Flashback: McCain Said Specter Of Terror Attack Would Help GOP Politically
As noted below, the McCain campaign is now arguing that Obama and the Democrats want to lose in Iraq precisely because it will help them politically.
This is tantamount to an accusation of treason. What will the national press do with this?
That aside, we thought it worthwhile to recall that McCain himself has actually said something along the lines of what Dems are being accused of thinking. During the 2004 elections, McCain said the following about the recent surfacing of a Bin Laden tape...
"Bin Laden may have just given us a little boost. Amazing, huh?"
McCain also said that the video is "helpful to President Bush because it puts the focus on the war on terrorism."
The McCain campaign is merely accusing Obama and Dems of wanting American deaths because it will help them politically. McCain, meanwhile, actually said that the specter of a lethal terrorist attack on American soil would help the GOP. The point, again, is that Republicans actually think this way.
And this year a surrogate said Bhutto's assassination helped McCain during the primary and said American needed another terrorist attack to "wake them up" or something to that effect.
July 14, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, probably play it up, quite a bit, without calling it treason. As for McCain, and his remarks? So? He can misremember key parts of his biography, not know who's training who in Iraq, and ruminate on the fact that Osama Bin Laden actually helps Republicans, and that sound you hear from the, well, syncophants passing as journalists is.....{{{{{crickets}}}}}}}
July 14, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's not forget what Charlie Black said either.
July 14, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great catch Greg. I've said it before and I'll say it again:
It's up Obama to make this case. He and his campaign are the ones to take on the offense. They haven't done it yet, here's hoping they will.
July 14, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wouldn't hold my breath.
July 14, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, and Greg, you should totally mail this to the Obama press shop.
Quite frankly, the Obama press shop sucks in setting the media narrative. They've been playing defense instead of offense.
July 14, 2008 12:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm starting to think it's a Democratic thing. As someone over at DKos pointed out, even when he was saying he's tough in the primaries, it was always in the context of: I will respond forcefully to attacks. It was never, I'm going to be the one going on attack.
July 14, 2008 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Those are good points, dansac. I'm tired of the reactiveness on the part of the Obama campaign. Here's Bill Burton's response to Bush lifting the ban on off-shore drilling:
Fucking mealy-mouthed. Keep it simple, stupid. Say something like this:
July 14, 2008 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fucking mealy-mouthed.
Typical Democrats. As in "Let's take 30 sentences to convey what could be conveyed in 10".
Your rewrite was perfect.
Hits all the points. Burton says nothing about mcCain.
July 14, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly.
July 14, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
And a great kicker would be, "Americans who are hurting economically don't need a Dr. Phil on McCain's campaign to tell them about how the economic pain at the gas pump is all in their heads. We need real relief, and that's why Senator Obama is running for President because he understands the economic pains of Americans."
July 14, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
...his only problem is when he has to say what he plans to do and not just knock the other guy..."drive smaller cars and hope we invent something new by 2030...or 2050."
July 14, 2008 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I couldn't possibly agree more with you. They allowed the Clinton campaign to set the agenda, and they're allowing the McCain campaign to do the same.
What's up with that? You can campaign honorably while still pointing out that your opponent openly thinks a terrorist event might benefit his campaign...or that his chief economic advistor thinks this recession is just a "mental recession".
I don't understand this, and now I'm starting to be concerned. I really think that the storylines (no matter how farcical) get set in July, not August, and so far, the Obama campaign seems to be a little off its game.
July 14, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know what you are saying, CT, and I think you are right about the defensiveness of the Obama Camp in general....
They have been a little too willing to play the "prevent defense", both against Hillary and now against McCain.
It's too early for that. We need to run up the score.
July 14, 2008 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's just hope they're not thinking the way many of us probably did in 2000 and 2004. "Who could possibly take this joker seriously? There's no reason to respond to these obviously misleading and whacko comments--the American public is smarter than that!!"
That really turned out well.
July 14, 2008 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Meanwhile in the real world Mccain is getting trounced in latest MI poll...
July 14, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama should look at the clear, accessible and effective way Hillary framed issues during the last couple months of her campaign and emulate it.
July 14, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
That, or hire flufferwink.
July 14, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Keep it simple, stupid, basically. They need to fire Bill Burton, who's the press secretary. He's too long-winded. See my post above.
Use the KISS strategy.
July 14, 2008 1:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Burton seems like a smart and decent guy, but maybe you're right. We need someone sharper and shorter with their words. Get the message out without putting the press to sleep, or trying to rebut everything reasonably....Take a lesson from the Repubs who never let little things like facts and logic get in the way of their messaging!
July 14, 2008 1:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I still believe that Obama's approach to the campaign is directed by a well thought out strategy. He didn't get where he is with poor planning and execution. His campaign so far has been one of the most comprehensive and effective campaigns that I can recall and I don't think he turned stupid and incompetent over night. I feel the hard hitting part of the campaign will occur after the conventions.
Why waste the big guns when the only people really paying attentions now are the wonks and the bloggers, who for the most part, have already made up their minds.
July 14, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think one reason to waste the big guns, as you put it, now, is because the storyline around each campaign gets solidified when the spotlight is relatively off.
So now is the time to fight agressively, to define oneself. By September 1, it's almost too late.
July 14, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama's handlers were better at gaming the system. But Clinton is a far better candidate. Especially in the GE as it is now becoming more apparent every day.
WE are back to politics as usual where sound bites rule the day and candidates must court the center not the fringes. Obama is good at neither. And his empty words of hope, unity, new politics and good judgment ring hollow and meaningless at this point.
It's going to be either President McCain or President Clinton. Obama will never be president.
July 14, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
You may have a point about Obama if by "gaming the system," you mean "had a better strategy to win the primary." It's unclear how exactly that translates into Hillary being the better candidate, what with her 37 slogans and mess of a campaign.
July 14, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. troll fogu2...you always support losers...
"And his empty words of hope, unity, new politics and good judgment ring hollow and meaningless at this point."
just wait until October when Obama has wiped mcFuddles's ass in the debates and he can't come up w/ anything to combat his own words..: like Social security is a disgrace...the economy is a psychology problem..the gas tax holiday will help us feel better..support tax cuts for wealthy...I have fogu2's endorsement..
July 14, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Obama surrogates, Senator Biden and Susan Rice, just responded to the McCain media call:
I love Senator Biden. He should be Veep.
July 14, 2008 1:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm starting to fall in love too.
Wink, email me when you get a sec. The address is on my DKos profile.
July 14, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Biden is perhaps the only candidate that sounds more elitist and condescending than Obama. Great pair.
July 14, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
No revelation about McCain would surprise me at this point. He's pissed away whatever integrity he once had.
July 14, 2008 3:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
There is a huge difference between pointing out that anything that focuses attention on national security will help Republicans (because people rightly don't trust dems in this area), and basing your entire justification for being elected on the fact that we are losing the war, which is what the dems did in 2006. Reid, Pelosi, et al made the fact that the war was being lost the reason they should get elected - not to win it, but to quit. They declared the war lost, they highlighted every setback in the war, they were totally invested in the war going badly. If things went well, they would look like fools, so they were in the position of rooting for the enemy, and they still are today.
July 15, 2008 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink