McCain Goes Negative, Worrying Some in G.O.P.

[babylonsister]

McCain Goes Negative, Worrying Some in G.O.P.
Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

Senator John McCain criticized Senator Barack Obama in a campaign appearance on Tuesday at a high school in Sparks, Nev.

By MICHAEL COOPER
Published: July 30, 2008


SPARKS, Nev. — In recent days Senator John McCain has charged that Senator Barack Obama “would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign,” tarred him as “Dr. No” on energy policy and run advertisements calling him responsible for high gas prices.

The old happy warrior side of Mr. McCain has been eclipsed a bit lately by a much more aggressive, and more negative, Mr. McCain who hammers Mr. Obama repeatedly on policy differences, experience and trustworthiness.

By doing so, Mr. McCain is clearly trying to sow doubts about his younger opponent, and bring him down a peg or two. But some Republicans worry that by going negative so early, and initiating so many of the attacks himself rather than leaving them to others, Mr. McCain risks coming across as angry or partisan in a way that could turn off some independents who have been attracted by his calls for respectful campaigning.

The drumbeat of attacks could also undermine his argument that he will champion a new brand of politics.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/us/politics/30mccain.html

[dkf]

1. Its too late. John McCain has exposed himself as a vicious liar.

I don't understand why the media doesn't examine the flip side of this which is McCain's sense of entitlement.

They certainly attacked Hillary for it.

[babylonsister]

2. It's almost as if the media is condoning the past 8 years by

giving McCrabby cover. I don't get it either.

[dkf]

3. I do wonder if its because McCain is nicer to the press than Obama is.

The media admire him from the same point of view that we do...he is smart and savvy. But from what I read, he doesn't associate with them so that they like him on a personal level. I think that will be trouble.

[babylonsister]

4. Nicer? Not according to this...

I don't get the allegiance at all.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6557024&mesg_id=6557024

Maverick McCain Turns Mean
In This Presidential Contest, There's Little Left of the Charming McCain of 2000

By Sridhar Pappu 07/29/2008



Sen. John McCain, American war hero and admired political maverick, as well as presumed Republican nominee for president, had a message for Elisabeth Bumiller, the venerated New York Times reporter, along with the rest of the media assigned to travel with him the week of July 20.

"What do you want, you little jerks?" McCain said to Bumiller and those behind her, as the press surged forward on the "Straight Talk" Boeing 737 on July 21.

No one ever accused the Arizona senator of not being blunt. But he had come a long way from the media-friendly, boyishly charming, brazenly honest, free-wheeling McCain that so many in the media had come to love during the 2000 Republican primary. That man was now gone. Vanished.

snip//

Now all of us in the media travel in a separate bus from the increasingly distant candidate. There are those who believe there is still some of the 2000 McCain left, but as a member of the campaign press corps, it's increasingly hard to see. Press conferences after events--which we cool kids call "avails" -- have all but vanished from his daily schedule. The area on the plane meant for "straight talks" with the press generally goes unused. I had a question for two days, that I never got a chance to ask him.

Moreover, McCain increasingly seems like a man who, while breaking bread with the Christian right, is prone to holding grudges. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Columbus, Ohio, when Elizabeth Holmes from The Wall Street Journal tried to ask something, only to have McCain look right past her and say, "Who else has a question?" This had followed a couple of pieces in The Journal that Holmes had either written, co-written or contributed to that explored the anger of the McCain camp.

In many ways, that's what it comes down to, doesn't it? Anger. As we learned from Yoda. in "The Empire Strikes Back," the moment when one begins to act out of hate, instead of peace with the force as his ally, is precisely the moment when one begins down the path from Jedi to Sith. And there's no doubt that's what McCain has become--full of rage, particularly at the press left to cover him.

[dkf]

5. Well this is new to me. Thanks!

I guess its worse when your "friend" suddenly turns on you. Hopefully we will see tougher coverage by spurned media.

[BOSSHOG]

6. More incredible IRONY from the party of integrity

mccain is acting like a well trained republican and republicans are worried about it? Going negative and going on the attack are all part of republican campaigning 101. mccain is an excellent student.