Aug
5
Wake me in 2012
August 5, 2008 | 6 Comments
Here’s the latest ad from Barack Obama.
Here’s the text:
Washington’s broken. John McCain knows it. We’re worse off than we were four years ago.
Only McCain has taken on big tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties. He’ll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil, make America prosper again.
He’s the original maverick.
One is ready to lead — McCain.
Wait, that’s not Obama. You mean to tell me this is the Republican nominee’s attempt to garner votes?
It’s bad enough to be subjected to one political messiah, but evidently McCain is similarly under the delusion that he can simply make our country prosper. I’m sorry, but presidents can’t, by and large, just make us prosper. And if one had the ability to simply make us prosper, I’m not sure that this is the proper tact.
How braindead is the term “big” oil, by the way? Is there a “little” oil that does not merit any attention? Big Oil has become as odious and meaningless a political scare term as neocon, being used to evoke passionate responses but which do little but reveal the intellectual vacuousness of the messenger.
I just have to ask: does McCain actually want to win this election?
Comments
6 Comments so far
Of course McCain wants to win the election. But, as with everything else, he intends to do his way. And that’s by running to the center. As opposed to the primary season, now we are seeing the true McCain. He’s using the old Richard Nixon strategy. McCain will gladly act as if Reagan and Bush Jr weren’t elected a total of 4 times by staying to the right. Afterall, it’s gotta be his way.
And he’ll probably lose. Who knows? But as Dick Morris put it everly so wisely on H&C last night — this election is between Barack Obama and Barack Obama, and Barack Obama may be losing!
McCain has one last chance to sway me with the VP pick. But it’s a long shot. Just as we see here, look for McCain to do that his way too. There’s no way he risks picking a dynamic younger veep who would upstage him on the campaign trail. He craves attention and fawning too much — ironically a charge that his campaign is also rightfully leveling at Obama!
That Bob Barr vote looks better and better everyday!
I’m not sure this is “McCain’s way” as BDJ suggests, or if it’s not the “only” way McCain can win in 2008. While I 100% agree with Cranky that President’s can’t make the US prosperous, this type of campaign, being run by both candidates, is the result of a long-standing inflation of both populism and a consistent stoking of the fires of presidential timber to make the office much more than it can be or actually is.
Bottom line, these types of ads probably scored off the charts in the pre-polling and other focus groups that they were subjected to. Why? Because right now, 2008, this is what the median voter wants to hear people say they are going to do as President. Do they understand this isn’t what President’s are supposed to do? No, they don’t. Well some probably do, but that doesn’t stop it from sounding good anyway. This is what a rationally ignorant electorate gets us, congratulations to everyone out there. This may not be the campaign the country needs, but it is, without any doubt, the campaign we deserve.
I don’t know. I think that ad has quite a different tone than Obamas. Political ads should not be meek. I uspsect a AD going Hey I am John McCain I will do the best I can I am no miracle worker , there will be ups and downs and I suspect I will fail often etc etc would not exactly be gripping either
does McCain actually want to win this election?
He doesn’t have to.
The O-and-Savior will hand it to him.
Because right now, 2008, this is what the median voter wants to hear people say they are going to do as President. Do they understand this isn’t what President’s are supposed to do? No, they don’t. Well some probably do, but that doesn’t stop it from sounding good anyway. This is what a rationally ignorant electorate gets us, congratulations to everyone out there. This may not be the campaign the country needs, but it is, without any doubt, the campaign we deserve.
Can’t say I disagree with you. It’s not the sort of thing I like to hear, but it probably sounds good to a decent portion of the electorate that expects the President to solve all problems.
I don’t know. I think that ad has quite a different tone than Obamas.
It’s not as overtly messianic, but it is troubling to hear the Republican nominee for president talking like a progressive Democrat.
These two big parties aren’t getting away with it this year. Thanks to the internet bloggers and talk radio, Americans aren’t buying. We’re looking for a return to the America we used to know. It was a wholesome place, not perfect, but we used to be able to count on society and the government to echo our family values.
Neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are listening to us. We’re no longer listening to them.
Let’s build a new party of, by and for the people.
http://www.selfgovernment.us