McCain: Looking for POTUS in All the Wrong Places July 31
I have pretty low expectations of a Presidential campaign. If I didn’t, I’d never vote. So it’s pretty astounding when a candidate can break through the glass floor of my dramatically reduced expectations. This week, John McCain took a jackhammer to my E3 glass.
Negative campaigning is nothing new, but it’s is one of the worst things to come upon the American political scene since the Redcoats showed up on the Concord Green. It hijacks what little civility is left in the halls of power, alienates and divides the nation, and virtually every piece of legislation - from FISA to a proclamation in favor of National Birdseed Week - is fraught with the lamest, most destructive bickering and political toxicity.
But come on John…Britney Spears? That doesn’t even meet the oily standards of negative campaigning. It’s just pathetic.
Even though there’s a slim-to-none chance I’ll vote for you, I still want you to be a good candidate. I want you to raise legitimate issues and battle Obama with the best of what you are. And surely, comparing Obama to Britney doesn’t qualify. I want this even though I want you to lose. I want this because I value a forum of ideas and constructive opposition, not a campaign that more closely parallel’s a Sixth Grade Class President runoff than a Presidential campaign. What’s next, are you going to accuse Obama of stealing crayons behind the teacher’s back?
No doubt there’ve been dubious things said and done on both sides of this campaign, but most of them have been of the boundary-pushing variety that seems to extend out a little farther each political season. In my opinion, your recent ads jump the shark, not only because they’re beneath you and your valid political contributions, but because they’re just sophomoric idiocy.
John, you’re making yourself exactly what you fear people think of you - a raving old coot who’s mean, vindictive, and out of control. You lost your first bid for the White House by being unable to control your temper and you’ve had dozens of celebrated dust-ups since. It’s the 3 AM Phone Call Syndrome.
Who the hell wants the man holding his finger on the button raving about rock star pols and psychologically troubled strumpets?
John, get back to rational campaigning, even if you aren’t very good at it. Propose drilling enough holes in the planet to deflate it like a beach ball after an encounter with an acupuncturist. Talk about how the war must be won - even if you can’t define what “won” means. Decry Obama’s lack of experience, the dubious value of permanent tax cuts, and why torture is ever OK (I admit you stumped me with that flip-flop). Those are all fair game. But for the love of God (even the evil-tempered fundamentalist one)…
Pull your head out. You won’t find the keys to the White House up there.
The Poobah is a featured contributor at Bring It On!
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