The Foolish Inconsistencies of John McCain’s Latest Negative Ad

July 30th, 2008 Posted in Politics

John McCain’s new ad is, at best, strange. It’s trying at the same time to portray Obama as:

  1. A shallow and inexperienced pop-star with no clue, yet alone a plan (hey, he’s like Brittney!)
  2. A nefarious liberal with all the tax-raising plans of experienced nefarious liberals
  3. Someone who would keep us dependent on foreign oil because he opposes more drilling and because … foreigners love him

Leave aside the breathtaking shamelessness of Republicans attacking on the issue of foreign oil; and the irony of attacking someone for being clueless when they’re advocating a plan universally rejected by analysts and meant only to enrich the oil industry at the expense of the ill-informed populace to which it mendaciously panders.

There’s the question of internal consistency. Either attack him for being the same-old-liberal, or attack him for being the callow unknown. But don’t try to cram your latest brainstorming session into one ad.

It makes you look desperate, and as if … you have no self-restraint.

The GOP is wondering the same thing:

By doing so, Mr. McCain is clearly trying to sow doubts about his younger opponent, and bring him down a peg or two. But some Republicans worry that by going negative so early, and initiating so many of the attacks himself rather than leaving them to others, Mr. McCain risks coming across as angry or partisan in a way that could turn off some independents who have been attracted by his calls for respectful campaigning.

You don’t think?

But let’s get really nasty.

  1. One Response to “The Foolish Inconsistencies of John McCain’s Latest Negative Ad”

  2. By anne on Aug 1, 2008

    John McCain’s nastiness is casting a pall on the presidential election process. It is utterly sickening to see an elder statesman stoop to such juvenile, silly, and completely false allegations in these ads.

    While I dislike the Republican Party’s propensity for character assassination as a substitute for substantive debate on issues that affect all of us, there are individual Republicans I highly respect such as Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Concilmember Carol Schwartz of Washington, D.C. I voted for her in 1994 and in 2002 because of her policies and because she didn’t use the Republican attack machine. I once respected
    John McCain, even though I wouldn’t have voted for him. But as far as I am concerned,
    he is showing his true colors in this process.

    If he should win the White House, I am sure the low esteem in which the rest of the world holds the United States would sink even lower.

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