Posted on 10/10/2008 11:05:31 PM PDT by SmithL
Republican Sen. John McCain had long promised American voters that he would be the ultimate maverick presidential candidate and run "a respectful campaign."
Americans "don't want us to finger-point and question each other's character and integrity," he told Ohio voters just five months ago.
But that was then - before the economy was in free fall and before his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, had gained ground in key swing states.
And this is now - the Arizona senator's campaign is pounding the drum to raise doubts about Obama's patriotism and what it calls his questionable background, particularly his past relationship with former '60s radical Bill Ayres.
With just three weeks to go until Election Day, McCain's campaign has ramped up expressions of raw Republican anger and frustration as the candidate has battled for traction. Recent rallies starring McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, have aired openly hostile and anti-Obama rhetoric - even cries of "terrorist," "liar," "off with his head" and "kill them," which have gone unchallenged from the stage.
On Friday, McCain found himself in a tricky balancing act - booed by supporters at a Minnesota rally when he urged them to "be respectful" of the Illinois senator, even challenging one woman who said she didn't trust Obama because "he's an Arab."
"No, ma'am," McCain responded. "He's a decent family man, citizen; I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues."
The senator's attempt to contain his supporters' passion at a rally was his first in recent weeks - and comes at a time when political observers have targeted Team McCain's aggressive and increasingly personal attacks on Obama. They say the campaign has walked the line of being risky - and even irresponsible - in aiming to fire up the GOP base...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Yep, I’m with Coulter:
“Vote Republican. She’s Only A Heartbeat Away.”
:)
Well then that settles it. If the SF Chronicle says Republicans are unhappy with McCain’s attacks on Hussein then they must stop.
I have to believe it is a tactic leading up to the next debate (fingers crossed) and this leads into something he plans to say or do but apparently done in a Presidential manner as in the leading days up to it has emphasized the honour, character and stated his opponent as a good family man.
I hope this true but part of me fears I am being over optimistic and it is just McCain being McCain and not liking the real dirty fight that his campaign office knows is needed.
Maybe he would have been fine to run pre second world war but tactics are dirtier and less gentlemanly in last 60 years. Having said that as a Brit I am reminded of the smear tactics used again Churchill pre second war world by his own party.
Politics is and has always been a dirty business. Palin has the appetite for it so did Bush and Cheney but McCain I fear especially since the Keating 5 incident does not like to get involved in the real messy business it takes to win a general election. I am not saying he is holier than thou but that he fears being shown as just like every other politician but does not appreciate you can do things without really dirtying yourself. IMHO GWB was a master at this during the last election allowing others to attack and just little references to it in his speeches but in no way coming over praising his opponent.
The balance is the trick and maybe McCain does not know after years working in the Senate where to get anything done you have to work with the other side how to really distance himself enough to personally criticize them. Maybe it also shows that he knows he is loosing and of course means he goes back to the Senate where again he will have to work with the other-side to get anything done.
He needs IMHO to be encouraged that in many States it is still within the margin of error and to fight and fight hard and it still can happen. If it does not then he can build bridges again with other-side after the general election after all they do not care how they attack him why should he care the other way because in reality unless they get the magic 60 number in the Senate they still need the likes of McCain to get things done.
But yet nary a comment about how Obama’s “Post-Partisanship” got thrown under the bus the moment he secured the Dem nomination ...
quelle surprise.
LLS
Everytime McCain gets on a roll, he starts this “respectful” crap. Respectful, Senator McCain is going to keep you a Senator and Obama the President! What a complete joke this election is. The MSM won’t tell the truth about the dem candidate. They know what it is but they think it’s their job to “elect” the president!
McCain is, for all the bravado and toughness of being a POW, a candy a@@!
“If you actually want McCain to hear your pleas, you probably need to post over on DU. I don’t think McCain reads Free Republic.”
LOL I nominate that for the Post of the Day!
What I love is the fact the media and Demonrats love it when Republicans just take the hits and stand there saying “hit me again, thank you”. Well, it’s about time we start telling the GOP to stand up to the Demonrat thugs and their thug ways and lies and smears. All of this is projecting and I see it’s got them worked up because they are not used to Republicans voicing their own anger and RIGHTFULLY SO! Now conservatives need to learn to organize and protest as well because we cannot take this dangerous behavior any longer. The media and the Demonrats are destroying our country. It’s about time that hate came back at them.
That is going to be a whole lot easier to do once everyone quits their jobs out of demoralization. With a boomer nation of "usless eaters" there won't be anyone left who cares to be the baker when the Commies get through. They will have to force people to work in chains for no money. The hippies have totally destroyed this country.
The MSM just wimps him to roll over and quit fighting and hand this election to “The One.” What I saw him do yesterday disappointed me. I hope that isn’t the beginning of more retreat from confrontation. If he wants to win then he has to smack BHO around and question his judgement at everyturn.
One of the best speeches fomenting insurrection in history was made on the Shakespearian stage by Mark Antony at the Forum.
He came not to "stir their hearts and minds to mutiny and rage.."
He stated that Brutus and the other conspirators were all "honorable men", and later "honorable men...whose daggers had stabbed Ceaser".
Of course, the crowd had no compunction after the speech about hunting down the conspirators and dispatching them.
The more McCain insists that Obama is an "honorable man", the more he sets him up.
Unfortunately, Julius Caesar used to be purt' near required reading in high school, and I am not sure if the current curriculum even teaches who Caesar was.
Once again the Republicans take the bait and play nice and capitulate to the leftist media machine. I hate to say it but it’s over now. There will be no new revelations that will help McCain, despite all the chatter here on FR. That second debate was another setup we were suckered into. The GOP really is the stupid party.
Yes! It’s way past time. The left fears us, but we have rolled over too many times for them to take us seriously until we rough them up.
Stop being nice, that time has passed. If we want to keep our country, we had better be willing to fight. I am done with trying to find the middle ground. When we try, we lose.
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