Letters to the Editor
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The Race is About Race
The media is focused on race; it’s what the election will be about, who first played the “card”, etc. But the race has always been about race. If you are a member of the “right” one, you get the pole position; it’s been about the race to close the porous borders to an infusion of immigrants of other races, the race to prove the race is not about race, and the race to fabricate the divisive race issue in the past of a candidate (i.e. Dukakis’s Willy Horton in ‘88, McCain’s illegitimate black child in 2000, Obama’s pending gang violence Swift Boating in ’08 – all created by angry right-wing extremists). My point is this; when the Democrats offer Barack Obama as their presidential candidate, he’ll be the first in history who isn’t rich, white, or beholden to lobbyists and special interests of the rich and white. Even if Obama loses – and as he loses, so does our country yet again - the Democrats win. And, in the race that really matters, they always will.
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Ask yourself
We don't know whether or not all this was planned in advance.
What do you mean "we," white man?
Here, ask yourself this. Does it make any sense whatsoever — does it in any way fit with everything we know about how the right wing public relations machine operates in this country — does it at all with everything we know about the talking-point feed-farm that is the modern press — to assume that it wasn't planned?
Can you seriously claim, with a straight face, that after 30 years it's still not clear if the Republicans are manipulating the corporate press to their own advantage, or if maybe it's all just a comedy of journalistic errors?
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The real point of these ads.
I think at this point even the average 7th grade youtube watcher knows you get a lot more mileage out of an ad that's talked about ad infinitum than the ad itself.
Yes, the GOP knows exactly what it's doing, it knows exactly how to use a surrogate while McCain stands back and pretends he's above this kind of thing, and there will be much, much more of this and other subterranean campaigning over the next months.
Obama can say it's lousy, McCain can pretend to agree it's lousy, and meanwhile the viewing audience gets brainwashed with the negative message over and over and over again. (Oh, and just great that Wright is appearing on Bill Moyers tomorrow night, because everybody sure needs yet more linkage between Wright the Bad Man and Obama.)
Elsewhere on this site is a headline referring to the GOP imploding. Are you kidding? They are lying in wait like a lion for a newborn lamb.
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Two things, Holden
1. Obama *is* rich. Not as rich as some, but richer than most.
2. The Horton issue in '88 was first brought up by AL GORE in his attempt to win the Democratic nomination. Sleazy politics have no party affiliation.
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McCain objects?
Yeah, right. Is anyone stupid enough to believe that? This is nothing but good cop-bad cop, orchestrated by the McBush camp to make their guy look reasonable.
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Gore and Hoton
The Horton issue in '88 was first brought up by AL GORE in his attempt to win the Democratic nomination. Sleazy politics have no party affiliation
Not exactly:
http://www.slate.com/id/1003919/
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"Liberal Media" TV Station that rejected ad is Jesse Helms' old roost
WRAL-TV is the station that has refused to run this ad, and it has been owned for decades by very conservative guys who hired Jesse Helms to do editorials in the 1960s (which is how Helms went from a behind-the-scenes political sleezebag to a Senate-office occupying sleezebag). It just shows how far to the right the NCGOP is...the (conservative, good old boy) Democrats still control state-level politics here (despite this being a solid red state for federal offices), and the GOP is a little more wing-nutty here than in most states where there is more competition.
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The Real McCain
If McCain can not even control his own political machine how will he ever confront any external threats to the country? What a loser!
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What if...
McCain asked that the television stations not run the ad? That'd be an interesting twist.
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Not just tangential to local NC candidates
As cynical as I am, I did not expect this new wrinkle in guilt-by-association ads and its effect on down-ticket candidates. I have watched the NC RW (aka Helms) machine for over 50 years and this ad was a master stroke.
The NC GOP gets to attack the Dem candidates for Governor using Obama and Rev. Wright -- with the classics elements of race, religion, and patriotism -- it will be the attack with keeps on giving. By doing this now, they are able to use the TPs even if Obama were not to be the nominee.
How would you like to be Perdue or Moore and now have Rev. Wright injected into your local campaign? Being asked to comment about Obama and Wright at every news conference, debate, or campaign event.
I have to worry what they will do for Act II. It will likely get worse here in the Old North State.
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How About a McCain/Hagee Counter Ad?
Same format, just include McCain's hearty acceptance of Hagee's endorsement in between the countless loathsome Hagee soundbites.
Nobody even has to tell Obama. Just run it.
It's time to show the republicans that they are traveling down the wrong path and will get their asses handed to them if they continue.
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what exactly is misleading?
The obama spinsters said:
"The fact that Senator McCain can't get his own party to take down this misleading, personal attack ad raises serious questions about his promise to the American people that he will run a civil, respectful campaign."
Obama admitted Wright was controversial.
Obama wants us to judge him on regards to his judgement.
His associates are part of his judgement.
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@Abagadro
Interesting. Thanks.
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Now hear this
First off, North Cackylackistan is straight up crazy. When Lauch Faircloth and Jessie Helms were our Senators, Jessie Helms was considered the liberal. We have had one, exactly one, black person who held a statewide political office, since reconstruction. The Smithfield Klan operates in the open, tried to blow up the sheriff. Just about every administration has some senior official like the Ag Commissioner, the Transportation Commissioner, etc go to Federal Prison. The idea that Democratic candidates matter any longer is silly. Our own GOP doesn't like Libby Dole, didn't support her election. She's too liberal. How John Edwards squeaked in is a mystery. While our governor and the last gov are Democrats, they are democrats that support the death penalty, make noises about abortion and turn a blind eye to illegal immigration. The illegal population in NC is the fastest growing the US.
On the tax front, NC has some of the highest taxes of any red state. With such things as property tax on cars, sales tax on cars, road tax, registration and inspection fees and the highest state gas tax in the SE. We are also home to THE MOST EXPENSIVE interstate highways, per mile ever constructed in the US, ever.
NoCackylackistan HAS NO juvenile justice system. Offenders as young as 16 can and are tried as adults for any crime the ADA sees fit. The Tarheel Blight has in practice, the toughest drug laws in the country. In effect any amount of drugs in your possession, any amount, is generally tried as a felony. Wake county and the city of Raleigh have FIVE overlapping police forces, (5) all of which focus on driving offenses, drugs and of course 'gangs'. Charge for charge NC has the highest BAIL in the country for corresponding charges. As part of our 'drought control' (which is funny because all our water reservoirs are at 100%+ capacity) any public employee has been deputized to arrest any homeowner, and/or contact the police about any homeowner as which point, the general approach is to arrest the homeowner, disconnect the water from the meter and fine the household $2500. If any police are called to a home by 911, under the law, SOMEONE is getting arrested.
NC has I think the #50 ranked public mental health system in the US. Education is around #29 (up from 48th). The only public sector jobs that are growing is police and corrections and the clerks who process fines and payments.
And oh, yes, It's illegal to sue your own insurance company if they stiff you.