« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
The Fraudulent Referendum on Obama: McCain should be forcefullly confronted.
As this writer, as well as numerous prominent progressive supporters of Barack Obama have raised concerns about what seems to be an increasing likelihood that we are faced with a situation in which our candidate is approaching a tipping point in this election. A moment to recapture the strategic initiative lost in the wake of his international foray, or lose out in a race which the Bush/McCain/Republican smear and attack machine have all but turned this election into a referendum on Obama rather than on Bush and McCain who, consumed in a binge of fear of Obama, have launched their most negative attacks to-date for all the damage they can inflict. And the promiscuous and spineless media have peddled the ''Obama referendum" narrative as if it were a binding universally accepted conventional wisdom. Hence it should be of no surprise that this fraudulent line of thinking has gained traction on an alarming dimension to the extent that it remains uncontested by the Obama campaign that should know better that this election should, indeed, be a referendum on George Bush and John McCain who is pushing for Bush's third term.
After almost 8 years of a corrupt and incompetent presidency in collusion with equally corrupt now-out-power Congressional Republicans, the environment has to a large degree shifted in favor of the Dems in a reconfiguration of a political landscape that has increasingly grown treacherous for Republicans. Thus the extreme smears and negativity of the of McCain's campaign should be seen in the context in which they have come to the conclusion that McCain, as he stands, will not sell to the American people. Hence they have put all their eggs in one basket, hoping that as much as these negative ads are all they have, they would count on their not being counteracted by the Obama camp---or at the very least the response would be papably tepid, and I am afraid so far they have been proven right.
Comments (5)
Shouldn't we wait for the two conventions before we start talking tipping points?
August 19, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
More than the McCain campaign, the corporate media has pushed this as the 'narrative' of the election cycle.
I agree about aggressively pushing back, but the question becomes - how do you do that against the corporate media?
I continue to wish that there were progressive 527's pushing back $ for $ and smear for smear.
I would like to see McCain's religion (Episcopalian turned politically convenient unbaptised Baptist) and preachers getting as much ad time as the repub 527's will be doing.
I would like to see McCain's wife(s) getting as much attention as the patriotism of Michelle Obama. I would put McCain's serial adultery and current, admitted junkie thief, wife up against Michelle any day.
August 19, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
SadOldVet, I am sorry to tell you that pro-McCain 527's are already doing dirty work for John McCain on top of smears and negativity he is already unleashing against Barack Obama, but Democratic-leaning 527's are not doing the same for Obama because most of are financially strapped this time around, partly because Obama shot himself in the foot by appealing to donors to direct all their donations to his campaign rather than to 527's. As you can imagine those severely affected by this are pro-Democratic 527's. Some of them had to completely go out of business. These are groups would have conveniently done all the dirty work for Obama as it seems his desire is to stay above fray no matter the cost. As a result his polls are shrinking.
August 20, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a quote from serena131 on HuffPo:
Furthermore McCain is further to the right than even Bush. He sees everything through a military prism. If you want perpetual war McCain's your man. If you want dishonesty McCain's your man. If you want a third-term-Bush on steroids John McCain is your man.
August 19, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama has been sliding since February. His message his stance his posture, his positions are sliding like an newbie Iceroad trucker who drives to fast on the ice. He is heading for a crash and it is his own fault.
In many ways he is the democratic mirror of W in so much as he lacks several simple qualities, humility, veracity, and work ethic. His single redeeming feature is he chose to be a democrat.He is a virgin politician trying to rise beyond his level of incompetence.
He was wrong about one other thing recently. He does look like the other guys on our printed currency - at least in the color of the money.
He is Green and his immaturity is absolutely luminous.
August 19, 2008 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment