RENO, Nev. -- So much for hugging in church. A day after Barack Obama and John McCain exchanged an embrace during a faith forum at a California megachurch, Obama called the U.S. economy a disaster thanks to "John McCain's president, George W. Bush," and chided his Republican rival's campaign team for trying to make him look unpatriotic and weak.... Sunday, after praising the Arizona senator as a "genuine American patriot," the Democratic presidential hopeful got back to business _ methodically tearing into McCain's health care, tax and energy policies and criticizing his advisers.... "McCain says 'Here's my plan, I'm going to drill here, drill now which is something he only came up with two months ago when he started looking at polling," Obama said of McCain's energy policy.
I was beginning to wonder when, or even if, Barack Obama would take off the gloves and begin calling out John McCain for the shoddy, below-the-belt campaign he's been running. Now I know...and frankly, it's about damn time.
McCain, who at one time actually did promise to keep this campaign on the high road (even as his surrogates and his campaign were slinging mud at Barack Obama), has proven himself willing, ready, and able to do or say whatever it takes to win in November. If it means accusing Obama of somehow being "anti-American", so be it. If it means subtly playing the race card...well, all's far in love and politics. If it means fear-mongering and playing to the lowest common denominator, then that's what will happen. For John McCain, as with Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © in 2000 and 2004, winning isn't everything- it's the ONLY thing.
Over the next two-plus months, Barack Obama has an opportunity to show that he's a man of integrity and ideas- in contrast to John McCain, who's the very definition of "empty suit". Obama also has an opportunity to stand up and call "bull$#!&" on the specious charges, the cheap innuendo, and the whisper campaign being employed by McCain to stifle legitimate debate. It seems clear that John McCain and his surrogates understand that they can't hope to compete on the issues- why else would access to McCain be severely curtailed? When McCain begins talking about issues, he reveals himself to be the shallow, empty vessel he is. The only way McCain will emerge victorious in November will be to take a page from The Worst President EVER © and his embarrassing campaign in 2004. The reality is that negative campaigning works, because the American Sheeple has proven time and again that they greatly prefer reaction to critical thought.
McCain has opened the door, and Barack Obama has a golden opportunity to walk through it and demonstrate the he has the ideas, as well as the strength of character and conviction that John McCain lacks. Over the next few weeks, Obama can and should be contrasting his strengths against McCain's weaknesses- and they are legion. By doing so, Obama can present and position himself as a solid, capable, and determined leader with both the ideas and the intellectual and moral fortitude to lead this nation out of the morass of the past eight years. He can, and should, be making the case the John McCain is, figuratively speaking, joined at the hip with President 28% ©. No opportunity to connect the two should be missed, because the truth is what it is- John McCain is nothing if not Bush Lite ©.
If Obama is smart- and he is- he knows that this election is his to lose, and he'll work hard to ensure that ignorance and fear-mongering don't emerge victorious this time around. Along the way, he can and should work to convince Americans that John McCain really is an empty suit, and that a McCain Presidency really does represent a third Bush term.
Not even the American Sheeple are stupid enough to want a third Bush term...or are we??
WE DESERVE BETTER.
