NYT - Editorial: Low-Road Express

[kevinmc]

I have noticed this ... the Rove tactics came with the new team....

NYT - Editorial

Well, that certainly didn’t take long. On July 3, news reports said Senator John McCain, worried that he might lose the election before it truly started, opened his doors to disciples of Karl Rove from the 2004 campaign and the Bush White House. Less than a month later, the results are on full display. The candidate who started out talking about high-minded, civil debate has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook.

In recent weeks, Mr. McCain has been waving the flag of fear (Senator Barack Obama wants to “lose” in Iraq), and launching attacks that are sophomoric (suggesting that Mr. Obama is a socialist) and false (the presumptive Democratic nominee turned his back on wounded soldiers).

Mr. McCain used to pride himself on being above this ugly brand of politics, which killed his own 2000 presidential bid. But he clearly tossed his inhibitions aside earlier this month when he put day-to-day management of his campaign in the hands of one acolyte of Mr. Rove and gave top positions to two others. The new team’s résumés included stints in Mr. Bush’s White House and in his 2004 re-election campaign, one of the most negative and divisive in memory.

Almost immediately, the McCain campaign was using Mr. Rove’s well-honed tactics, starting with an attempt to widen this nation’s damaging ideological divide by painting Mr. Obama as a far-left kook. On July 18, Mr. McCain even suggested that Mr. Obama is a socialist to the left of the Senate’s only avowed socialist, Bernie Sanders of Vermont.......cont...


Last line:

Many voters are wondering whether a McCain presidency would be an extension of Mr. Bush’s two disastrous terms. If the way Mr. McCain is running his campaign these days is an indication, Americans don’t have to wait until next January for the answer to that one.

[az chela]

1. We must do everything in our power to keep this bastard

from stealing this election

[DFW]

3. He won't steal it

Just like Bush Lite didn't steal it in 2000 or 2004.

It was stolen for him by his crooked handlers, and he could hold up
his bloody hands and pronounce them clean because he had not held
the axe himself, just rubbed them in the blood afterward.

McCain is looking for a repeat performance. And if it works yet again,
he'll say he has a mandate from the American people, he's president
of ALL Americans blah blah blah.

Electoral fraud and the ensuing hypocrisy are the two biggest dangers this
country faces, just as the next Democratic Attorney General is the biggest
danger the currect Republican Party leadership faces, should that come to pass.

[kster]

9. Well you know whats going on

:thumbsup: K&R

[DFW]

16. Don't we all!

[CitizenLeft]

2. very good.

My loathing for McCain is about to surpass my loathing for Bush himself.

[writes3000]

4. This will have a big effect on McCain. He's desperate to be liked by the media.

Enough of these and he'll insist on changing his new team's lowbrow tactics.

[Born_A_Truman]

6. Don't count on it

I think we're seeing the real McCain here. He was never the person he portrayed in 2000.

[writes3000]

11. Even better - he won't be able to hide under his "War hero, maverick" image.

If he's an lying asshole, let's show the world.

[depakid]

12. LOL. Why would he change winning tactics?

Republicans understand the game- nice guys finish last.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Obama gonna use them NEG ADS to his advantage by revealing the very nature of them

Picking at nits...

McCaane has painted himself as a say anything to...fuck fair play...its time for them Bombs of his...him being a military dude.

Experience my ass. 20+ years in politics and he needed help from the Rove Robbers?

High road?...he flipped on that one too

[Median Democrat]

8. I Would Consider An Ad Juxtaposing McCain's High Road Quotes...

in which McCain condemned the tactics of Karl Rove with his actions in hiring Karl Rove's proteges. They smeared him, and he decided to get into bed with them. I think this is the ultimate hypocrisy.

[Cha]

7. mccain's campaign has rove's fat a$$ written

all over it. Like H20 wrote in his OP, "The Harder They Fall"..

"Senator McCain is an ugly candidate, who must appeal to the ugly side of the public if he is to compete in the ’08 contest. The only issue at this time is how should Barack Obama, his campaign, and you and I respond?"


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6554257

[TexasObserver]

10. McCain has ditched everything decent he ever espoused.

He's kept all his bad positions and ditched the only good ones he had.

[Colobo]

13. McCain is a senile version of Bush.

[Chloroplast]

14. Who expected dignity or noble actions from McCain with any seriousness?

His own party spread vicious rumors about his young daughter and about his mental state. That didn't stop him from giving Dubya that sweaty hug as he groveled for acceptance. He's a schmuck.

[rndmprsn]

15. K&R

[high density]

17. The dummies at the NYT are doing their best to enable McCain's Rovian strategy

It's rather amusing to watch the editorial board whine about the services that their own paper is providing to hype up the McCain campaign or to undermine and question Obama's.

[ErinBerin84]

18. k & R

I never expected a clean campaign from him . I wish that Dem surrogates could just call it what he is...a sellout to Karl and Company. Yet, journalists are still in denial (in addition to being corporate puppets) that McCain's character held the possibility for this all along (he's always been a nasty little self-involved shit), and are still acting like poor, helpless McCain is being used by his advisors and is being too influenced. And when John McCain actually breaks the script (like the "no new taxes) thing, journalists try to spin it as "ohhh,what a straight talker!" This isn't about honestly, it's about him not knowing enough details about his so-called positions and policies that makes him break the script. Mike Barnicle said that in the interview with George S, he saw some of the "John McCain of 2000" come back. John Hardwood said the same thing last night on KO, and said "Oh, McCain didn't want to let that cute little girl who asked him the question about taxes in the town hall down!" Puke.

[kevinmc]

19. K&R