“Who is Barack Obama?” John McCain is asking us. This should prompt an obvious response: “Who is John McCain?” But we need not ask, because we have seen John McCain, or at least his type, half a century ago. His type had a different name, and trafficked in a different sort of guilt-by-association, but it was a senator whose tactics were the same. The insinuations were the same. Whether the result will be the same remains to be seen.
That long-ago senator embraced the politics of fear as no one had before. He exploited the fears of a paranoid populace. He acquired notoriety and masterminded a brand of smear tactics that became synonymous with his surname, and it was dubbed “McCarthyism.”
McCarthyism effectively came to an end on June 9, 1954, when one courageous attorney named Joseph Welch stood up to the junior senator from Wisconsin and, declaring that McCarthy had done enough in his campaign of guilt-by-association, demanded, “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
Recently a new term arose to describe the politics of personal destruction: “Swiftboating.” But now we’re seeing a new level of such tactics, and it is particularly vicious, and it is monumentally unforgivable. It is being displayed by John McCain, and by Sarah Palin, and by their various stalking horses and representatives, and if you’re not calling it “McCaining” or “McCainism” then you’re just not paying attention.
Not since McCarthy have we seen such attempts at guilt-by-association as the endeavors to link Obama with terrorism, a naked appeal to the deepest anxieties that Americans continue to feel in an uncertain world. “Who is Barack Obama?” asks this woman whose name was unknown to the population of forty nine states a mere two months ago, and who continues to be screened from the press whenever possible. “Who is Barack Obama?” demands this man who was alive during the Red Scare of the 1950s, who saw first-hand how lives were ruined. Who saw how insinuation and fear mongering created a period of history that we, as Americans, should revile and despise.
And yet there are McCain and Palin et al, creating links between Obama and a home- grown political terrorist group that was active when Obama was eight years old. McCain, who was part of the Keating Five, apparently believes that no one should ever be able to be deemed a worthy acquaintance because they did regrettable things years ago. Somewhere Joseph McCarthy is smiling down (or, if you will, up) while John McCain and Sarah Palin hone the craft of McCaining as engineered by the same smear artists who brought down McCain’s bid in 2000. Terrorism is the new Communism, and there are McCain and Palin, stoking crowds to such over-the-top fury with their attempts to draw tortured connections between Obama and terrorism that you can actually hear people screaming, “Kill him!” when Obama’s name is mentioned. McCain’s belated attempts to suddenly defuse the crowd’s hostility, to describe Obama as a decent family man pales in comparison to the endless Obama=terrorism sentiments that he and his associates have endlessly stoked.
It’s so easy to draw nonsensical comparisons. McCain supporters mention repeatedly that Barack Obama’s middle name is the same as that of a terrorist and pretend it means something. Okay. Let’s point out that John McCain shares the initials and the first two letters of a first name and the first three letters of a surname as Joe McCarthy. Coincidence? We certainly have more evidence for parallel tactics in the McCain/McCarthy connection.
Why is McCain dropping in the polls? You can blame the economy, sure. But perhaps one small reason is that, quite simply, Americans aren’t nearly as stupid as the McCaininites think they are. Because back in 1954, the relatively new medium of television put McCarthy right into peoples’ living rooms and they saw up close the face of fear mongering, and they were repulsed by what they were seeing. It may well be we’re witnessing that again as McCain’s tactics are on view for all to see and people resent his thinking that they’re dumb enough to be suckered. Which isn’t to say that some people aren’t dumb enough. But in this day and age, deliberately trying to link someone to terrorism simply because you’re trying to become president is nothing short of vomitous. It is despicable. It is dishonorable.
Who is John McCain? He is a man who, with his current tactics, has proven that there is no line he will not cross, no slander he will not voice, if he thinks it offers a wisp of hope that he’ll win. Which moves me to ask:
Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?
PAD
• 
Brian Woods said:
“If you have any links feel free to post them, Pete, otherwise you are just sounding off.”
Just sounding off? Of course he is—it’s his blog! Duh.
Someone figured out how to stop Joe McCarthy. John McCain is still practicing McCarthyism. Therefore John McCain is the current undisputed champion of McCarthyism.
This isn’t Rocket Surgery.
Either McCain is a nasty, lying, piece of…
Or he`s a man whos really good at heart but is willing to do whatever it takes to win…
Or he`s a mindless drone of the radical right who isn`t strong enough to tell his campaign when they`ve gone to far.
Tell me which one of those options sounds good.
Either McCain is a nasty, lying, piece of…
Or he`s a man whos really good at heart but is willing to do whatever it takes to win…
Or he`s a mindless drone of the radical right who isn`t strong enough to tell his campaign when they`ve gone to far.
Tell me which one of those options sounds good.
McCain is psychologically damaged at this time. He really needs help.
McCain is psychologically damaged at this time. He really needs help.
Hannity on the debate:
1) McCain won.
2) Obama was weak and feeble.
3) The best line of the night was McCain’s “Senator Government” slip up.
4) McCain won.
5) McCain won.
Still, he was more even handed and sane sounding in his view of how things went down tonight than Rove was…
Jerry Chandler: Friends don’t let friends blog drunk…
Luigi Novi: I am NOT DRUNK!!
I only blog for recreational purposes!
I can stop blogging any time I want!
I don’t need YOU…..I don’t need ANYONE except my keyboard….
Jerry Chandler: Friends don’t let friends blog drunk…
Luigi Novi: I am NOT DRUNK!!
I only blog for recreational purposes!
I can stop blogging any time I want!
I don’t need YOU…..I don’t need ANYONE except my keyboard….
Jerry Chandler: Playboy used to be a magazine I collected the odd copy of in my youth. I liked the pictures. The articles could have been written in Sanskrit for all I cared. I had no problem with the layouts in Playboy and still find some of the collected works of some of the older photographers beautifully done works of art. I couldn’t stand Penthouse. The few I saw I found it to be vulgar and tasteless. The layouts were done in a way to appeal to the lowest common denominator and the overall effect was that it made the woman appear trashy rather than classy. Both magazines had layouts of nude women. Both magazines had layouts of women who were fairly attractive. Both magazines were designed to appeal to men. Both were not the same in the degree of style to which they presented their models. McCain has not reached the level of McCarthyism in overall tactics or in degree.
Luigi Novi: So as long as McCain doesn’t show his cooch, you’re okay with him. 🙂
Luigi Novi: So as long as McCain doesn’t show his cooch, you’re okay with him. 🙂
Well, so much for having a restful night’s sleep now…
Luigi Novi: So as long as McCain doesn’t show his cooch, you’re okay with him. 🙂
Well, so much for having a restful night’s sleep now…
The politician who makes McCarthyism a beautifully done work of art is more pernicious than the politician who can’t take it beyond trashy. This isn’t Rocket Surgery.
The politician who makes McCarthyism a beautifully done work of art is more pernicious than the politician who can’t take it beyond trashy. This isn’t Rocket Surgery.
Luigi Novi said (about Wicked-pedia):
“It’s an encyclopedia, and therefore, a tertiary source that references the primary sources that are cited in its texts.”
That’s true, but there is more. Some of the entries are false, deliberately so. Some people have enemies who want to distort the truth, so they make up stuff at Wicked. The same happens for some causes.
Wicked was an obvious thing to create, but making it easy for anyone to access the input page makes it subject to derailment.
Perhaps in 10 years, 20 years, or more, Wicked will be a truly trustworthy function of the internet, but for now, all its entries need to be subject to intense scrutiny as to honesty.
Luigi Novi said (about Wicked-pedia):
“It’s an encyclopedia, and therefore, a tertiary source that references the primary sources that are cited in its texts.”
That’s true, but there is more. Some of the entries are false, deliberately so. Some people have enemies who want to distort the truth, so they make up stuff at Wicked. The same happens for some causes.
Wicked was an obvious thing to create, but making it easy for anyone to access the input page makes it subject to derailment.
Perhaps in 10 years, 20 years, or more, Wicked will be a truly trustworthy function of the internet, but for now, all its entries need to be subject to intense scrutiny as to honesty.
PAD, I do disagree with you politically. I do support McCain/Palin.
However, I will continue to buy your comics and books.
PAD, I do disagree with you politically. I do support McCain/Palin.
However, I will continue to buy your comics and books.
There’s been no chance of my voting for McCain for quite some time, but he could have retained a bit more of my respect by not waiting as long as he did to rebuke the people who shout “Terrorist!” and “Traitor!” and, most troubling of all, “Kill him!” at his rallies. And by doing so more forcefully than he did when he responded to the old woman in the clip.
I’ve been through quite a few Presidential elections (I was born in 1963, so I remember 1972, ’76, ’80, ’84, ’88, ’92, ’96, ’00 and ’04) and I’ve never heard supporters of one candidate literally shouting for the death of the other until now. It’s a gøddámņ disgrace and McCain should have stopped in his tracks and called out the first person who did it the first time it happened.
I’m conflicted about this stuff of stopping reading a writer because you disagree with the person. I’ve done it myself. I used to love Orson Scott Card’s books. Then I discovered he was a radical social conservative that thinks gáÿ šëx should be a crime punishable by prison.
After that, I just couldn’t read his books. It isn’t only that I wanted “payback”, it was more that my capability to enjoy his stories was destroyed. Whenever I turned a page, I remembered that “this is a guy that thinks I’m a degenerate that should go to prison”, and it kept taking me out of the story.
Suddenly, a character of his suffering a horrible fate would seen suspicious (“did Card do it because the character was an adulterous husband and he is preaching?”).
And no, it’s not like I’m unable to enjoy anything by anyone that has ever made an anti-gay comment. I read and enjoy Chuck Dixon’s comic books. But I draw the line at crazy bigots like Orson Scott Card. In a way, reading a book by a person is an intimate act, you’re getting inside a person’s head. I just don’t feel comfortable getting inside Card’s head anymore. It creeps me out.
But I’ve never sent letters to Marvel Comics telling them I’m boycotting their books because Card is writing Ultimate Iron Man. Let the guy have his job, homophobic crazy scum that he is.
I’m conflicted about this stuff of stopping reading a writer because you disagree with the person. I’ve done it myself. I used to love Orson Scott Card’s books. Then I discovered he was a radical social conservative that thinks gáÿ šëx should be a crime punishable by prison.
After that, I just couldn’t read his books. It isn’t only that I wanted “payback”, it was more that my capability to enjoy his stories was destroyed. Whenever I turned a page, I remembered that “this is a guy that thinks I’m a degenerate that should go to prison”, and it kept taking me out of the story.
Suddenly, a character of his suffering a horrible fate would seen suspicious (“did Card do it because the character was an adulterous husband and he is preaching?”).
And no, it’s not like I’m unable to enjoy anything by anyone that has ever made an anti-gay comment. I read and enjoy Chuck Dixon’s comic books. But I draw the line at crazy bigots like Orson Scott Card. In a way, reading a book by a person is an intimate act, you’re getting inside a person’s head. I just don’t feel comfortable getting inside Card’s head anymore. It creeps me out.
But I’ve never sent letters to Marvel Comics telling them I’m boycotting their books because Card is writing Ultimate Iron Man. Let the guy have his job, homophobic crazy scum that he is.
Interestingly, Roger Ebert touches upon the same point Peter made: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081010/OPINION/810109997
Luigi Novi: [Wikipedia is] an encyclopedia, and therefore, a tertiary source that references the primary sources that are cited in its texts.
Alan Coil: Some of the entries are false, deliberately so. Some people have enemies who want to distort the truth, so they make up stuff at Wicked. The same happens for some causes. Wicked was an obvious thing to create, but making it easy for anyone to access the input page makes it subject to derailment. Perhaps in 10 years, 20 years, or more, Wicked will be a truly trustworthy function of the internet, but for now, all its entries need to be subject to intense scrutiny as to honesty.
Luigi Novi: Agreed. I personally do not understand why Jimmy Wales still allows anonymous IP editing. Sure, signing for an account with a username won’t entirely eliminate vandalism and other incidents like the Seigenthaler incident, but it would at least be a step in the right direction, and would preclude some of it.
As it stands now, most vandalism on WP is reversed in minutes, and its best articles (which are called Featured Articles) are peer-reviewed, and quite respectable. An independent comparison of a number of WP’s science-related articles with Britannica’s science-related articles, for example, showed that whereas WP has an average of four errors for article, BT has an average of three.
Until that day, Alan, it is best to use WP as a starting point, and follow the cited sources to verify the material, which is obviously easier with online sources. It’s better than nothing.
Interestingly, Roger Ebert touches upon the same point Peter made: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081010/OPINION/810109997
Luigi Novi: [Wikipedia is] an encyclopedia, and therefore, a tertiary source that references the primary sources that are cited in its texts.
Alan Coil: Some of the entries are false, deliberately so. Some people have enemies who want to distort the truth, so they make up stuff at Wicked. The same happens for some causes. Wicked was an obvious thing to create, but making it easy for anyone to access the input page makes it subject to derailment. Perhaps in 10 years, 20 years, or more, Wicked will be a truly trustworthy function of the internet, but for now, all its entries need to be subject to intense scrutiny as to honesty.
Luigi Novi: Agreed. I personally do not understand why Jimmy Wales still allows anonymous IP editing. Sure, signing for an account with a username won’t entirely eliminate vandalism and other incidents like the Seigenthaler incident, but it would at least be a step in the right direction, and would preclude some of it.
As it stands now, most vandalism on WP is reversed in minutes, and its best articles (which are called Featured Articles) are peer-reviewed, and quite respectable. An independent comparison of a number of WP’s science-related articles with Britannica’s science-related articles, for example, showed that whereas WP has an average of four errors for article, BT has an average of three.
Until that day, Alan, it is best to use WP as a starting point, and follow the cited sources to verify the material, which is obviously easier with online sources. It’s better than nothing.
Chris Matthews proves PAD’s point…
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015245.php
Chris Matthews proves PAD’s point…
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015245.php
Woow.
Good point on McCain, Peter.
I just KNEW this was coming!
“A half century ago, a senator with a different name ….”
McCain could indeed become a second Macarthy!
I hope I`m wrong on tis. But you made a good point.
Thanks, you made my day!
-Greetings from your most loyal German Fan;
Stephan
Woow.
Good point on McCain, Peter.
I just KNEW this was coming!
“A half century ago, a senator with a different name ….”
McCain could indeed become a second Macarthy!
I hope I`m wrong on tis. But you made a good point.
Thanks, you made my day!
-Greetings from your most loyal German Fan;
Stephan
“If it’s #2, then people ought to not only go batshit insane but they ought to raise hëll. The United States of America is supposed to be a democracy.”
stop that. stop it right now.
“What have you wrought?”
“A Republic, if you can keep it”
A week late, but still appropriate, are the words of Andrew Sullivan from his blog:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/pure-mccarthyis.html
30 Oct 2008 04:11 pm
Pure McCarthyism
Michael Goldfarb, McCain spokesman, accuses Barack Obama of hanging around with anti-Semites – plural – on CNN. Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t. He won’t. But he leaves it hanging, refusing to disown or retract the charge. This is pure McCarthyism. And it is the rotten core of McCain.
A week late, but still appropriate, are the words of Andrew Sullivan from his blog:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/10/pure-mccarthyis.html
30 Oct 2008 04:11 pm
Pure McCarthyism
Michael Goldfarb, McCain spokesman, accuses Barack Obama of hanging around with anti-Semites – plural – on CNN. Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t. He won’t. But he leaves it hanging, refusing to disown or retract the charge. This is pure McCarthyism. And it is the rotten core of McCain.
“Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t.”
Yeah, and they’ll be ticked off that this one became a talking point since the guy actually has longer and some would say stronger ties to John McCain.
“Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t.”
Yeah, and they’ll be ticked off that this one became a talking point since the guy actually has longer and some would say stronger ties to John McCain.
“Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t.”
I didn’t think it was so much that Goldfarb COULDN’T, but more that he WOULDN’T. After either his third or fourth repetition of something to the effect of “You know who I’m talking about,” I had to wonder if GOLDFARB knew who he was talking about. It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
Not saying that’s what was happening, but it sure LOOKED like it….
“Asked to name one other anti-Semite other than his allegation about Rashid Khalidi, he can’t.”
I didn’t think it was so much that Goldfarb COULDN’T, but more that he WOULDN’T. After either his third or fourth repetition of something to the effect of “You know who I’m talking about,” I had to wonder if GOLDFARB knew who he was talking about. It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
Not saying that’s what was happening, but it sure LOOKED like it….
Yeah, and they’ll be ticked off that this one became a talking point since the guy actually has longer and some would say stronger ties to John McCain.
I doubt it. McCain himself has already made some insinuations that this guy Khalidi is a spokesman for the PLO.
Which means McCain used to fund a terrorist. But that’s different, apparently.
Btw, it’s this guy Khalidi that’s on the video with Obama (and supposedly Ayers as well) that the LA Times refuses to release.
It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
That’s my impression as well.
Here’s the video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCaOCWYpPk4
I’ve seen somebody speculate that he wanted to say Reverend Wright. I think it’s also just as likely that this spokesman just backed himself into a corner and knew he couldn’t get out.
Yeah, and they’ll be ticked off that this one became a talking point since the guy actually has longer and some would say stronger ties to John McCain.
I doubt it. McCain himself has already made some insinuations that this guy Khalidi is a spokesman for the PLO.
Which means McCain used to fund a terrorist. But that’s different, apparently.
Btw, it’s this guy Khalidi that’s on the video with Obama (and supposedly Ayers as well) that the LA Times refuses to release.
It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
That’s my impression as well.
Here’s the video of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCaOCWYpPk4
I’ve seen somebody speculate that he wanted to say Reverend Wright. I think it’s also just as likely that this spokesman just backed himself into a corner and knew he couldn’t get out.
I had to wonder if GOLDFARB knew who he was talking about. It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
When i saw that on CNN and saw Goldfarb’s blank stare, fidgets, head bobs, plastered on smile and deer in the headlights look; was it wrong of my to think that we’d found Sarah Palin’s long lost, separated at birth twin brother?
Seriously though, where is McCain getting these morons? The people going on the news to speak on his behalf are doing a better job of making his campaign a joke than SNL.
I had to wonder if GOLDFARB knew who he was talking about. It was like he was hoping Sanchez would supply a name and Goldfarb could come back with, “Yep, that’s the one!”
When i saw that on CNN and saw Goldfarb’s blank stare, fidgets, head bobs, plastered on smile and deer in the headlights look; was it wrong of my to think that we’d found Sarah Palin’s long lost, separated at birth twin brother?
Seriously though, where is McCain getting these morons? The people going on the news to speak on his behalf are doing a better job of making his campaign a joke than SNL.
From the 40-45% that are going to vote for him, I imagine…
From the 40-45% that are going to vote for him, I imagine…
Craig. I think he wanted to say Wright or Farrakhan, but given there is nothing to show that Obama and Farrakhan have ever spent time together.
Wright is more likely, but if they called Wright an anti-semite it may leave them open especially if they don’t have anything physical to back it up.
Craig. I think he wanted to say Wright or Farrakhan, but given there is nothing to show that Obama and Farrakhan have ever spent time together.
Wright is more likely, but if they called Wright an anti-semite it may leave them open especially if they don’t have anything physical to back it up.
I wish they would have picked something not related to Israel/Jews to connect Obama to. It reflects badly at as. Couldn’t they have a video of him attending a dinner with… I don’t know, Cobra Commander?
In any case Khalidi is not a terrorist by any standard.
He just has a foreign sounding name. And that’s good enough, apparently, these days…
He just has a foreign sounding name. And that’s good enough, apparently, these days…
Micha: I wish they would have picked something not related to Israel/Jews to connect Obama to. It reflects badly at as. Couldn’t they have a video of him attending a dinner with… I don’t know, Cobra Commander?
Or atheists. Everyone knows it’s okay to hate atheists.
Speaking as an atheist from North Carolina, the current mess going on in the Kay Hagan/Elizabeth Dole race is pretty depressing. Not that it compares to the bad stuff that Muslims are put through.
Micha: I wish they would have picked something not related to Israel/Jews to connect Obama to. It reflects badly at as. Couldn’t they have a video of him attending a dinner with… I don’t know, Cobra Commander?
Or atheists. Everyone knows it’s okay to hate atheists.
Speaking as an atheist from North Carolina, the current mess going on in the Kay Hagan/Elizabeth Dole race is pretty depressing. Not that it compares to the bad stuff that Muslims are put through.
I read about this story with Kay Hagan/Elizabeth Dole. It’s ridiculous. They are alleging that Kay hagan is atheist? Why guess? Can’t you verify. That’s why you have the Inquisition for. 5 minutes on the rack and she’ll confess.
I read about this story with Kay Hagan/Elizabeth Dole. It’s ridiculous. They are alleging that Kay hagan is atheist? Why guess? Can’t you verify. That’s why you have the Inquisition for. 5 minutes on the rack and she’ll confess.
http://www.iowastatedaily.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/local_news/doc49068f6ccce49245010961.txt