In preparation for the North Carolina primary – which is not even being contested on the Pub side – but also for the gubernatorial race, the North Carolina GOP is running an attack ad portraying Obama as “too extreme” based on his association with Rev. Wright; and also trying to tar with the same brush both Dem candidates for governor, Richard Moore and Bev Perdue (both of whom have endorsed Obama, and both of whom are white, BTW).
McCain has asked the state GOP chair Linda Daves not to do this, and I’m thinking that’s not just a “plausible deniability” move, it’s based on his perception that this will come back to bite his campaign in the ass; but she brushed him off.
I mentioned this in Liberal’s Pit thread, but I may as well repeat it here. Presuming McCain’s objection was on the level and not intended to provide plausible deniability, him being overriden says a lot on how much other Republicans (okay, the NC Reps at least) respect him.
I’ve seen a lot of fear from people about how Obama will be a limp-wristed revisitation of Carter, where he’s too ineffectual to get anything done. But I look at all the endorsements and support across the country for Obama from Democrats and Republicans alike, and then I see Republicans snubbing McCain like this, and I have to wonder just which one would be the weaker president.
Especially since President McCain, unlike President Obama, would be working (at least in the first two years, and I’m sure for longer) with a Congress controlled by the other party.
I just wanted to come in and add that WRAL – a prominent ‘local’ station which at times appears to have rather conservative leanings – has publicly stated that they have refused to air the ad.
Link, with a video available in the sidebar if you’re interested.
I see they run the video for free during that news story. I look forward to seeing McCain backers getting a lot more free airtime using this dodge. I guess when your candidate can’t pull in the money to run a straight up campaign, you have to go with what you can get.
Is there any doubt that the NC GOP is running this now–instead of closer to the general-- and despite McCain’s (IMHO, sincere) objections because they want Hillary to win the Democratic nomination and will do whatever they need to to make a dent in Obama’s current lead in that state’s pre-primary polling?
That’s a pretty generous “kinda sorta,” given that McCain said that he’s still glad to have the guy’s endorsement. Not exactly a ringing dissociation.
Absolutely, but these sort of smear campaigns (on both sides) aren’t really designed to change the minds of the party faithful, but to have an effect on the moderates and the undecided.
Hagee is sort of right about Hurricane Katrina. It is the curse of God, but not because of Gays. It’s the curse of God for building a city in a swamp below the level of the Mississippi in a Hurricane corridor. God definitely disapproves of that sort of thing and will punish accordingly.
Also, in all fairness Hagee was never McCain’s pastor and spiritual mentor.
I don’t think McCain is into personal attacks, but if this were a different campaign he would use them. In this case, I think he didn’t want the ad run because he sees how damaging it has been to Hillary to attack Obama that way. He might be old as dirt but he’s still adaptable.
I think McCain’s strongest defense against Obama is that he can easily portray the “nice guy”. He’s older, he does a good “aww shucks” and he’s a former POW. It will be very hard for Obama to attack him personally without looking like a bully UNLESS McCain goes really negative first.
McCain’s not dumb.
ETA: Maybe I’m wrong and the entire tenor of the campaign will change in the general.
Maybe Obama and McCain will actually approach each other as respected opponents, rather than enemies. With neither side opting to go negative, they’d be forced to debate the issues and not go for character assassination. That would be a change in tenor for the general election, and I can’t say I’d mind it.
I know! But it might actually happen, if McCain is indeed being cagey about attacking Obama. Obama’s been very firm about avoiding mudslinging, and I sincerely doubt he’ll attack first, except on issues.
Now, the supporters going after the opposing candidate…oh, that’ll be bloody.
Both Obama and Hillary had over zealous supporters who said things that semi-embarassed their candidates. (Obama supporter called HRC “a Monster”, and Mrs. Ferraro…) This shows, I think, that the candidates (or even the national level organisations) don’t have rigid control over thier various affiliated groups.
With that in mind, why does McCain get labled as trying for plausible deniability in regards to the North Carolina sub group?
(I realise that is more of a trial baloon of an idea than a consensus… so far.)
