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Even when they are right they still get it wrong
I'm on all the mailing lists for the current Presidential candidates and I had to laugh when I got this one today:
1. Didn't the Democrats coin the phrase "swiftboating"? I don't think it was the Republicans.
2. He's right about a lot of lie and distortions about Obama coming out but he's wrong about alluding to the right as the source.
3. Just about everyone "knows" the Hillary camp is trying to take Obama out of the race yet there is no mention of her, just a brief mention of the right using similar tactics.
I also have to laugh at how the left-leaning members of the media are just falling all over themselves to declare McCain the winner of the Republican primary. At this point Romney is in the lead on delegates. Just like in the general election the popular vote does not mean a thing, the only thing that matter is having the most delegates come convention time.
Besides, most of the states to vote thus far have had either open primaries or been liberal states. Exit polling data (if you believe it) shows that McCain's support is not coming from Conservative Republicans (the base) but from Independents and Democrats who have crossed over to vote in the Republican primary.
What I find so funny about this is:
Dear Stephen,
I support Barack Obama because he doesn't seek to perfect the politics of Swiftboating -- he seeks to end it.
This is personal for me, and for a whole lot of Americans who lived through the 2004 election.
As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove's twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone's character just to win an election. But as someone who cares about winning this election and changing the country I love, I know it's not enough to complain about a past we can't change when our challenge is to win the future -- which is why we must stop the Swiftboating, stop the push-polling, stop the front groups, and stop the email chain smears.
The truth matters, but how you fight the lies matters even more. We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie.
This year, the attacks are already starting. Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks.
These are the same tactics the right has used again and again, and as we've learned, these attacks, no matter how bogus, can spread and take root if they go unchecked.
But not this time -- we're fighting back.
And when I say "we," I mean that literally. I know Barack is committed to fighting every smear every time. He'll fight hard and stand up for the truth. But he can't do it alone.
We need you to email the truth to your address books. Print it out and post it at work. Talk to your neighbors. Call your local radio station. Write a letter to the editor. If lies can be spread virally, let's prove to the cynics that the truth can be every bit as persuasive as it is powerful.
The Obama campaign has created a place where you can find the truth you'll need to push back on these smears and a way to spread the truth to all of your address book.
Take action here:
http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction
So when your inbox fills up with trash and the emails of smear and fear, find the facts, and help defeat the lies.
Barack Obama is committed to bringing our country together to meet the challenges we face, but he knows that power gives up nothing without a struggle -- and to win the chance to change America, we must first defeat the hateful tactics that have been used to tear us apart for too long.
With your help, we can turn the page on an era of small, divisive politics -- but only if next time you hear these attacks on Barack, you take action immediately:
http://my.barackobama.com/factcheckaction
The fight is just heating up -- we won't let them steal this election with lies and distortions.
Thank you,
John Kerry
1. Didn't the Democrats coin the phrase "swiftboating"? I don't think it was the Republicans.
2. He's right about a lot of lie and distortions about Obama coming out but he's wrong about alluding to the right as the source.
3. Just about everyone "knows" the Hillary camp is trying to take Obama out of the race yet there is no mention of her, just a brief mention of the right using similar tactics.
I also have to laugh at how the left-leaning members of the media are just falling all over themselves to declare McCain the winner of the Republican primary. At this point Romney is in the lead on delegates. Just like in the general election the popular vote does not mean a thing, the only thing that matter is having the most delegates come convention time.
Besides, most of the states to vote thus far have had either open primaries or been liberal states. Exit polling data (if you believe it) shows that McCain's support is not coming from Conservative Republicans (the base) but from Independents and Democrats who have crossed over to vote in the Republican primary.
Comments
I don't know a lot about American politics, but I do get the impression that a presidential election in the United States is a huge show more than anything else. Therefore, "swiftboating" is a direct consequence of the culture of public political debate in your country, and the problem is not people making claims like that, but rather people paying so much attention to "Christian faith and patriotism", that political programmes disappear from the voting decision.
Those crocodile tears Hillary shed a few backs? Notice she did not cry about something happening to someone else she cried because of something happening to her. If you look back at Presidents who have cried while giving a speech or on the news they only do it when some national tragedy occurs, not when personal problem arise. You could point to Nixon but, well he resigned in the end.
Apparently, before that, everyone thought she wasn't human.
Of course she's a human. She's a human with perfectly normal human greed, taken to the extreme. She thinks she deserves a Presidency, and when things don't go her way, she cries about. While she's crying about it, her husband and her campaign advisors are running around lying and cheating to steal an election.
But that isn't what bothers me. The whole idea of a 24-32 year Bush/Clinton legacy doesn't bother me.
What bothers me is that this is a woman who, on her way to the White House, will alienate the black vote, alienate the labor vote, and basically cut every corner she can to win the nomination. Then, she'll have to beat a Republican, having sacrificed most of her Democratic base. Her nomination could cost the Democrats the election.
But what if it doesn't? After all, 51% of the population seems to prefer her because of their common gender (and shame on anyone who votes that way). That's enough to win in anyone's book.
If she does win? She'll be in charge of a Democratic party who she's shown no interest in or ability to lead, even in these last 2 years with a solid Democratic lead in Congress with a strong anti-Bush mandate.
She has enemies throughout Capitol Hill. Her husband was able to get a party to go out of their way to impeach him, in a way even Bush wasn't. She will never get anything from the Republicans. They despise her.
So, we'll have a President who can't lead. She'll be a lame duck from day one.
Folks, it doesn't matter what her issues are. In matters that cannot be solved with police actions, Supreme Court appointments, or signing statements, she will be utterly useless.
Whereas Obama is a man who has built his own political legacy through words alone in a short time. He has widespread support, far outside the obvious race issue. He's never stooped to that level (though his opponents and the MSM constantly do), nor has he participated in any subtle reminders of his race (unlike, say, crying to remind women that you're one of them).
Did you listen to his speech on MLK day? He's amazing! He's an orator to make the reverend proud.
That's what we need. Not some vague concept of "experience" from a woman who's been a senator for a mere 7 years. Her only experience is in preparing herself for a Presidency.
We need someone who can ignite the Congress the way he ignites the people. It doesn't matter what your ideas are if you can't motivate the Congress to vote your way. Lest we forget, they're the ones who make the rules. Presidents who try to influence the world only by breaking rules don't get very far. Bush only flourished while he had the support of his pet Congress (you know...like he does now).
Obama is the only Democratic candidate who can actually motivate Congress. Therefore, he's the only choice for anyone who wants a departure from the status quo.
Hillary can cry about that all she wants.
If Hillary gets the Democrat nomination I will vote for whatever Republican opposes her and vote party line the whole ticket.
If Obama gets the nomination and no one on the Republican side garners my interest I might just stay home and not vote or go and vote for Obama and cross pollinate my entire ballot.
I know many registered Republicans who feel as I do. Having Hillary as the Democrat nominee will ensure Republicans go to the polls to vote against her (and every other Democrat on the ballot).
Why is this so? For one thing we know that if Obama wins and a mixture of other races are split between both parties Obama will act as a uniter and welcome all. If Hillary wins she will begin by rubbing the losers in the dirt and insulting them for even running in the first place. She will then re-frame the results of the election in any manner she chooses to make herself look better.
I see Obama as an honest and humble man. Someone I could easily call a friend and invite over for a visit.
I see Hillary as a conniving bitch who would turn on me at the first chance to get an invite to my neighbor's party.
You may recall that prior to the midterm election during Clinton's impeachment trial he was saying that the midterm was not a referendum on his impeachment. When the election was over and more Democrats won than republics it was suddenly spun as a referendum on his impeachment.
If Hillary were to win the general election and Democrats followed her it would be spun as a "mandate" for her to do whatever crazy thing she wanted to do.
If Hillary ends up the Democratic nominee I will vote party line Republican to "send a message" that Hillary is the wrong candidate.
Even the media has begun to turn against Hillary. I think the intelligent Democrats out there understand just what a Hillary presidency means and they know that almost 50% of the country will never vote for her.
Bill Clinton reaped a lot of benefits from the tax cuts Ronald Reagan put into effect in the 1980's. Didn't Reagan drop the top marginal rate from above 70% down to around 35%? Tax revenue tripled over the course of his Presidency (and Congress increased spending to match). With the Republican led Congress and Newt's "Contract with America" we had some great years in the 90's. We can get there again but not with Hillary.
Hillary does not understand that without Martin Luther King Johnson would never have had the Civil Rights bill to sign. He also would not have had the bill to sign if a majority of Republicans were not supporting it at the time. Hillary also does not understand that the economic policies of Reagan helped see the economy of the 90's become a boom.
Hillary is one of those people that does not have the ability to look at history and understand what made things happen. If someone hit her with a baseball bat she would blame it on the "vast right-wing conspiracy" even if only five minutes before she hit the guy first.
With Obama I see someone who is willing to give credit where credit is due even if it involves giving credit to a Republican. With Obama in the White House and Republicans in the Congress I see good things in the future.
Keep in mind we also have an idiot in the Whitehouse who thinks that the healthcare we have now is affordable because "anyone can just go to the emergency room". How is THAT affordable? It ain't free. People who have been laid off or who are fresh out of college often can't afford the insurance offered. Even if you happen to be making the maximum amount of unemployment, you STILL can not afford Cobra, Medicare, or Medicaid without essentially having no money left at the end of each month.
But hey, if you make six digits a year and can afford it, everyone else should be able to as well, right? And if they can't, they're obviously lazy and don't want it bad enough, right?
Cheaper plans? Yeah cheaper plans basically means extremely high deductibles that will more than likely be never met and with extremely limited coverage. It is insane at some of the policy benefits I've come across at work, when I try to bill them. I wonder how much a patient is paying for them and if it's honestly worth it. For most part, I would say no.
If Hillary is the Democrat nominee many Republicans (myself included) will feel the need to hold their nose and vote party line all the way down the ballot. Why? Because we can not stomach another 4 (or 8) years of Clintons in the White House. We are talking about an administration that pulled FBI files on their opponents. Branch Davidians anyone?
There is currently no one on the Republican ticket that excites or interests me. Obama interests me based on the fact that he walks and talks like someone interested in uniting the parties and not dividing them or destroying the opposition. Besides, I was reading that Obama is related to Dick Cheney so how bad can he be?
The other problem is the idea that two families have ruled the White House for the last 20 years as it is, 28 if you count in the time George H. Bush spent as Vice President under Reagan. It is time to get some new blood in there.