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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Monday, July 28, 2008

A very good point

A very pro-Obama Jed Report points out that virtually no one on the right is seriously echoing John McCain's more questionable attacks on Obama. Surprising, no?

Also, How unusual is it for these attacks to be coming from the candidate himself rather than through surrogates or a VP? Is no one but Lieberman willing to dirty themselves on McCain's behalf?

12 Comments:

  • The confusion is obvious. Republicans don't like Obama...because the Dems will have the power....but they aren't crazy about McCain either. Echoing him could come back to haunt them.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:55 AM  

  • Los tres amigos: Graham, Lieberman, McCain. That's about it.

    McCain is so far over the top -- and over the line -- that real Republican politicians won't follow him over that line. This is the realm of Fox News and their ilk. Real politicians want to live to fight another day, and that other day may be under a President Obama. McCain doesn't have "another day" in front of him. For him, this is an all or nothing gamble.

    And really, I think most Americans have emotionally moved past Iraq: The War Years and are looking toward Iraq: The Rebuilding Years. McCain is singularly obsessed with an 18 month block of time (The Surge®). As if that one decision -- to support Bush's escallation -- is the sum total of what qualifies one to be president of the United States of America. His entire vision of the American presidency is that of Commander in Chief, as if the presidency was equivalent to running military junta, not a democracy where the president is (ostensibly) a servant of the people.

    As Frank Rich notes: "[McCain is] a candidate so oblivious to our nation’s big challenges ahead that he is doubling down in his campaign against both Mr. Maliki and Mr. Obama to be elected commander in chief of the surge."

    By Blogger -epm, at 11:11 AM  

  • Anon, I was thinking that, too. Much like the European leaders.

    Being the perceived likely winner is having benefits.

    ....

    EPM, I think "over the top" is part of it, too, especially in this "every Republican for himself" year.

    They just don't know where the Obama supporters are and don't want to take the risk of stepping on the toes of independents for what.... next to nothing.

    As for McCain and the surge, his claims are largely ringing as irrelevant through vast stretches, although I'm sure there are some independents who value his claims.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 11:45 AM  

  • I check in on right-wing radio from time to time, and I hear only tepid affirmations of McCain from their main spokepeople. It seems as though they are dismayed that he somehow appeared as their candidate. I think in general they might have preferred Huckabee, so that they could counter Obama from a religious point-of-view.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:07 PM  

  • Well, with McCain, they also can't run against "the Democrats in Washington" or run against Congress.

    It's getting close to forty times I've said it, but there is no constituency or group that is passionate about a McCain candidacy.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:29 PM  

  • "It's getting close to forty times I've said it, but there is no constituency or group that is passionate about a McCain candidacy."

    I dunno. I heard the entire CFL party is really jazzed up about McCain.

    By Blogger -epm, at 3:19 PM  

  • CFL?

    Canadian Football League?

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 4:16 PM  

  • Compact Fluorescent Lamp.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:58 PM  

  • There we go. Does that give him skin cancer?

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 6:52 PM  

  • A lava lamp should be able to beat McCain.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:52 PM  

  • Connecticut For Lieberman (CFL). The party created by Lieberman and for Lieberman. This was a legal necessity to enable Lieberman to run for re-election after having lost the Democratic primary in 2006.

    Sorry for being too obtuse.

    By Blogger -epm, at 9:13 PM  

  • Got ya. Despite all the derision, I don't follow Lieberman that closely, just when he pops up so negatively.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:51 PM  

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