I know that yesterday Sarah Palin called Obama "someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists". She said she read about his association with Bill Ayers in the New York Times.
Gov. Palin ignored the findings of the New York Times article, as reported in today’s New York Times:
“Ms. Palin has several times cited a New York Times article published Saturday in raising Mr. Obama’s association with Mr. Ayers, but she has sidestepped its conclusion that the two men did not appear to be close and that Mr. Obama had never expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers.”
Just as she did in the debate (where she indicated that she "may not answer the questions the way that either the moderator or you [Biden] want to hear" — and then talked about something entirely different than the question that was asked), Palin apparently doesn’t want to be bothered with the issues presented or the facts.
Yesterday, McCain questioned who Obama really is in his speeches.
"Even at this late hour in the campaign, there are essential things we don't know about Senator Obama or the record that he brings to this campaign," McCain said.
So while the stock market was tanking, McCain skipped that big issue and tried to turn the focus on Obama’s honesty, record, and demeanor.
As a trial lawyer, I’ve been taught to aggressively argue the facts when they are on my side. When the facts aren’t on my side, I argue the law. That’s not a bad strategy when you’re appearing in court.
Unfortunately, McCain seems to believe that politics allows him to argue the facts when they’re on his side, if the facts are not on his side then he can make some up, and if he’s still behind in the polls, sling some mud.
I hate negative politics.
My wish list for this debate:
Both candidates should talk about the grave financial mess we’re in and whether the $700 billion bailout is enough, discuss how to stem the growing unemployment and get the economy back on track, explore health care and your individual plans, and talk plainly about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and what needs to be done in that part of the world.
In other words, cut the name calling, resist digging up dubious dirt that is decades old, stop pandering to character slurs, and talk about the issues!
Because I believe that most folks just don’t want to hear about anything other than how to get this country back on its feet. We know that character attacks are desperate politics at its worst and we’re sick to death of it.
Comments