UPDATED: The lowest political ad of 2008, arguably ever
This is a disgrace -- as one online commenter notes, even the 1988 Willie Horton ad was based on facts:
UPDATED: The lowest political ad of 2008, arguably ever
This is a disgrace -- as one online commenter notes, even the 1988 Willie Horton ad was based on facts:
According to the McCain campaign's own email, the sex ed claim is based on Obama's support for a bill, in the Illinois state legislature, that said:
"Each class or course in comprehensive sex education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV."As you can see, the McCain ad says that Obama was the one who pushed the "comprehensive sex education" measure. The Obama campaign has pointed out that the bill would simply add instruction on disease prevention to already existing Illinois sex-ed standards. But the McCain campaign cheerfully turned this into Obama's support for "learning about sex before learning to read."
What a sleazeball ad! Meanwhile, a slew of down-the-middle commentators like Time's Mark Halperin, Politico's Ben Smith, and ABC's Jake Tapper are calling out the McCain camp's ridiculous claim tonight that Obama was essentially calling Sarah Palin "a pig" with his lipstick on a pig remark about the GOP's increasing volume of lies.
Seriously, what has happened to John McCain? You know, back in 2000, when McCain really was a maverick on some issues (particularly campaign finance, which was a big issue in the late 1990s because peace and prosperity had lessened some of the normal concerns), when the political climate was a lot different, and when I was more mind-melded with your typical political journalist, I thought McCain would be a better president than Al Gore. Since 2000, America has changed, the issues have changed, I've changed, Al Gore has changed, and John McCain has changed...a lot. Eight years later, McCain had to move pretty far to the right to win the GOP nomination, and politically I can understand that. But despite that political posturing, I still thought he was an honorable man who would run an honorable campaign.
But he's not. Apparently, John McCain wants to be president in the worst way. Which is exactly what he's doing.
UPDATE: McClatchy: "This is a deliberately misleading accusation."
E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post: "Does the Truth Matter Anymore?"
McCain once campaigned on the idea that the war on terrorism is the “transcendent” issue of our time. Now, he’s stooping to cheap advertising that would be condemned as trivial and misleading in a state legislative race. Boy, do I miss the old John McCain and wonder what became of him. And I wonder if the media will really take on this onslaught of half-truths and outright deception.
Watch this ridiculous ad for yourself:
Yeah, OK. Calling Palin a pig it ain't. Sorry Will, trying to paint Obama as the victim will fall on deaf ears when he and Biden are calling the most popular female politician in the world a pig and insulting disabled children, respectively. Nice (absurd) try though...— 24601- I can sense the feigned sincerity of your faux-outrage though, very convincing....— 24601
- ...and I see you got the memo to use the word "honorable" a lot, as in McCain's lack thereof... good boy... way to stay coordinated with the rest of the left-wind loon squad...— 24601
- There is nothing new about this kind of tactic in American politics. It isn't exclusive to Republicans, but admittedly, they have turned it into a high art. The irony is that folks like 24601 actually believe this stuff - for example, he actually believes that Obama was calling Palin a pig, and/or McCain a stinking old fish. This stuff works with some folks, Will. It just does. I actually believe that enough Americans will, in fact, see through this garbage - but if they don't, America simply deserves what it gets.— Talking point sleuth
- Obama and Biden's gaffes make this a non-story. I would be shocked if this ad actually ran anywhere, as there are more effective angles to take against Obama on education. (For example: Obama's "big" education speech today was essentially an endorsement of McCain's education plan.) This is just the education attack ad they had on the shelf in case they needed to respond on the issue. Both campaign have them, and they never seem to see the light of day.— bon
- I'm sorry, bon. I missed it where you criticized the McCain campaign for making a blatantly dishonest ad. Was that on another thread?— Talking point sleuth
- Obama was calling Palin a pig and McCain an old fish. You can come up with a brand new batch of absurd rationalizations for it, like the flags, but the fact of the matter is that ever since Palin was named the loony left has been falling all over themselves in a rage and they continue to viciously attack her. Guess what, the result has been McCain/Palin have turned a 8-point deficit into a 8-point lead. Go ahead, keep your smug "everyone else but me and Will are stupid" mindset, it is leading you to sixteen more years of "everyone is stupid but me" as the Presidential out party. The Obama ship is sinking fast and you are busy trying to convince everyone that wasn't really an iceberg...— 24601
- And to the main point of Will ridiculous claim of Obama's victimhood here: according to the article Will links to, Obama is on the record as supporting sex-ed for kindergartners... "Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told Planned Parenthood Tuesday that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age-appropriate," is "the right thing to do." I would love, and I mean LOVE for Obama to come on national TV and explain specifically what he envisions as being "age-appropriate" for kindergartners when it comes to sex education. Give him a whole hour on the evening news to explain that...please...— 24601
- TPS: The ad is true. (Excerpt from the bill in question: "Each class or course in comprehensive sex education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV.") You and Will are getting far ahead of yourselves. Obama and McCain's campaigns have these ads on the shelf for snap release to the media. They never hit the airwaves. If you think debating an ad that will never air is a worthy use of your time I am happy to oblige, just so you recognize it for what it is. (Sound and fury, signifying nothing...?)— bon
- the whole thing is just a distraction. i wish we just had the british style of things, cz then the "party" would be defending the record, not individual ppl. then the platform would be debated and defended. i would love to see that with our pols. of course, AGT and AI, would still get better ratings.— joeyjojo
- John McCain has officially sold his soul to Karl Rove.— yobill626
McCain is trying to run out the clock before the economy crashes. It may be too late. With the impending fall of Lehman Brothers, we may see the stock market hit rock bottom any day now. Wachovia isn't far behind. The American credit market is headed down the toilet faster than you can say "the Crash of 2008." It's 1929 all over again. This is serious, folks. All these silly political one-upmanship games won't mean diddley in the next few days and weeks as it's obvious we're not only mired in a recession, but a depression looms. Too bad for McCain and the Republicans--they almost made it before the clock ran out. But they didn't. Then we'll see, my dear unhinged cuckoo-nutty wingnuts, how quickly the American people will seek real change and not the goofy horse manure McCain and Rove and peddling.— Mr_Cool
Comment removed.- Mccain is a liar, so is palin. She's the most popular woman politician in the world?, 24601 what are you smoking. No one knows her outside of here.She's a loser, who won't let reporters near her because mccain knws they will tear her up. Beginning with the bridge to nowhere lie, her firing the state house cook (actually reassigned to another state job), her lobbying for millions in our money, she is nothing but a spiro agnew for 2008. All mouth, nothing but corruption behind it. Now, go back to sleep.— mike l
- Will, you've lost ANY standing to complain about the tactics of the other side, after your antics of the last few days.— db_cooper
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