Barack Obama Elected President!

[Ryan]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_on_..._words_analysis

Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago

By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.

And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret.

First, Palin's attack shows that her energetic debate with rival Joe Biden may be just the beginning, not the end, of a sharpened role in the battle to win the presidency.

"Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Palin told a group of donors in Englewood, Colo. A deliberate attempt to smear Obama, McCain's ticket-mate echoed the line at three separate events Saturday.

"This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," she said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."

Obama isn't above attacking McCain with loaded words, releasing an ad on Sunday that calls the Arizona Republican "erratic" — a hard-to miss suggestion that McCain's age, 71, might be an issue. A harsh judgment, certainly, but not on the level of accusing a fellow senator of being un-American and even a friend of terrorists.

"Our financial system in turmoil," an announcer says in Obama's new ad. "And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy."

The ad, slated to start running Monday on national cable, seeks to capitalize on McCain's response to the nation's financial crisis — he suspended his campaign, suggested he might not attend a debate, then switched and did attend — and raise questions about his character.

In her character attack, Palin references questions Obama's associations. Her context is inaccurate.

She is referring to Obama's relationship with William Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground, was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career.

Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions.

With her criticism, Palin is taking on the running mate's traditional role of attacker, said Rich Galen, a Republican strategist.

"There appears to be a newfound sense of confidence in Sarah Palin as a candidate, given her performance the other night," Galen said. "I think that they are comfortable enough with her now that she's got the standing with the electorate to take off after Obama."

Second, Palin's incendiary charge draws media and voter attention away from the worsening economy. It also comes after McCain supported a pork-laden Wall Street bailout plan in spite of conservative anger and his own misgivings.

"It's a giant changing of the subject," said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. "The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don't send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don't take Sarah Palin seriously."

The larger purpose behind Palin's broadside is to reintroduce the question of Obama's associations. Millions of voters, many of them open to being swayed to one side or the other, are starting to pay attention to an election a month away.

For the McCain campaign, that makes Obama's ties to Ayers as well as convicted felon Antoin "Tony" Rezko and the controversial minister Jeremiah Wright ripe for renewed criticism. And Palin brings a fresh voice to the argument.

Effective character attacks have come earlier in campaigns. In June 1988, Republican George H.W. Bush criticized Democrat Michael Dukakis over the furlough granted to Willie Horton, a convicted murderer who then raped a woman and stabbed her companion. Related TV ads followed in September and October.

The Vietnam-era Swift Boat veterans who attacked Democrat John Kerry's war record started in the spring of 2004 and gained traction in late summer.

"The four weeks that are left are an eternity. There's plenty of time in the campaign," said Republican strategist Joe Gaylord. "I think it is a legitimate strategy to talk about Obama and to talk about his background and who he pals around with."

Palin's words avoid repulsing voters with overt racism. But is there another subtext for creating the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America?

In a post-Sept. 11 America, terrorists are envisioned as dark-skinned radical Muslims, not the homegrown anarchists of Ayers' day 40 years ago. With Obama a relative unknown when he began his campaign, the Internet hummed with false e-mails about ties to radical Islam of a foreign-born candidate.

Whether intended or not by the McCain campaign, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American.

The fact is that when racism creeps into the discussion serves a purpose for McCain. As the fallout from Wright's sermons showed earlier this year, forcing Obama to abandon issues to talk about race leads to unresolved arguments about America's promise to treat all people equally.

John McCain occasionally says he looks back on decisions with regret. He has apologized for opposing a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. He has apologized for refusing to call for the removal of a Confederate flag from South Carolina's Capitol.

When the 2008 campaign is over will McCain say he regrets appeals such as Palin's? ___

EDITOR'S NOTE — Douglass K. Daniel is a writer and editor with the Washington bureau of The Associated Press.

[Adam]

Its classic American politics. When you are down, its all out character assassination, from both sides.

This month should be very, very interesting.... to see if it works this time for the "Maverick" McCain-Palin ticket.

[Roman]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle...s-campaign-goes

[Wales2004]

Have you no shame? You have no respect for me, as you said, but you continue to waste your time and intellect trying to point out my flaws. The difference between you and me is that had I said the things you said about me......this exchange wouldn't have taken place because I have no time for disrespectful people.

I'm pretty sure that was you who asked me to promise to drop things instead of just "manning" up and dropping them on your own. If you've demonstrated nothing else, you've demonstrated that you're a bit weak.

You ought not to waste your intelligence on me because my reaction to you fluctuates between laughter and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz......you're tiresome and now your words just look like why, why why, blah blah blah.

If you need me to let you off the hook so you can be victorious....you're off the hook. You win. You're smarter than I am. You're more respectful than I am. You've got more brilliant things to say than I do.

But geez you're no where near as fun.

[Wales2004]

[MichaelGL]

Wales I saw that this morning, and I couldn't agree more with Chuck Todd.

[Jess]

Thank you for the link. That was absolutely hilarious.

Ohhhh, just a correction. I was the ill-informed idiot on the Senate vote. I know it's easy to confuse Wales and I when name-calling.

[Roman]

Look, let me make this clear.

Wales is one of the best people that I know. But he's also out of his [!@#$%^&*] mind. He's reckless, silly and foolhearty. And I mean this, because I would jump off the Gateway Arch for the man.......but he just terrifies me. One minute he's kind and the next......and let me be clear, I would fight Bigfoot barehanded for this man......but he's psychotic. He is the most dangerous poster in the history of this board. And I love the [!@#$%^&*], I do. I would run into the path of an on-coming nuclear missile for the guy, but he is wrong about every single issue he's discussed, and he's wrong about America......

And a dear, dear friend.

[Wales2004]

Jess I think he was taking a shot at me for being stupid enough to say that the Senate shouldn't vote on the same bill that the House rejected.....you know because I was foolish enough to think that the Senate shouldn't vote until it was revised since I was under the impression that voting on the identical bill would mean they would only have to vote again once it was revised. I should have just commented on Alsaska instead.

Uhmmmm......okay....you go Joe Biden!!!!

[Roman]

Exactly. On top of the fact of telling people they shouldn't be so sensitive or need to be more sensitive to other people.

Once again, if this is the best that McCain can do.....what do they have left? Nothing. Nothing at all. To spend the last 29 days talking about this bullshit instead of the issues shows how truly sad this campaign has gone.

Makes you think of the video footage of when the Hindenberg crashed.

[Greg's GL]

You are [!@#$%^&*] hilarious, my friend.

They have nothing. Again, witness this thread. After the VP debate wherein Palin didn't come off as a complete idiot - but still didn't answer the questions - some McCain supporters thought that would again send McCain to the top of the polls. Ugh.

So, what do you have for your candidate to pick up momentum? A VP debate that, while didn't give us any more information into Palin's policies, ended fairly well. And a smear campaign against your opponent. Nowhere a mention of any real issue.

UCLAN - I am praying as well that the American public is fed up with the fear and smear tactics and will instead opt for the candidate that will do right by us. All of us.

[George008]

You act as if I have attacked you out of the blue..What a short memory span you must have..You said you could run circles around me on your worst day...Did you expect me to ignore that? I'm sure you didn't.

You are being VERY hypcritical here..Why in the world did you come up with the "me not being smart enough to realize that you could run circles around me"... If your interest was to quell our fued..Why do you throw out comments like that, if you are so innocent of not being "weak" like me? Do you think you can make nasty comments and expect no response to them? What makes you so special...other than your self-righteous mindset?

This is all fine and dandy with me..But if you want to make another comment about me...just expect to hear about it!

This election and the future of our country is important to me..It's not a laughing matter..

[George008]

AP condemns Palin's Ayers/Obama comments

Questioning Obama's Ties To William Ayers Is Racist?

[Ryan]

*shakes head*

[UCLAN]

I like So very true