Obamaniacs, are you disturbed?

[myboynoah]

Does it bother you that Obama has now come out with very negative ads, striking at McCain for his age and questioning his honor? I ask the obvious question: Wasn't Obama going to be different and show us all the best way? Oh his elequence in calling for a higher standard; now all for naught.

I assume you are all pragmatists and agree that 1) negative advertizing works and that 2) because of that, Obama must use old line political methods. Even then, how bothered are you?

[BarbaraGordon]

According to Tex all Obama supporters are disturbed.

[Indy Coug]

It's an illusion that either candidate really controls how their campaign is run.

[Archaea]

I am interested to see how those who are not part of the political machinery react.

None of you are cynical enough, but both sets of candidates are merely operatives, operating within the system, they are neither bad nor good, simply calling upon party regulars to do battle.

Now what I find interesting is how the non-politicos react to the PR of either side. So far, the Teflon Twins seem to be faring better than Messiah and Mr. Boring.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I wish it didn't come to this. He held out remarkably well against Clinton, so this is disappointing. That said, at least Clinton's attacks (generally) weren't total fabrications. I would ask you the converse question as a McCain supporter: do his ads and attacks bother you? McCain also ran on the premise of honest dialogue, and his recent ads and campaign statements have had no truth to them whatsoever. The sex ed for kindergartners was a total lie. How did you feel about it?

The kindergartner-sex ad was not a "total lie" ... it was spin in the grand tradition of American politics. Obama-ites love this tradition too, cross-reference "100-year war in Iraq" and "McCain said he knows ZERO about the economy."

Personally, I disliked the McCain campaign response to the pig-lipstick controversy, though I don't blame them. I'd like to see more issue-oriented attack ads, not this silly stuff.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I wish it didn't come to this. He held out remarkably well against Clinton, so this is disappointing. That said, at least Clinton's attacks (generally) weren't total fabrications. I would ask you the converse question as a McCain supporter: do his ads and attacks bother you? McCain also ran on the premise of honest dialogue, and his recent ads and campaign statements have had no truth to them whatsoever. The sex ed for kindergartners was a total lie. How did you feel about it?

You know, the McCain story is an interesting one. Last April he said that he promised to run a "respectful" campaign, but that gee-whiz you never know what those pesky 527s will come up with. That very month the pro-McCain 527s started airing ads about Obama's association with Wright. Since then there have been a non-stop string of "independent" ads slamming Obama, most of them misrepresentations or near-fabrications.

The negative ad campaigns have been enormously successful for McCain. Obama can either take the higher ground and, unlike McCain, stay true to his word to keep a "respectful," substance-based discourse, and subsequently watch McCain run away with the election. Or, alternately, he can try to stay competitive and start throwing his own ads out there. It seems he's decided to go with the latter, having given permission for pro-Obama 527s to form for the first time last week.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I wish it didn't come to this. He held out remarkably well against Clinton, so this is disappointing. That said, at least Clinton's attacks (generally) weren't total fabrications. I would ask you the converse question as a McCain supporter: do his ads and attacks bother you? McCain also ran on the premise of honest dialogue, and his recent ads and campaign statements have had no truth to them whatsoever. The sex ed for kindergartners was a total lie. How did you feel about it?

Start your won thread with that question.

Another question on Obama. During his convention speech, Obama stated that he "welcomed" a debate with McCain, yet he continues to dodge the plan for a series of one-on-one townhall meeting/debates proposed by McCain. What is Obama afraid of? I'm sure this type of up close and personal interaction would mitigate against negative interchanges. Yet Obama runs away, and is now hiding behind negative ads.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Start your won thread with that question.

Another question on Obama. During his convention speech, Obama stated that he "welcomed" a debate with McCain, yet he continues to dodge the plan for a series of one-on-one townhall meeting/debates proposed by McCain. What is Obama afraid of? I'm sure this type of up close and personal interaction would mitigate against negative interchanges. Yet Obama runs away, and is now hiding behind negative ads.

He's ducking them because it's clear his campaign wants to make this an Obama vs Palin race rather than Obama vs McCain. It doesn't take too much brainpower to figure out why that is the case.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

and is now hiding behind negative ads.

unlike the "man of his word," "honorable soldier" McCain? What I don't get is why it's not okay for Obama to run negative ads, but no one even blinks when McCain does.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

unlike the "man of his word," "honorable soldier" McCain? What I don't get is why it's not okay for Obama to run negative ads, but no one even blinks when McCain does.

Because Obama is Jesus Christ. McCain is just King Herod.

Question: does that make Cali, Peter? And Barbara, Mary Magdalene? Ooh, the analogies here could be quite fun.