McCain's Frat Boy Campaign
Kevin Drum has moved from the Washington Monthly to Mother Jones. After showing that she is nearly illiterate when it comes to foreign policy, Kevin delves into the reasons for Sarah Palin’s nomination, he’s just as sharp as ever.
This is all part of what I was talking about the other day when I noted that McCain is running such a palpably unserious campaign. Steve Schmidt seems solely interested in winning the daily news cycle; his staff spends its time gleefully churning out juvenile attack videos; McCain himself has retreated into robotic incantations of simpleminded talking points; and now he’s chosen a manifestly unqualified VP that he knows nothing about. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it.
Kevin’s reference to the “staff gleefully churning out juvenile attack videos” reminds me of the “Brooks Brothers riot” that shut down the 2000 election recount in Florida. Its that smirky frat boy attitude of these young Republicans, who are now the brownshirts of Limbaugh/Hannity attitude that Steve Schmidt and the McCain campaign is playing to. I have experienced it here from some of the Republican trolls. Barack took this thug attitude on last night.
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.
So I’ve got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
Maybe the McCain camp is doing this because they don’t have to really run. Maybe the election has already been stolen, God forbid.
By the way, your blog is really interesting and well written, Mr. Taplin.
Maybe the McCain camp is doing this because they don’t have to really run. Maybe the election has already been stolen, God forbid.
By the way, your blog is really interesting and well written, Mr. Taplin.
They have a lot of tricks up their sleeve apparently
Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/
They have a lot of tricks up their sleeve apparently
Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/
And Biden is any better than Palin?? Come on!
Let’s not forget that this blowhard Washington insider played in instrument role in getting us into the war, including not allowing key testimony that showed there was no Al Qaeda threat and no WMD threat when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The man is the ultimate ultra-tanned slimeball Washington insider — a true bastard. And people have the audacity to say that Palin is worse? Palin is real and she’s tough as nails. She’s also not a politician. Dear lord, what a crime that must be.
I’m sorry, after the FISA disaster and a few other things, my rose-colored Obama glasses long went off. I wish others would start to see that he’s nothing new. He’s more of the old.
And Biden is any better than Palin?? Come on!
Let’s not forget that this blowhard Washington insider played in instrument role in getting us into the war, including not allowing key testimony that showed there was no Al Qaeda threat and no WMD threat when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The man is the ultimate ultra-tanned slimeball Washington insider — a true bastard. And people have the audacity to say that Palin is worse? Palin is real and she’s tough as nails. She’s also not a politician. Dear lord, what a crime that must be.
I’m sorry, after the FISA disaster and a few other things, my rose-colored Obama glasses long went off. I wish others would start to see that he’s nothing new. He’s more of the old.
alex-Don’t try so hard to pretend you are a concerned Democrat. Your troll costume is showing.
alex-Don’t try so hard to pretend you are a concerned Democrat. Your troll costume is showing.
I never said I was a Democrat. I am not, and never have been. I’m a Republican and if you’ll recall, I have been very clear about this in the past on this blog. I truly hope that being open and forthright about my opinions does not constitute my being called a troll in this blog.
And was I wrong in my post?
As I’ve said on this blog before, I have been disillusioned by my party, the war, the terrible management of our economy. I’m probably better served by becoming an independent, but I feel that’s not practical. I’d rather try to work out the kinks in my own party than be part of a non-group.
I was interested, briefly, in Obama. But no longer. Is McCain any better? Yes, at least for me.
Jon, I read this blog because it’s interesting, I often agree with your viewpoints, and those that I don’t agree with at least interest me and provide fodder for additional thought. I think that’s healthy. But the recent obsession with Obama, and the obsession with how bad McCain is — it seems to show a blatant partisanship.
The idea that with Obama, everything will be better, is whistling past the graveyard. It may make one feel better, but if you look at the people around him, and his own hawkish views on Afghanistan, what’s the difference between him and McCain? So, Obama wants the war to continue, but in Afghanistan. McCain wants the war to continue, but in Iraq. They both still want to continue the failed policies of the past.
I see little difference.
I never said I was a Democrat. I am not, and never have been. I’m a Republican and if you’ll recall, I have been very clear about this in the past on this blog. I truly hope that being open and forthright about my opinions does not constitute my being called a troll in this blog.
And was I wrong in my post?
As I’ve said on this blog before, I have been disillusioned by my party, the war, the terrible management of our economy. I’m probably better served by becoming an independent, but I feel that’s not practical. I’d rather try to work out the kinks in my own party than be part of a non-group.
I was interested, briefly, in Obama. But no longer. Is McCain any better? Yes, at least for me.
Jon, I read this blog because it’s interesting, I often agree with your viewpoints, and those that I don’t agree with at least interest me and provide fodder for additional thought. I think that’s healthy. But the recent obsession with Obama, and the obsession with how bad McCain is — it seems to show a blatant partisanship.
The idea that with Obama, everything will be better, is whistling past the graveyard. It may make one feel better, but if you look at the people around him, and his own hawkish views on Afghanistan, what’s the difference between him and McCain? So, Obama wants the war to continue, but in Afghanistan. McCain wants the war to continue, but in Iraq. They both still want to continue the failed policies of the past.
I see little difference.
alex-Obama doesn’t pretend that he can fix the nation’s problems. As he says “this campaign is not about me, its about you”. The bottom-up ideals we have been talking about here for 8 months are the ideals on which he has formed his insurgent campaign. I know you and some of the other Republicans here were all freaked out by the Reverend Wright matter. I think it was a grand distraction and no different from the Willy Horton technique.
So I’m still hoping I can get you and Hugo and maybe even Morgan to come over and work with us on this massive task that Barack is going to ask us to undertake.
alex-Obama doesn’t pretend that he can fix the nation’s problems. As he says “this campaign is not about me, its about you”. The bottom-up ideals we have been talking about here for 8 months are the ideals on which he has formed his insurgent campaign. I know you and some of the other Republicans here were all freaked out by the Reverend Wright matter. I think it was a grand distraction and no different from the Willy Horton technique.
So I’m still hoping I can get you and Hugo and maybe even Morgan to come over and work with us on this massive task that Barack is going to ask us to undertake.
Jon, I wasn’t freaked out by Wright. I was freaked out by FISA.
Jon, I wasn’t freaked out by Wright. I was freaked out by FISA.
alex – as were a lot of people.
But there’s still a lot of fear about national security out there, and it’s a card that the Republicans have played to devastating effect time and time again. And it’s a card that plays to the greatest effect among those who understand the least about what’s at stake.
I too, had trouble with Obama’s capitulation on FISA. But I’ve noticed a larger pattern of very sharp focus, considerable tactical skill, and his tendency to play cards close to the vest until he’s ready to show them to everyone.
In other words, I believe that Obama is too smart to fight this particular battle on ground that is – for the moment – tilted so heavily against him. His FISA vote was not a tie-breaker (far from it) and he must have realized that a taking a principled stand now would have no practical effect, while creating opportunities for classic GOP fear mongering that will only make actual reform even harder – perhaps threatening his chances to reach the only place from which effective reform can be actually be conducted (believe me, it isn’t in the halls of Congress.)
He really needs the bully pulpit for this one. And he needs to address the problem not from the narrow ledge of a single-issue vote, but in the context of larger play to de-escalate the toxic levels of fear that the GOP has pumped into the nation over the last eight years – fear which has allowed people to tolerate the fundamental attacks on good governance so relentlessly staged by the Bush administration in general, and Cheney & Addington in particular, with their monstrous Theory of the Unitary Executive – a black hole of political regression that is at the very core of the most abusive aspects of FISA.
As an aside, the world at large is responding to the threat of totally unregulated surveillance by the US Executive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pipes.html?em
Don’t worry – this FISA vote wasn’t the end of the story. Not by a long shot.
alex – as were a lot of people.
But there’s still a lot of fear about national security out there, and it’s a card that the Republicans have played to devastating effect time and time again. And it’s a card that plays to the greatest effect among those who understand the least about what’s at stake.
I too, had trouble with Obama’s capitulation on FISA. But I’ve noticed a larger pattern of very sharp focus, considerable tactical skill, and his tendency to play cards close to the vest until he’s ready to show them to everyone.
In other words, I believe that Obama is too smart to fight this particular battle on ground that is – for the moment – tilted so heavily against him. His FISA vote was not a tie-breaker (far from it) and he must have realized that a taking a principled stand now would have no practical effect, while creating opportunities for classic GOP fear mongering that will only make actual reform even harder – perhaps threatening his chances to reach the only place from which effective reform can be actually be conducted (believe me, it isn’t in the halls of Congress.)
He really needs the bully pulpit for this one. And he needs to address the problem not from the narrow ledge of a single-issue vote, but in the context of larger play to de-escalate the toxic levels of fear that the GOP has pumped into the nation over the last eight years – fear which has allowed people to tolerate the fundamental attacks on good governance so relentlessly staged by the Bush administration in general, and Cheney & Addington in particular, with their monstrous Theory of the Unitary Executive – a black hole of political regression that is at the very core of the most abusive aspects of FISA.
As an aside, the world at large is responding to the threat of totally unregulated surveillance by the US Executive.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pipes.html?em
Don’t worry – this FISA vote wasn’t the end of the story. Not by a long shot.
Alex Bowles- well said. Cards close to the vest for sure, and on more issues than just FISA.
Alex Bowles- well said. Cards close to the vest for sure, and on more issues than just FISA.
Respectfully, I get the feeling that people are simply rationalizing at this point.
The man said vehemently last year that he would filibuster any telecom immunity.
On the basis of his opposition to the FISA amendment (among other issues), the tech community backed him.
(It is a major issue for me personally, as I work in the field of security and privacy.)
Yet, he changed, and so abruptly. Why? I still can’t fathom it. I was completely dumbfounded by this reversal. So now I can only assume the obvious: The man sold himself out (especially made clearer after seeing the AT&T reward party for the BlueDogs in Denver).
I don’t mind people backing Obama, but I do mind the rose-colored glasses, this messianic frenzy attached to this man. He’s just a politician. So vote for him if you hate Republicans or something. But don’t vote for this guy because you think he’s really any different than any of the others. He’s not.
Respectfully, I get the feeling that people are simply rationalizing at this point.
The man said vehemently last year that he would filibuster any telecom immunity.
On the basis of his opposition to the FISA amendment (among other issues), the tech community backed him.
(It is a major issue for me personally, as I work in the field of security and privacy.)
Yet, he changed, and so abruptly. Why? I still can’t fathom it. I was completely dumbfounded by this reversal. So now I can only assume the obvious: The man sold himself out (especially made clearer after seeing the AT&T reward party for the BlueDogs in Denver).
I don’t mind people backing Obama, but I do mind the rose-colored glasses, this messianic frenzy attached to this man. He’s just a politician. So vote for him if you hate Republicans or something. But don’t vote for this guy because you think he’s really any different than any of the others. He’s not.