« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
A Different View on the Clark Kerfuffle
Throughout this cycle, progressives were rightfully pulling their hair out when Sen. Clinton was bludgeoning Sen. Obama with the '3am' and 'I'm ready, McCain's ready & Obama has a speech' stuff.
Part of what I feared, and I think other progressives as well, was that if Sen. Clinton had won the nomination the election would have been conducted on 'Republican turf'. Now, whether national security should be 'Republican turf' is another story altogether. However, it certainly is more so than, say . . . health care or the economy; whether that meme is warranted or not.
The annoyance with Sen. Obama seems to be that he didn't back up Gen. Clark for his comments that he made on Sunday. And then prolonged the controversy by seemingly reversing the original decision to cut Clark loose yesterday.
That, and all the beltway commentators that are desperate for a horse-race believe this highlights McCain's military biography, which is considered his wheelhouse.
They're wrong! This is the Democratic Party's wheelhouse!
Sen. Obama benefits from the comments being kept alive, which invariably boils down to adolescent back and forth salvos between the two campaigns. It goes something like this:
[1] Person connected with Sen. Obama in some way,
even if it simply means they're both democrats, makes fill-in-the-blank
comment about Sen. McCain that can marginally be interpreted as taking
a swipe at fill-in-the-blank.
[2] The McCain camp takes excessive umbrage at fill-in-the-blank perceived slight.
[3] Campaigns engage in a contest of who can be the most offended.
[4] Beltway commentators debate over which candidate it 'helps' politically.
This is Democratic Party turf. In the end, people forget the original instigation and just remember the dust-up itself.
The problem for Sen. McCain is that it's the Republican Party that believes themselves to be the 'non-politically correct', 'stiff upper lip', 'water off my back' party.
It's the Democratic Party that is perceived to be the politically correct, overly sensitive, easily offended, 'everybody's-a-winner' group.
Every time the McCain camp cranks up the mock outrage and begins a back and forth over who offended whom, McCain is playing on our turf.
It makes him look like a not-ready-for-prime-time whiner. It makes him look as if he can't take the heat of the campaign. Frankly, it makes him look weak.
The Republican brand is built on the appearance of strength. These dust-ups strongly undercut both John McCain's and the Republican Party's perceived best asset. Anything that allows these dust-ups to have legs benefits Sen Obama. Sen. Obama knows this, which is why his statements seem geared to keep the controversy alive a bit longer.
As the Obama campaign can attest from their difficult primary campaign, they know that when the other candidate does something like Sen. Clinton's 'perhaps we should ask Sen. Obama if he needs a pillow' gambit, they can drive the press into asking the other candidate tougher questions.
And what do we get out of that? Viola--a headline like today's 'McCain Visibly Angry When Asked About Military Service'; a headline that only exists because of Gen. Clark's original comments. Or the comment thread in the linked story in which voters debate whether McCain is too hotheaded to be president. All of which is completely removed from Sen. Obama and doesn't have his fingerprints anywhere near it.
And I'm all for that.
Comments (19)
Who the hell is Clark Kerfuffle?
July 2, 2008 3:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Priceless.
July 2, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clark Kerfuffle is Clark Kent's original name. He changed it when he went to work at the Daily Planet.
July 3, 2008 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree. So long as it's not Obama engaged in the tit for tat. Let McCain have the tantrum. Makes him look petty and anything but Presidential, while Obama deals with the actual business at hand.
July 2, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I sort of agree.
I agree that McCain looks petty and sometimes nasty when he plays the victim.
The problem is when the to and fro around this knocks other stories down in prominence -- meaning less attention for whatever Obama's position message of the day is.
Let McCain go on and on about this -- but Obama and his campaign shouldn't be dragged directly or indirectly into it.
Maybe the answer is simply to quote John McCain's stand on 527s, noting that Obama isn't going to "referee" the actions of people he has no control over.
July 2, 2008 6:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah really anything that has the words 'McCain' and 'angry' in the same headline is fine with me. maybe he'll lose it one of these moments and have a real meltdown. maybe call his wife a name to boot, on camera of course.
July 2, 2008 7:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
In regards to McCains anger when asked about his military service, it's apparent that he is harboring secret demons that he is adamant no one should go near. He vehemently fought against groups of family members of MIA & POWs from Vietnam who were only trying to get the army to tell them what happened, declassify documents from a war long over, and do a proper investigation into unsolved cases. He didn't just politically block all of their efforts, he did it with unusual bursts of anger.
Here's an interesting example: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1670
Here's another on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CazKanlYDg
The theory circulating in the non-MSM, with some sources actually being some of his fellow POWs, is that McCains performance in Hanoi was not always honorable or befitting the description of hero and he was going to do everything possible to keep this information classified in order to preserve his political career.
I know this reeks of swiftboating, but it's odd how ultra-sensitive he is on this issue, how viciously he fought the MIA/POW families, combined with the stories and theories we get from some of his fellow POWs.
Here's a fascinating video on this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX_g
And just for the record, I have the utmost sympathy and respect for him and what he went through, but I don't see why we should tiptoe over all this when he's using it as part of his public image.
July 2, 2008 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain is being a whiner hear. He's crying foul where there is none. I agree it makes him look weaker.
Do you think we could get one of those "pillow" type SNL skits? We all know the media loves JMc.
July 3, 2008 1:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
"JMc 4 U & Me" will be McCain's next attempt to attract the youth vote.
July 3, 2008 9:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Word! Someone needs to photoshop a poster of that.
July 3, 2008 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
This might get his people started on the new campaign: ">JMc In Da House!
July 3, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Crap. I hate this blog interface with a passion. Just God awful. This is the new McCain campaign pitch to the youth vote.
July 3, 2008 11:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome! He's super-kewl! I'm voting for him.
July 3, 2008 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think it is a conspiracy or some grand convention strategy.
Obama has very little control over what other people say. Especially retired, how ever many star generals.
Now the republicans...
heh...
July 3, 2008 2:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
An interesting concept I'd not thought of.
Q for the poster however [and please excuse if there is something I'm missing]: You include a link purportedly to an article headlined
'McCain Visibly Angry When Asked About Military Service'
Bit that link seems to bring me back to the front page of TPM - headlining the great article & video on McCain's knowledge of the economy.
If there is an article that you are citing I would love to see it.
thanks
July 3, 2008 2:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I messed up up the link. The correct link is here:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/07/mccain-in-colom.html
Below is the relevant text from the link:
McCain became visibly angry when I asked him to explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the Presidency.
"Please," he said, recoiling back in his seat in distaste at the very question.
McCain allies Sen. Lindsey Graham stepped in to rescue him. Graham expressed admiration for McCain’s stance on the treatment of detainees in US custody.
"That to me is a classic example of how his military experience helped him shape public policy in a way no other senator could have done,’’ Graham said.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, also traveling on the trip, expressed admiration for McCain’s wartime service as well.
McCain then collected himself and apologized for his initial reaction.
"I kind of reacted the way I did because I have a reluctance to talk about my experiences," he said, noting that he has huge admiration for the "heroes" who served with him in the POW camp and said the experience taught him to love the U.S. because he missed it so much.
"I am always reluctant to talk about these things," McCain said.
July 3, 2008 4:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget that as long as McCain is on defense over his 'signature' characteristic, then he is off message. And when you add in his puppeteers and apologists, Lieberman and Graham (how many times are we going to see this happen before it becomes a national embarrasment!) it just changes the whole news cycle.
Who will be the next one to chum for McCain and throw him off message and into a fit?
July 3, 2008 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well I would happily agree; however, since Obama and every other Democrat not only failed to pick up on what General Clark was saying and instead hung him to twist in the Swiftboater's hot air, this means zip. Has anyone mentioned that they respect General Clark's military service?
Instead, Obama and company have cut off a very credible voice on national security.
My question is: Clark stood and delivered for 80 Democrats in the last cycle, how many will want them to speak for them now?
BTW, my 25 year old daughter, who voted for Obama in MA, and will end up voting for him in the fall, called me yesterday. She thought the news media had completely lost their minds. Is flying a fighter jet and being a POW a requirement for president? Well...dah! And then she said: "And what's with Obama? He looks like McCain's b'tch." Sorry, my daughter graduated with honors from a fine school, and she's hard to spin.
July 3, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Folks, McCain got only one slightly negative headline out of this affair and it was buried in a blog. Mc Cain won this media created dust up on television. Hate to tell you, but the undecideds and persuadables aren't reading this blog.
If the media has a narrative, they will not budge. Mc Cain = war hero is their narrative. Look how they twisted the story back on Clark, when if anyone denigrated McCain's service it was Bob Scheiffer. Trying to attack McCain on this issue is sheer stupidity. Everyone who is receptive to this argument already will not support McCain.
July 3, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment