Why is John McCain playing nice?
Posted 23 weeks 2 days ago bySomething doesn't add up.
John McCain took to NBC's airwaves this morning to condemn the North Carolina GOP for running an ad castigating Barack Obama for his association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
"They're not listening to me because they're out of touch with reality and the Republican Party. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan and this kind of campaigning is unacceptable." But asked if the NC GOP's decision to air the spot anyway raised questions about his leadership, McCain didn't have quite as sure-footed an answer: "I don't know exactly how to respond to that."
But it's not as though McCain is above, say, distorting an opponent's record for electoral gain. Remember how he kept saying that Mitt Romney wanted to surrender in Iraq? It wasn't true, and everybody knew it wasn't true. Yet ke kept at it, anyway. What are the odds that McCain would actually be nicer to Democrats than fellow Republicans in seeking the presidency? Or that North Carolina Republicans -- who would want some favors, presumably, from the next Republican president -- wouldn't give some deference to the party's presidential candidate? I'd have to say low.
So I think something else is at work. What could that be? Maybe this:
Perceptions about the tone of the campaign also have changed dramatically over the past two months. In mid-February, 28% said that the campaign was too negative, while 66% said it was not too negative. The balance of opinion has shifted: 50% now say the campaign is too negative, while 44% say it is not.
Half the electorate thinks the campaign is too negative -- and it's only April! That number can only go up. So by coming out against negative campaigning is such a high profile way, McCain does a couple of things:
* He still gets to benefit from the fact that Obama and Hillary Clinton are dragging each other down with their never-ending primary battle. Whoever emerges will have had months of negative campaigning directed at them -- courtesy of their own party.
* But McCain gets to corner his Democratic opponent -- presumably Obama -- into making similar renunciations without having similar benefits.
So this isn't exactly positive campaigning. It's more like negative-negative campaigning. And it's brilliant.
Thoughts
Re: McCain no advocate of women
Submitted on April 26th, 2008 by Jim LakelyCare to provide a link or two to substantiate this charge, jan? I will hardly dispute McCain's famous temper. But I find it hard to believe that any husband could call his wife the "c" word and remain married.
McCain no advocate of women.
Submitted on April 26th, 2008 by politico1Politico1
I wish you could e-mail this to everyone in the country. I don't believe McCain is just against women - I believe he is against everyone who he feels is not properly subservient to him. I've always felt there is something underneath the surface of that man that is truly dangerous - like Cheney. I felt the same way about Bush, but with Bush it was because he is a total fool.
McCain no advocate of women
Submitted on April 26th, 2008 by janmbI don't know if this site will accept the following or not---its not very nice but it has to be said.
John McCain's temper is well documented. He's called opponents and colleagues "sh##heads," "a$$#oles" and in at least one case "a F#####g jerk."
An angry exchange between McCain and his wife that happened in full view of aides and reporters during a 1992 campaign stop..
In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c###t." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.
The man who was known as "McNasty" in high school has erupted in foul-languaged tirades at political foes and congressional colleagues more-or-less throughout his career, and his quickness to anger has been an issue on the presidential campaign trail as evidence of his fury has surfaced.
Calling Mrs Clinton a B##ch and later apologizing for it---did not set well with me----cause it wasn't in anger but just taking the mask off.
... and meanwhile
Submitted on April 26th, 2008 by John 2000the democratic 527 ad machine, which I understand is bound to be astounding this coming football season will be so beyond-the-pale that ...
another very important thing to note here is that such ads as those for the NC governor race ASSUME that Obama will be the candidate. It is far from a foregone conclusion. Such ads now could seem silly in the Fall.
Joel writes:What are the
Submitted on April 25th, 2008 by Jim LakelyJoel writes:
Acutally the odds are quite good -- on both counts.
McCain has a long record of being nicer to Senate Democrats than conservatives in his own party. He's practically made a sport out of screwing over his own party -- which is why he was largely the second or third choice of many Republicans this year, including me.
Also, the North Carolina GOP just told McCain to pound sand. They're going to keep running the ad. So much for showing deference to the presidential nominee.
But you're right about at least one thing, Joel. It is a brilliant strategy. I've long said (though maybe not in a blog post here) that McCain will take the "high road" in his campaign while 527 groups will keep Wright, Crackerquiddick and other issues that hurt Obama in the fore.
McCain will continue to decry the 527 ads, -- and as a long-time campaign finance reform champion, his tut-tutting will be credible. But for all his denunciations, McCain will be powerless to stop the negative ads. So, McCain gets benefits of the 527 ads while putting more distance between himself and such ads than any other candidate in America.
Like you said: Brilliant.