It’s Pick on McCain Day!
Well, not just McCain. But all politicians who use proxies like Bill Cunningham to get a nasty message about their opponents out into the media.
Sure, McCain apologized for Cunningham’s remarks yesterday, but so what? The cat is already out of the bag. (Thanks, MathMan) The media picked up that story and played the clip over and over where Cunningham, in his introduction of McCain at a rally in Cincinnati, said cutting things about the Democratic candidates, particularly focusing on Barack Obama’s middle name Hussien.
We all know exactly why Cunningham would go after Obama’s Islamic middle name. It scares the hell out of Americans who equate Muslim with terrorist. In case you didn’t know, there are still many places in this country of ours where it’s okay to say and think nasty, untrue things about people because of their religion. Right here where I live, people are downright casual about their disdain for Muslims.
In this particular case, for the McCain campaign and, possibly, the Clinton campaign with the release of the Obama in Somalian dress picture, the best or worst part about that tying Obama to Islam is that it appeals to both the Republican base and to the xenophobic American. And there are plenty of those xeno- Americans who aren’t registered Republicans.
So in a sick game of telephone, candidates let proxies put out the scurrilous messages, an apology is issued, the media picks up the story and runs it into the ground. People repeat the story to each other in their homes and workplaces. The candidates can act surprised and feign shock and “disgust,” but, as Rachel Maddow pointed out last night on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, shock is something you feel and react to immediately. Shock is not a calculated, spun, calm statement made to the media forty-five minutes later. Shock would have been mounting the stage right after Cunningham let go of the microphone and calling him out right then, right there.
I’m not so naive as to think that candidates can have unscripted moments anymore, but the fact remains…once the words are said and the media picks them up, the message is out there. And that is the aim.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:38 am
DCup - It’s like spilling ketchup from the bottle. Once it’s out, you can’t pour it all back in. However, in the case of Cunningham’s remarks, it’s a deliberate “oops, look what I spilled” moment.
February 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
huh? i thought every day was pick on mccain day!
why don’t i get the memos?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
And we should expect more of these sorts of smears if Obama gets the nomination for the next seven months. So gird up your loins and your logic and your rational discourse, cause that’s what it’s going to take!
February 27th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I’ve never girded my loins, CK, for anything, and I feel Obama is quite capable of fending off the attacks of a party that has nothing to offer anyone except more of the same.
I have, however, fondled my loins, but never in the company of a Republican.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Spartacus - You mean like putting toothpaste back in the tube?
Nonnie - Really? Maybe I’m wrong. No. I’m sure I’m wrong. I’ll be sure to pick on McCain every ding dong day. Promise!
CK - Obama seems to be a pretty cool character. Hardly a pushover. Good! I want him to be strong in the face of hate that’s going to come his way.
Kevin - The Republicans only fondle loins in bathroom stalls, right?
February 27th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
A friend of mine supported McCain in 2000. She subsequently went to work in D.C., and she has grown to loathe McCain. One of the reasons is because he is so mean-spirited.
Cunningham is part of a large group of people who have turned a large number of Republicans against the party, specifically for doing things like this. Limbaugh thinks McCain will ruin the party? People like him and Cunningham are the ones that have destroyed it.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I’ve heard anecdotally that there republicans who are leaning towards Obama because they like him. Really. The relatively small group of people who buy this Obama is a muslim and he wants our white women bullshit were never going to vote for him anyhow. And imagine how lovely it will be when he wins and their heads collectively explode. Drinks on me that day.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:04 am
How do you gird up your loins and is it painful??
If you keep picking on McCain, that scab will never heal.