# Sweaty, desperate and losing, McCain camp decides to go negative. Will it work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 6, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710 "2008-10-06T18:23:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/21 "2008-10-06T21:44:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > There always comes a moment in a campaign where public opinion becomes set . . . Eh? What do you base that on? I always thought things remained volatile right up until e-day. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/22 "2008-10-06T23:40:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Eh? What do you base that on? I always thought things remained volatile right up until e-day. Here is a [cite](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/12/opinion/polls/main648712.shtml)with the statistics two weeks away from the 04’ election. The numbers are in someways similar and in someways opposite. What’s interesting is to see what the biggest issue was for voters, and who eventually won. About 1/2 way down the article. If history repeats itself [statistical trends, not party-wise], Obama will be the new president. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/23 "2008-10-06T23:52:51Z")
Well, with the current economic news, McCain is also likely to make whatever connections he can between the current financial mess and Democrats (and, whenever possible, Obama personally). THAT is new news. THAT may work, depending on how McCain approaches it (not necessarily on its merits - this IS politics, after all). We’ll see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/24 "2008-10-07T00:35:13Z")
(Another note: a WSJ poll I read somewhere said that 35% of voters, and 40% of white voters, said that the whole Ayers/Wright thing mattered to them. Of course, I have no idea how the question was phrased, nor is it at all evident how many of those 35% or 40% are already Republicans, but there you go.) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/25 "2008-10-07T02:35:34Z")
> [@](#): > > I had a horrible dream the other night that he called Obama a “nigger” and as a result, pundits were conducting discussions and debates about whether or not Obama really was one, citing Chris Rock as an authority. I hope I’m not psychic The McCain campaign chair in Buchanan County, VA did everything except call Obama a nigger in this article. [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/6/121316/310/814/621608](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/6/121316/310/814/621608) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/26 "2008-10-07T11:52:40Z")
Anyone in the McCain camp using the N word would sink them even further than they are already sunk. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/27 "2008-10-07T12:30:59Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Anyone in the McCain camp using the N word would sink them even further than they are already sunk. That, or something solid about Palin – either improper use of her office, or something in her medical records. (Is anybody pushing to have those disclosed? I think the other three parties in the two campaigns have all dislosed theirs.) > [@elucidator](#): > > Mr. Sunshine, here, checking in. Whoever wins this election is going to wish to God they hadn’t. Well, I sure hope it’s Obama, but whoever it is will have a right mess on his hands. I don’t think another president since FDR in 1932 has begun his administration in such a troubled time. (There was more domestic social unrest in 1968, but there are just so _many_ things now that are _so_ fucked up.) ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/28 "2008-10-07T12:38:10Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > The McCain campaign chair in Buchanan County, VA did everything except call Obama a nigger in this article. > [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/6/121316/310/814/621608](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/6/121316/310/814/621608) Damn! You’re not exaggerating. I’d love to hear something from the candidate regarding this idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/29 "2008-10-07T13:07:40Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > That, or something solid about Palin – either improper use of her office, or something in her medical records. (Is anybody pushing to have those disclosed? I think the other three parties in the two campaigns have all dislosed theirs.) > > Well, I sure hope it’s Obama, but whoever it is will have a right mess on his hands. I don’t think another president since FDR in 1932 has begun his administration in such a troubled time. (There was more domestic social unrest in 1968, but there are just so _many_ things now that are _so_ fucked up.) Technically, McCain did, but I don’t think letting the press look at over 1,000 pages for 3 hours is releasing them, especially when the press is not allowed to make copies or take notes. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/30 "2008-10-07T13:48:19Z")
The Clinton campaign tried making use of the Ayers story as far back as May. Didn’t help much. [Relevant article.](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080519/berman) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/31 "2008-10-07T14:07:29Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > You need to check out the latest issue of _Rolling Stone_. It’s a devastating destruction of the McCain Myth. I strongly suspect that the post to which you responded was prompted by the _Rolling Stone_ article. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/32 "2008-10-07T14:46:54Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Well, with the current economic news, McCain is also likely to make whatever connections he can between the current financial mess and Democrats (and, whenever possible, Obama personally). > > THAT is new news. THAT may work, depending on how McCain approaches it (not necessarily on its merits - this IS politics, after all). We’ll see what happens. Considering the current public opinion on Republican culpability on the current financial mess and the as yet barely reopened scab on the Keating Five. Getting into the Economic Blame Game would really have the chance to blow up in his face even more. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/33 "2008-10-07T14:55:35Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Considering the current public opinion on Republican culpability on the current financial mess and the as yet barely reopened scab on the Keating Five. Getting into the Economic Blame Game would really have the chance to blow up in his face even more. It’s already happening. The polls show people are paying attention to the economic BS McCain is spewing. Tonight’s debate ought to be very nice, for Obama 🙂 I just hope someone leaning McCain asks Obama some tough questions, so Obama can respond directly to the fears of some of the conservative righties. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/34 "2008-10-07T17:50:23Z")
Here’s another consequence of going negative: The diehards in your campaign start to [reveal their true colors](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/06/in_fla_palin_goes_for_the_roug.html) to a press corps that has begun to frame their candidate in terms of desperation (and so, according to their logic, deserves to be attacked): > [@](#): > > Worse, Palin’s routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric’s questions for her “less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media.” At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, “Sit down, boy.” Shooting the messenger may not be the best way to get your message across…but then again, much of the politically-active right-wing base has spent so much time talking to each other that they probably don’t care anymore about the impression they make on the country at large. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/35 "2008-10-07T18:04:25Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > Here’s another consequence of going negative: The diehards in your campaign start to [reveal their true colors](http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/06/in_fla_palin_goes_for_the_roug.html) to a press corps that has begun to frame their candidate in terms of desperation (and so, according to their logic, deserves to be attacked). Wow. That is scary. And look, she’s all in white–crusader that she is. She’s Anne Coulter with glasses AFAIAC’ed. What a commentary on the GOP today. These are the people who support this party–these are people I don’t want to associate with never mind their political affiliation. These are not decent people. > [@](#): > > Shooting the messenger may not be the best way to get your message across…but then again, much of the politically-active right-wing base has spent so much time talking to each other that they probably don’t care anymore about the impression they make on the country at large. Biting the hand of the press is not a good idea. Anyone can watch those Couric interviews and see that her questions were softball ones. I never thought Katie “perky” Couric could be demonized. Anything and everything to acquire power, I guess… (I wonder if that crowd wasn’t paid. Like Jerry Springer et al). Sad state of our democracy, IMO, (even if they weren’t paid). ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/36 "2008-10-07T18:07:40Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > (I wonder if that crowd wasn’t paid. Like Jerry Springer et al). Sad state of our democracy, IMO, (even if they weren’t paid). _Especially_ if they weren’t paid. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/37 "2008-10-07T18:17:33Z")
I heard that Palin went to the “Hussein” card at one one her rallies. Is that true? If so, she really is turning into Coulter before our eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/38 "2008-10-07T18:18:43Z")
I [repeat](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10285236&postcount=120): what else can they do? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/39 "2008-10-07T18:19:44Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I heard that Palin went to the “Hussein” card at one one her rallies. Is that true? If so, she really is turning into Coulter before our eyes. The stooge that introduced her did. [Fla. Sheriff Plays The "Hussein" Card At Palin Event; Campaign Calls Remark "Inappropriate" - CBS News](http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/06/politics/fromtheroad/entry4504484.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710/40 "2008-10-07T18:20:53Z")
**Happy** beat me to it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweaty-desperate-and-losing-mccain-camp-decides-to-go-negative-will-it-work/466710.md?page=3)