The McCain campaign is so absurd they even lost Fred Hiatt’s ship of fools at the WaPo:
IT’S HARD to think of a presidential campaign with a wider chasm between the seriousness of the issues confronting the country and the triviality, so far anyway, of the political discourse. On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government’s rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Sen. John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Sen. Barack Obama for using the phrase “lipstick on a pig” and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read.
Now, some of you out there might think of this is bad news for McCain. Au contraire, young padawan. This is how this will play out.
1.) Confident that they have done their duty calling out McCain for this foolishness, the WaPo will nonetheless continue to uncritically spread their bullshit.
2.) The McCain campaign will take this editorial as a badge of honor, and state that this shows how they are insurgents and outsiders, and the beltway establishment media hates them for it. This will further whip up the bubbas in the base.
3.) Simultaneously, the McCain campaign will restrict access to folks associated with the WaPo while maybe blatantly leaking scoops to their opposition. Additionally, the PR campaign against the WaPo launched by the McCain hacks and waged in large part by the wingnut blogosphere and their PR organs (NRO, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Hugh Hewitt, Hot Air) will begin to make the WaPo cower. Howard Kurtz will serve as an intermediary, bashing the WaPo from within by linking to the criticisms in the wingnut blogosphere.
4.) Days of restricted campaign access and negative campaigning against the WaPO pay off, and Hiatt and others approve numerous editorials alternately slamming Obama and praising McCain and Palin. About what? Who cares? This will be done in the name of “balance.”
McCain gains 2 points in the polls, Rovian politics wins again, Democrats begin infighting and wondering why Obama doesn’t just fight back. I drink heavily.
Teak111
Who on God’s green earth would ever be a press secretary. The constant need to take a shower would be rough on your skin.
cleek
my prediction:
this will go on for another few days. then McCain will issue a few somber apologies to the press and his supporters (blaming it on Obama, maybe). they’ll all have a quick round of make-up sex, after which the press will sigh and say things like “now that is the honorable, decent, courageous maverick we’ve known. thank goodness he came back.” then they’ll fall asleep for three weeks, while McCain slips out the back door and starts the lies and smears all over again.
maybe he’ll leave a note on Hiatt’s pillow.
(fix your server)
Education Guy
I see. So the proper thing for McCain to do would be to check with you (or the WaPo) about what they should discuss on any given day. OTOH, maybe you could get your guy to stop making such stupid statements. Why is he even talking about the VP pick? Isn’t that Biden’s job?
jibeaux
Personally, I think Obama has good political instincts. We are 8 weeks (almost) from the election and it is not panic time yet. Breathe. Trust. Do something else. Get a walk list assignment from Barack’s website and go meet your neighbors if you’re feeling fired up. Give it time. He’s good. He’s really, really good.
Tsulagi
Yeah, pretty much. I’m waiting for Morans Guy to hold up a sign proudly proclaiming himself to be a Country Fister for McCain.
gypsy howell
I think Fred Hiatt trots this stuff out every once in a while, hoping of course that no one of importance will either notice or take it seriously, just so they can say “we are SO journalists!”
Then they’ll get back to their regularly scheduled Republican blowjobs.
David Hunt
That’s quite a Doomsday scenario there and it has a large amount of ironic humor that enjoyed. However, the question that popped into my mind after reading it was “What can we do about it?” I refuse to accept the “Everything is good news for McCain,” narrative at face value. That’s just another way of giving up. How can we hold the feet of the news organizations the fire to get them to do their damn jobs.
Correction: that should be be “do their duty”. They are doing their jobs and I’m sure General Dynamics, Time-Warner, etc. are very happy with them.
jibeaux
cleek, can you do your thing where you talk about how Education Guy has chosen an ironic name and how you like that in a handle? It’s good stuff. kthxbai.
gbear
Ahh, you’ve been checking the sanctimonious worry warts at FDL, where the readers are so outraged they can barely type thru their tears.
gypsy howell
Speaking of whom — where is that guy? Is there a media blackout on him, or did he go on vacation or something?
NYT
McCain’s temporarily lost a few hacks, but only those in dead-tree media. They don’t matter much anymore anyway.
TV is all Palin all the time.
TV reporterswho are not on board the Straight Talk Express were given fair warning what will be coming their way this week when Olbermann and Matthews were removed from anchoring roles.
Doug H. (Fausto no more)
Oh, he’s out there throwing punches and talking about things that matter. Y’know, the stuff that doesn’t make headlines.
Blue Buddha
2.) The McCain campaign will take this editorial as a badge of honor, and state that this shows how they are insurgents and outsiders,
Y’know what we do with them insurgents in Eye-rack…
Seriously, when did “insurgents” suddenly become a good word? I must’ve fallen asleep when that happened. It just goes to show that ultimately, it’s the GOP that defines this country’s political lexicon. It won’t be long before Regnery Publishing puts out a dictionary that will be the new standard over Webster’s.
Progressive Libertarian
Hiatt, like the other “serious conservatives” in our national media, is clearly leaving the door open to wholeheartedly embrace McCain in a month when McCain starts talking about bringing the country together, rising above partisan differences, etc. McCain will symbolically challenge the GOP position on some relatively insignificant issue and Hiatt will write some article along the lines of “The Maverick Is Back!” praising the fact that now the country is getting to see the “real John McCain” (and blaming his unnamed “handlers” for the despicable campaign McCain ran for the past 4 months).
Broder pulls this stunt a lot too. Articles like this are more or less designed to bolster the independent free-thinking credentials of the writer and win over readers to maximize the effect of Hiatt’s eventual (and inevitable) epiphany that at the end of the day, John McCain really is the best candidate.
Brian J
On a related note, does anyone think that Obama’s holding back his August fund raising totals, which definitely beat the February record for biggest monthly total and allegedly equals or exceeds the total amount of public financing that McCain gets for September and October, for a specific reason? Perhaps he’s waiting for the Palin media circus to die down a little before he announces in order to steal back the news cycle and then announce some big policies and launch some new attacks. If that’s the case, by waiting, I guess he feels like he’s going to gain some effectiveness. And if he’s got a really big total, I think we won’t hear anything until September 20. Imagine if he’s got some earth shattering numbers, like $100 million or more, to announce. That will dominate the news for days.
bootlegger
Found this interesting post over in Glenzilla’s blog (credit to karrsic):
So not only is the Righwing Noise Machine trying to misdirect you, but apparently the Terrarists k now how to as well. Hmmm, a logical substitution here would mean that Republicans = Terrarist.
oh really
Yeah, but at the end of the editorial they stress that McCain is a serious guy and a serious candidate.
You see, in this country you can behave like a complete idiot and if you were a POW forty years ago…you’re a serious guy.
oh really
ten
John McCain: Would rather lose his soul than lose an election.
daveinboca
Another guy who isn’t serious is The Anointed One. Obama has been given a free ride for 19 months & been unvetted about Rezko, Ayers, & Rev. W[rong]. He seems to become a deer-in-the-headlights when faced with confrontation or real opposition. Along with Palin, he is so mortified by Sean Hannity that he’s brought him up numerous times for having unearthed the Ayers connection & emphasized the Wright racist rants—Sean has actually done the country a favor & BHO keeps scratching that scab in public—now he’s doing the same with Palin after flipping Hillary the bird.
Obama is so serious and clever that he thinks he can get away with a snarky stand-up schtick line about “lipstick” when he had the audience tittering even before the “punch line.” But he went there and now he’s paying the price and he’s WHINING about Palin. And McCain is called “not serious” because Obama made a very silly misjudgment that the media are trying to exonerate him from. “Lipstick” is a catnip word ever since Palin brought down the RNC house & Obama tries to snark past the titters into a punchline that was an insult?
Anyone ever pause to consider that Obama’s not really presidential material?
John D
I’m curious — how is the phrase “lipstick on a pig”, used in reference to McCain, in any way related to Palin? How is the phrase “lipstick on a pig”, used by McCain in reference to Hillary Clinton, not a problem in Obama’s use of it derogatory?
We really, truly, desperately need a better class of trolls. I never thought I’d miss Darrell, dammit.
John D
not a problem in Obama’s use of it derogatory?
Of course, that should be:
not a problem if Obama’s use of it is considered derogatory?
reid
Unvetted about Rev. Wright… Heh… Heh heh… Oh man, good one.
SGEW
It’s interesting how I’m suddenly much more interested in the media than in the actual political campaigns. Was this part of the Rove/Schmidt plan? Will it backfire, as the public takes a closer look at the miserable shitpile that is our national press corps? Or will it galvanize resistence to the “liberal media,” and we’ll watch the talking heads cautiously back away from saying such “partisan” words like “lie,” “false,” “dishonorable,” etc.? It’s going to be educational, no matter what.
The cognitive dissonence is certainly starting to get to a lot of them; even the flacks and hacks. But we’re also seeing a very concerted pushback on the part of the right-wing spin machine, and their assorted media allies.
E.g., today’s WSJ editorial by Karl Rove, entitled Obama Can’t Win Against Palin (warning: clicking on link may cause teeth gnashing and existential nausea). It’s written by a man who is helping to run the spin machine and the WSJ does not mention in its “disclosure” that he works for the McCain campaign. It’s just presented as objective opinion, from “a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush.” Ah, journalism.
Contra, Joe “Primary Colors” Klein’s scathing Swampland piece (key line: “Senator Honor’s daily lies and bilge . . . .”*), or Mark “I Am Not Involved In This Discussion” Ambinder being forced to title a post “Obama Did Not Call Sarah Palin A Pig.”
I don’t think that the MSM will stand for all of this any longer. They might not mind being lied to as long as they’re in on it. But the McCain campaign is treating them with the same contempt that they’re treating the public. And maybe enough media folks will take umbrage at this treatment, and start doing . . . what’s the word . . . oh yeah, journalism.
It’s all about Hope, right?
*When did Joe Klein start talking like a Kos commenter?
SGEW
Oh, and by the way. I kind of love the USSS.
Snicker snicker.
(And I really like their names for the Obamas: He’s “Renegade,” she’s “Rennaisance.”)
chopper
oh the stupid, it burns.
mattH
Lol, daveinlalaland made his way here. 3rd rate trolling at it’s finest.
cleek
not only is daveinboca absurd, he’s lazy
JoninChicago
“Anyone ever pause to consider that Obama’s not really presidential material?”
Yes. That is what the primary is for. The last 18 months we had the opportunity to listen to his ideas. To see how he handles himself on the national stage. To gauge his ability to run the country. I have come to the opinion that he is ready to lead. That he takes the concept of President serious.
I have also listened to McCain the last several months. Seen the decisions he has made. Listened to the ideas or the lack thereof and have come up wanting. Does this guys want to lead or is it win at all costs. His economic plan is not change but more the same. His health plan is a joke. His first major decision on whom to be his running mate while creative and fresh, is disappointing. I think there are many other women in the Republican party who would have been a better choice. I am quite frankly disappointed that the Republicans have not put up a better ticket.
mightygodking
Obama has been given a free ride for 19 months & been unvetted about Rezko, Ayers, & Rev. W[rong].
Because god knows nobody talked at length about any of those people prior to Dave here EXPLODING THE LID OFF THE COVERUP
Rick Taylor
Daveinboca:
It’s a nice try, but I think John has it right. These people are just unspoofable by now.
arnott
McCain: Calls Hillary “Lipstick on a Pig”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR8IhMMhe8w
oh really
Note to all human beings from daveinboca: Despite the fact that Barack Obama has frequently used the pig/lipstick expression many times in the past, depite the fact that John McCain himself has used it to refer to Hillary Clinton’s health care proposal (about which McCain knew virtually nothing, except that not knowing anything about it meant it must be just like the earlier plan), despite the fact that countless other people have used the pig/lipstick device countless times, and despite the fact that Obama wasn’t even talking about Palin…now that Sarah Palin has mentioned the word lipstick in a sentence, she and her fellow Republicans own the words lipstick, pig, pit bull and other soon to be announced words and they may no longer be used (without permission that won’t be forthcoming) and if anyone does use any of these words, especially if they are used together, then Sarah and John will immediately squeal about the grave injustice that is being done to them. At which point, the entire world must apologize to Sarah and John for the grievous harm they’ve been caused and promise never to be sexist traitors again. Copies of this memo have been sent to Vlad Putin and the rest of the bullies in the world, too.
Shorter daveinboca: I’m a complete idiot, and I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m talking about, but if I pretend Obama meant something even when any moron could tell that’s not what he meant, then that’s what he meant or I’ll throw a hissyfit.
Shortest daveinboca: Ignore me, I’m just stupid and dishonest.
pillsy
Er, it seems to me that this argument is exactly the sort of one that drives us crazy when guys like Hiatt make it, where every single thing that happens is bad news for Obama. If the choice is the Heathers giving McCain one handjob instead of two handjobs, well, I think we’re better off if he just gets the one.
Bill Arnold
His economic plan is not change but more the same.
The first time I followed a blind link to McCain’s economic plan, I thought it was a parody that somehow managed to score a McCain URL. Was actually laughing as if it were a parody for the first page or two. Seriously.
jbarntt
John Cole said:
I drink heavily.
Won’t argue with you.
TenguPhule
You can’t lose what you never had in the first place.
Phil
“I drink heavily.”
Me too.