Right. We’ve endured almost all of the election season, there are two more perfunctory debates and about 40 days of racing for the finish. What to expect?
Well, TPM has reported that the McCain camp is going almost 100% negative, trying hard to break the discussion from the economic crisis back to “how dangerous and risky a President Obama” would be. The breakdown looks like this:
- Nearly half a million weekly is funding the ad called “Dome,” which attacks “Obama and his liberal allies” in Congress for favoring “massive government.”
- A shade more than half a million is funding the ad called “Mum,” which attacks “Obama and his liberal allies” as “mum on the market crisis.”
- Much of the remaining McCain money is funding a spot called “Overseas,” which says that “Barack Obama and his liberal allies are to blame” for jobs going overseas. A negligible amount of the remainder is going to a positive spot, the “Original Mavericks” ad.
Clearly, the McCain camp has moved into the desperation zone, throwing any notion of honor or bipartisanship or even decency to the wind in a last-ditch hail Mary attempt to win the election. Country first John? I think not … I’d say John McCain and his selfish hypocrisy and desire for power first.
I am reasonably comfortable that it is too late in the cycle to start an effective negative campaign – the majority of people have already made up their mind, and in my opinion, a nasty switch suddenly from McCain will be seen for what it is, rather than be listened to for message.
But this does not squelch my concern of an October Surprise – perhaps a CGId video of Obama in drag doing an alter boy in the pooter while howling like Howard Dean. Would this be effective? I’d like to hope not, but there are plenty stupid voters that can be swayed with the blowing of the wind. Who knows?
But again, perhaps I underestimate the Obama campaign and there’s an October Surprise of sorts in their own quiver – I’m not saying that Obama would stoop to outright lies and Willie Horton like politics to win, but perhaps he has been saving some of his best messages for the home stretch. Perhaps he is a politician like I am a business person… rather than sitting back, relaxing and enjoying a profitable stretch, I am more likely to push harder during good times to seal my progress and maximize my opportunity. Perhaps Obama will demonstrate even MORE vitality and precision in his effort during this last month.
Another concern that is insidious and despicable does not have its origin in either campaign or party, but ferments in the worst places of the human psyche, and lives in lower income and minority dominated areas. Here I’m talking about the voter suppression efforts, like in Georgia where there is already reports of flyers being sent out that say. “If you have a warrant, or even a traffic ticket there will be police waiting to take you in” – echoing reports from the last election of cops sitting by polling stations simply with their lights on. OH how I despise attitudes like this and the people that continue to be in love with them.
America we really, HONESTLY have the opportunity to shift direction and focus and start to work on the future, rather than holding on to the moldy peanuts that are the past (comment here if you do not know that analogy). I implore you to consider voting for our children and our grandchildren, the future health of our planet and our economy. Barack Obama and a new Democratic congress can and will implement the changes that we desperately need. This is not demagoguery, but simply an observation: the people that are behind him are all of the same mind. We’ll see more from T. Boone Pickens, we’ll hear more from Al Gore, we’ll get more innovation from the likes of Steve Jobs.
Now is the time, this is the chance. Let us not squander it.
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