Thu 28 Feb 2008
Good Move by the GOP
Posted by DC Republican under Across the US , Beltway Politics , Campaign '08 , John McCain , RNCI’m pleased to see that Mike Duncan has stepped in to regulate what has simply become an annoying series of statements being made by some prominent Republican leaders and figureheads.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan formally denounced on Thursday the Tennessee Republican Party’s use of Barack Obama’s full name in a recent news release questioning the Illinois senator’s commitment to Israel.
“The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics,” Duncan said in a statement. “We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.”
Amen!
In such a close race, the GOP’s image cannot be put at risk of being tarnished simply because some people think that it might “wake people up” if they realize that Obama’s middle name is Hussein.
While I understand what they are trying to do, create the sense that he could be a risk to foreign and security policy because of potential ties, there are plenty of other ways that you can go after him. Use his record and not his name to make whatever arguments you are trying to make. If what you’re looking for doesn’t show up on his record (as will be the case with most things), emphasize his inexperience.
When members of the GOP make such a big deal about things like someones middle name, or a picture taken on a trip, it makes us look like we don’t have any arguments, and because of that, have to resort to mudslinging to get our message across.
If we can stick to the issues and be the bigger man in this fight, we’ll win. But, if we keep focusing on things that are for the most part irrelevant to this election, such as names and/or pictures, we’re going to lose miserably. If we lost the White House, there is no doubt that we’ll fall further into the minority in the House and Senate and quite possibly prevent the chances of ever gaining a strong conservative majority on the SCOTUS, at least for many of our lifetimes.
February 29th, 2008 at 2:44 am
At what point has an apology lost its meaning? At what point should we start looking at the aggressor as an intentional foe as opposed to a friend with a lapse in judgment? Should we assume that those in control of the airwaves or large organizations are not as intelligent as they’d like us to perceive them to be? They claim to be worthy of our trust in their abilities to lead, yet they continuously act in a manner that demands an apology.
So, I find myself in a quandary. There is a disconnect. Three of Clinton’s staff members acted in a manner that demanded not only an apology but in at least one case a dismissal. McCain’s staff thought it was wise to solicit the services of Mr. Cunningham as a surrogate for Senator McCain. And the staff of the Tennessee GOP thought it was prudent to distort the truth with hyperbolic allegations of anti-Semitic intent on the part of Barack Hussein Obama. In all three of these cases, staff was reprimanded, denounced, rejected and dismissed.
Were the leaders of the organizations sincere in their pronouncements? I have no idea because God did not grant me the gift of psychic abilities. However, the actions and non actions do have further implications that do not take a psychic to dissect.
1. Either the leaders of these organization SANCTIONED the racist remarks or
2. The “leaders” of these organizations ARE NOT LEADERS and are therefore not worthy of our trust.
It’s either one or the other and there is no middle ground. If these organizations were for-profit companies, these travesties would never have happened. Could you imagine Bill Gates alleging that Steve Jobs is a socialist? Or that he has anti – Semitic sentiments?!? It would never happen! Yet somehow in politics its allowed – even expected. And maybe that’s the part that makes me madder than ever. That America has sunk to the level where slander is a part of the daily lives of our leaders – that this is accepted behavior. And we follow along like the lemmings willfully stepping off of the cliff – without a safety net.
This is indeed the Washington that Barack wants to change. And so I ask, is this the America that I should be so proud of? Never mind the Rovian disgraces leveled against not just Dems but Repubs too; is this somehow okay?
It is time that we stop being so conservative and accepting of the status quo, afraid that change might be uncomfortable. Of course it will be uncomfortable. As a friend of mine used to say, “all growth is preceded by pain”. We can only hope that the same is true for America and that there is indeed growth after the pain.
“Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.”
— John F. Kennedy
March 1st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
John McCain may want to consider making as many stark differences as possible known to the American People. One of those ways is to take to the Senate floor as many ideas and solutions to problems and issues, in a kind, respectful and forceful way, as possible. It is free advertisement, and also a way to rally supporters across the political spectrum to his side.Something Obama, now running for top office, has refused to do in his short stint as U.S. Senator.
Go McCain-Romney 2008!