Monday, October 27, 2008

Surrogates Go Where McCain Will Not

As reported by Ben Smith at Politico, The National Republican Trust, a right-wing political action committee, will spend 2.5 million dollars bringing Reverend Wright to the forefront for voters in the crucial battleground states of Pennsylvania (Obama with a big 12 point cushion), Ohio (leaning towards Obama at a 5 point margin) and Florida (practically a dead heat).*

Here's the visual weapon of choice:



As I posted earlier, it was inevitable that the Republicans choose this "nuclear option" even with a desultory John McCain taking it off the table (McCain's ideological impermanence throughout this campaign grants implicit permission for the RNC to run wild and try anything). And rightly so - why would you accept defeat without taking one more shot at the end zone? Why would right wing fear-mongering and demagoguery go out with a whimper when it spent the past decade excoriating America for any temptation to go another way?

However, the demagoguery flows here from the presentation of the message, not from its substance. This is a justified assailment of Barack Obama. He should be taken to task for a person he has consorted with for more than twenty years as a self-described mentor (certainly a much more legitimate line of attack than the William Ayers phooey). Wright is a much more personal figure to Senator Obama and not easily dismissed as a fellow board member or a "person in the neighborhood."

By his own account, Obama gleaned insight and received guidance from Reverend Wright. Wright has made inflammatory, truly anti-American remarks of the same ilk as Ward Churchill's or Cindy Sheehan's lunatic brand of commentary. Obama has attended over 500 firebrand sermons delivered by the incendiary leader of his church. I have no quarrel with someone asking Obama for a bit of elaboration here.

* polliing data from pollster.com.

4 comments:

Pat Bateman said...

Actually have no problem with this ad at all. In point of fact, I actually think it was a little bit TOO tame. Were I a far right firebrand, I'd actually think this was sort of soft on the issue. This ad isn't enough to make Wright his Willie Horton.

Warm Apple Pie said...

I think Reverend Wright IS Willie Horton - the actual person. I mean have you ever seen them together in the same place?

Defective Pants said...

"I have no quarrel with someone asking Obama for a bit of elaboration here."

Um, WAP - I think that was covered during the primary. What unanswered questions do you or anyone else concerned about this relationship have? What question hasn't he answered?

As for the Republicans, the only purpose is fear-mongering and race baiting. That's it.

For you, a little dose of contrarianism to convince yourself that you're objective.

This is the old "we don't know enough about him" trap, and you fell for it. It's an absolute joke to even suggest that Obama hasn't addressed this topic. You can claim that you don't like the way he addressed it, but to argue that he still needs to elaborate on this is ridiculous.

Reid said...

Anti-American? Revolutionary war anyone? This country was built by anti-establishment ideology and nobody who actually uses their gray matter would possibly think this version of the USA is without its problems.

I trust that the Intelligence community has done its homework on Obama and that is why he is this close to the White House. I believe his associations have given him some insight as to why there is anger towards this country's leadership and that is what he has found in his relationships and would like the opportunity to help change(I don't think he will personally change much socially, but his presence will impact generations to come).

To think that every person in his background that disagrees with the directions this country has taken is unable to give guidance on personal issues or ends every sentence with "Death to America" is juvenile and narrow minded. It perpetuates fear of the unknown in ignorants and makes life that much easier for politicians to continue to do what's best for them while the rest of us argue over inanities.