is laughablyfrivolous, and another indication of how the McCain campaign hasturned into amateur hour.
As Jonathan Martin of The Politico noted, McCain himself is everybit the star f*cker , having appeared in 24 , Wedding Crashers and WWF Raw .
Just when you think that Republican attacks can't get any stupideror sillier, they do.
UPDATE: Former McCain chief strategist John Weaver calls the newMcCain ad " childish ." Says Weaver: "There is legitimate mockery of a politicalcampaign now, and it isn't at Obama's. For McCain's sake, thistomfoolery needs to stop." Weaver's comments are a big deal, and areflection of the disenchantment toward McCain from some of his topsupporters in 2000.
Comments (133)
Why Mr Berman, didn't you know?
The "fact" that Barack Obama "hates the troops" and "wants to losethe war to win an election" IS "an issue".
Especially if your OWN IDEA of Obama going to Iraq just blew up inyour face...you have to let go of Phil Gramm for sounding like aGOP stereotype...and the electoral college map shows youlosing...badly.
Posted by Maskdelta at 07/30/2008 @ 2:24pm
McCave's campaign must be thinking by their attempt to sell the"big lie" presupposes that the US citizenry are also sufficientlyinsane, apathetic or at least well conditioned via hsuB/cHeneyfearmongerring, to buy it.
NOT.
It's whether the MSM are still sufficiently apathetic or at leastwell conditioned via hsuB/cHeney fearmongerring, to continuouslyrepeat it.
Posted by hsuBfools at 07/30/2008 @ 2:24pm
I think everyone knew it would come to this. No matter how muchMcCain wants to appear as being a "maverick" he is just like everyother GOP candidate. Which means he will use the dirtiest tacticspossible to win instead of running on the issues people want tohear about.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 07/30/2008 @ 2:43pm
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 07/30/2008 @ 2:43pm
I think he wants to do both...doing neither well.
His instinct is probably "old McCain", try to run on issues, maybeuse the "drill here" thing, but keep it "above the fray"...
his ADVISORS see all that he has going against him....Bush...theeconomy...70% unpopularity for a war he won't commit to ending,just ambiguiously "winning"...his own lack of pizazz (sp?)...
and think he needs to go dirty and stick with it.
So...he tries "Obama wants to lose a war to win an election"...andit backfires.
Or he tries amateurish stuff like "Obama is just like BritneySpears or Paris Hilton"...and HE gets laughed at for its elementaryschool inanity.
And then ALL of that adds up to an image of desperation and "monkeyin the zoo flinging his own poo".
And I tell ya, I honestly think it's because he's never been in aREALLY tough election battle (ex 2000)...and he doesn't know how tohandle it.
Posted by Maskdelta at 07/30/2008 @ 2:57pm
McCain's new ad
"more foreign oil"
jesus frikkin' christ!!!!!!!!!!!!
oil is oil. it is a fungible resource. it's origin has no impact onprice.
if the u.s. put more oil on the market, someone else would putless.
the price wouldn't change.
plus how much oil can the u.s. squeeze out of an old sponge?
stupid humans.
Posted by frosty zoom at 07/30/2008 @ 2:58pm
The McCave campaign is betting on repelling enough voters withnoxious political propaganda to win with their great remaininginoculated few.
But that's a really dumb strategy as McCave's own utterances areneutralizing his own stance on major issues for what should be hismost resolved base to securely stick. And bigger still-- Obama isever more inspirational than McCave is bland and crass. Ergo, it'smore apt that McCave voters stay home with Obama's leaners morefired up for all the negative McCave campaign efforts.
Duh.
Posted by hsuBfools at 07/30/2008 @ 3:06pm
the apparent overlay of obama's image with those of "paris hilton"and "britnee spears" in a latest ad is both insulting to obama aswell as reeking of desperation on the part of mccain.
he's just got to do better than that to be taken seriously by anybut the absolutely lowest common denominator; many of the peoplemost susceptible to such an add probably aren't the sorts who vote,anyway
Posted by Zero at 07/30/2008 @ 3:07pm
Some one asked me do I "honestly think McCain is running a goodcampaign?"
As far as I can tell, good, bad or ugly, McCain's campaign isn'tthe main determinant.
Even if McCain in fact, has assembled a two Karl Roves, thedifference it may make, can easily be changed by some silly littleevent down the road.
Why? Because Magic is hard to pin down.....and, oh, did anyonenotice, he is black, or white, Liberal, or AIPAC-loving Hard Right,anti- or pro-gun, post or pre-Racial.
McCain's voters will give him a lot of leeway......we know what heis up against and no amount of campaigning genius, can offset theusual, but posibly much larger & more monolithic, black votes. Hehas a near blank check to try any number of things.....andthankfully, Magic seems to be playing his part about right, so far!
Posted by 2HAPPY at 07/30/2008 @ 3:09pm
the apparent overlay of obama's image with those of "paris hilton"and "britnee spears" in a latest ad is both insulting to obama aswell as reeking of desperation on the part of mccain.
Posted by Zero at 07/30/2008 @ 3:07pm | ignore this person
I haven't seen it, but you seem to be describing a subliminal'Willie Horton' ad with the popular media obsessed 'white girls'being provided t'boot!?!
Posted by hsuBfools at 07/30/2008 @ 3:14pm
Posted by frosty zoom at 07/30/2008 @ 2:58pm
and if they drill in anwr, they'll probably just send it all tojapan and china, anyways.
america already exports alaskan oil.
Oil - exports:
1.048 million bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports:
13.15 million bbl/day (2004)
source - THE FRIGGIN' CIA!!!!!!!!
Posted by frosty zoom at 07/30/2008 @ 3:31pm
Why? Because Magic is hard to pin down.
Posted by 2HAPPY at 07/30/2008 @ 3:09pm
I have to agree totally here. The Clintons, purported to be some ofthe best politicians of our time, couldn't figure out how to beatthis guy.
Posted by Cccomfo1 at 07/30/2008 @ 3:31pm
Reuters ANALYSIS-US oil firms seek drilling access, but exportssoar
07.03.08, 2:40 PM ET
UNITED STATES -
By Tom Doggett
WASHINGTON3 (Reuters) - While the U.S. oil industry want access tomore federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers,American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasolineand diesel fuel to other countries.
A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleumproducts were exported during the first four months of this year,up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same periodin 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a dayfor the first time during any month, according to final numbersfrom the Energy Department.
Posted by frosty zoom at 07/30/2008 @ 3:32pm
Statement on exports of Alaska North Slope crude oil
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 6, 1996
Today I am taking action that will allow, for the first time,exports of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil. Permitting this oilto move freely in international commerce will contribute toeconomic growth, reduce dependence on imported oil, and create newjobs for American workers. IT WILL NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT OILSUPPLIES OR GASOLINE PRICES ON THE WEST COAST, IN HAWAII, OR IN THEREST OF THE NATION.
bill clinton, 1996
Posted by frosty zoom at 07/30/2008 @ 3:32pm
Time to End the Alaskan Oil Export Ban
by Samuel A. Van Vactor
Samuel A. Van Vactor is president of Economic Insight, Inc.,Consulting Economists, in Portland, Oregon.
Executive Summary
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act of 1973, while openingvast oil reserves around Prudhoe Bay for production, effectivelyrequires that Alaskan oil be consumed domestically, not exported.As a result, petroleum development on the Alaskan North Slope andin California has been greatly restrained.
The natural market for North Slope oil is Japan, Korea, andnorthern East Asia, to which oil can be shipped for about 50 centsper barrel, but North Slope producers are required to use domestictankers and market exclusively in the United States and itsterritories, a mandate that has often resulted in shipping costs of$5 per barrel. That price distortion has led to artificially lowdomestic prices for heavy crude on the West Coast, discouragingotherwise profitable exploration and production investments inAlaska and California.
Oil production in the United States has declined 23 percent sinceprices collapsed in 1986, and net oil imports have doubled. Part ofthe drop in U.S. production is due to exhaustion of theresource--oil basins in the lower 48 states are mature, and mostare in permanent decline--but that is not true of many ofCalifornia's and Alaska's oil fields.
The artificial inhibition of U.S. oil production has severeconsequences for jobs and economic growth. Over the coming decadesthe cost could be as high as $125 billion and the loss of tens ofthousands of well-paid jobs in petroleum development, oil-fieldservices, manufacturing, and transportation. Given the massivecosts and paltry benefits of the oil export ban, Congress shouldimmediately act to free the Alaskan oil trade and repeal theprohibition on oil exports.
Full Text of Policy Analysis No. 227 (HTML)