The good thing is they won't have to make one thing up. Use McLame's numerous contradictions, flubs and flip flops to hang him.

Honestly? This, THIS passes for political discourse in America??

REALLY?!?!

I swear to god, if America elects that old bastard, then you deserve every inch of scorn and ridicule the world heaps upon you..

It's just a whiny, petulant and dishonest little spot that highlights how little respect the Bush administration garners around the world. How hard is it to show that all those wonderful tax cuts benefit the wealthiest americans? Not very and look at what 7 1/2 yrs of that has gotten us.

Now that the McCain has paid to run the ad, perhaps a half-dozen times, they can count on their Base to re-run the ads, for free, on every nightly news program for the next week: All in the interest of "political discussion", of course.

The more I see how McCain is running his campaign the more frightened I become that he could win. In his campaign ads, his public statements and those of his aides - McCain lies and twists the truth. After 8 years of lies and "truth-twisting" and the disastrous consequences thereof you would think that the American people would have caught on. But many people believe these lies (cf. Obama is a Muslim, Michelle used the word "Whitey"). I cannot remember where I read about it (maybe in the NYT Science supplement) but a study found that people tend to believe the first thing they hear, even if false, and continue to believe it even when given facts that prove the initial statement false. Democrats must be vigilant and stay ahead of the curve and jump on these lies immediately.

If we have learned anything from the last couple of elections it's that the truth doesn't matter. It's perception that matters. And defining your opponent is how perceptions take root. McCain hired the leaders from Rove's shop to run his campaign. Why does anyone expect them to tell the truth about anything?

If Obama is smart they will start talking about that more directly rather then the oblique new ad he has running responding to the McCain ad about gas prices.

This is straight from the Bush/Cheney/Rove playbook: repeat a lie so often that it comes to be perceived as the truth.

There are too many examples to list all, but some of the most prominent:

- Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11

- Iraq had WMD

- Kerry lied about his military record

- Obama is a Muslim

It doesn't matter if not everyone starts to believe them, only that enough people believe. Then those new believers take up the message, calling in to radio shows, writing to newspapers, posting on blogs.

Before long, the echo of the lies overshadows the truth, and the truth no longer matters.

If we had more journalists who were interested in uncovering and reporting facts, instead of being immersed in writing about process, the truth might have a chance. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Playing nice while the Rovepublicans "bring it on" loses elections.

If you are going for low information voters , you do what you gotta do. No more Mr. Nice guy. Kick McCain in the nuts.

Funny he should bring up Paris Hilton. McCain is catering to her type by promoting the elimination of the estate tax.

-troy

"I'm sorry It's time to go negative on these sleazeballs"

Rule Number One:

Don't take the bait.

Karl Rove is now running the McCain campaign. He was successful in 2000 and 2004 using slime and obviously McCain's people feel they have no choice but to do what he says.

I couldn't believe the American voters could possibly believe the garbage that Rove was dishing in 2004 but they surely did. I don't think there is any reason to believe that will change this year. HRC's 17 million racists aren't going to vote for Obama. I hope they just stay home.

The NY Times and Washington Post came out with criticisms of the McCain campaign this morning and I don't recall anything like that happening in 2004.

Maybe, just maybe things are a'changing but I wouldn't count on it.

Conidering I support the ban on off shore driling and think we should raise taxes, this Ad does not seem negative to me.

It is a stupid AD. Rule number ONE: Don't promote your opponent... The crowds footage of cheering crowds for for Obama , Paris, and Britney? I suspect young bimbo republicans are the biggest fans of Britany and Paris.

McCain continues to get bad advice on many fronts?

This is probably the most hilarious campaign tactic I've seen. After attacking him on just about everything else and failing, McCain is now going after Obama for...being popular? How exactly does he think elections are decided?

that Paris and Brittany are what passes for Royalty in this country.

"You'd think, given the drubbing it took in Wednesday's Washington Post over one factually challenged ad, that the McCain camp would want to make sure all the claims it makes in its advertising were on solid ground."

Not in the least.

Why tell the truth when the other side has all the arguments going in its favor? Why tell the truth when a lie is much easier, more effective, more emotional, and you pay no political price for it? Isn't that the real lesson of the Bush years -- there is no consequence to be paid for lying to the American people?

The GOP playbook for this election is: lie, lie, lie. Then lie some more.

I've already been forwarded an email by a former school acquaintance (and conservative true believer) with a laundry list of "facts" about how Obama will raise taxes. Every single "fact" on the list was made up. Simply made up out of thin air. Just like all the "Obama is a terrorist Muslim" lies.

These people will stop at nothing.

Alright, the response from the Obama team is pretty hilarious...good work!

and a good response 'oops he did it again' /snicker.

On the other hand, the McCain campaign seems to have figured out their very best chance with this strategy:

They keep coming out with ads with obviously false or stupid claims that get a ton of press coverage. They get free advertising and they get to control the message. Even if all of the networks are refuting the claims in the ad the McCain campaign gets their lies out there repeatedly for free. It puts the Obama campaign in the defensive having to fend off a bunch of lies that shouldn't be given the dignity of a reply but if the press plays along they have no choice but responding.

It is very clever and effective for the situtaion the republicans are in with so little money and such a lackluster candidate- it has Rove's fingerprints all over it. The only counter to this is doing a better job of controlling your own narrative and for the most part team Obama has done a great job of that.