Saturday, September 13, 2008
Does Obama WANT to lose?
This Obama ad is so lame that most of the PUMA sites have been quick to display it, just as I am displaying it here.
The obvious problem: People know that John McCain cannot use a computer keyboard, due to a disability caused by the torture he underwent while in a Vietnamese prison. This ad has redefined the Democrats: The party of FDR is now the party that makes fun of disabled people -- a perception reinforced by the ghastly attacks on Sarah Palin's child.
Is it really a good idea to imply that old people cannot bring fresh ideas to the national debate? The elderly vote. In large numbers.
The ad has another problem that others have not discussed: It harkens back to the 1980s. Do the Democrats really want people to think about those years?
Economically speaking, 1982 was, in fact, far from a happy time. But a political campaign is about perception. It's about psychology. Rightly or wrongly, most American voters remember that period as a time of prosperity. They recall Reagan as a man unfairly dismissed as an aging dimwit, who proved his critics wrong by righting the nation's course.
I don't agree with that belief. Unlike some who hold rosy views of the 1980s, I lived through those years, and I know that Reagan purchased a false prosperity by cutting a lot of "hot checks" (to use Lloyd Bentsen's memorable phrase) -- an option no longer available.
Alas, a 30-second campaign ad is not a place to revise widespread misperceptions about the events of a quarter-century past. Obama's people should know that.
A word about taxes: Clinton promised a middle class tax cut in 1992, and -- by all accounts -- he meant it. He really tried to institute such relief. Unfortunately, all of those "hot checks" had caught up with the nation, and he was forced concentrate on reversing the deficit. Thus, middle class tax relief had to wait a few years.
A worse deficit problem will confront either McCain or Obama. Of course both men now favor cutting taxes for the middle class; of course both men will accuse each other of being insincere on that point. None of that matters. Once in office, neither man will have any choice but to raise taxes in order to cover those hot checks. And that's that.
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10 comments:
Many disabled people use computers. The question is, is McCain motivated to do so? This question is important and the answer says a lot about his limited world view.
Using a computer today is no longer exotic, elitist or nerdy no matter what your age or disability unless you are stubbornly entrenched in the past.
Using a computer is essential to someone's understanding of how our modern world functions and interacts. Not using one is, frankly, bizarre.
Worse still is defiantly bragging about not knowing how to use a computer. To me, that is a fatal flaw in someone who wants to be my leader. How in the world can a computer illiterate hope to understand how the modern world functions?
Would you have supported Ronald Reagan if he bragged that he didn't know how to use a telephone?
If you're right, then why isn't your candidate winning?
Go on. Make fun of the old. You've already done WONDERS for your cause by dissing women.
Gee, would it kill you ever to admit "Maybe we're fucking up" -- in the face of OVERWHELMING evidence that you have, in fact, upfucked? Are you THAT arrogant?
Sure, McCain is not incapable of using e-mail. He prefers to use voice methods, although he can certainly read e-mails just fine. I think that the quote that Obama's ad used for reference was a sort of "Shucks, I'm just a simple country lawyer," bit of rhetoric that McCain used as an off-the-cuff response.
McCain's original comment placed him on the same side as the millions of Americans who don't use e-mail and don't feel an obligation to do so. By criticizing McCain about this, the Obama ad indirectly criticizes the personal choice of those millions of voters.
I don't think obi wants to lose. He is too narcissistic and losing would equal personal rejection. He is incapable of thinking more broadly than that, or simply being bigger than that. He's no Jimmy Carter. As you've already pointed out, Joseph, his Gestalt is more Nixonian, driven by pettiness and power. He is small, and not nearly half as smart as Nixon was. This will be his downfall.
The Lightbringer is not smart enough or tough enough to recognize the greed and narcissism of his own supporters, and rein them in. Really, where would the cheetos be with a Democrat in the White House, let alone the empowerment of a democratic Congress? Nowhere, which is why they will try to make sure that doesn't happen. Their success depends on a divided government, but Obama is so vain, he prolly thinks this song is about him...
Kim in PA
anonymous:
Perhaps basing one's decision of presidential candidate on computer skills is slightly myopic. Could it possibly serve to one's advantage to NOT be beholden to the 24 second news cycle of the Internet? I know I can't resist the lure, but can also see that it might possibly serve one well to not be so entrenched in the vacillating whims of the populace, the up-to-the-minute polls and the insta-post of a million bloggers and their followers (no offense, Cannon, I really do love you) and their every emotion and idea. It might even allow someone to look at any issue dispassionately, and even, dare I say, clearly?
As far the Obamites current course of "insult everyone" scorched-earth tactic, I am utterly amazed. I think they could have only improved on the "let's make fun of the dinosaur" ad by inserting the clip of Biden asking a wheelchair bound Graham to "Stand up, Chuck!" that really would have brought the message home for all the idiot rednecks (like me).
That commercial is quite inexplicable coming from a man who allegedly favored a "Restore the Americans With Disabilities Act."
Re: whether he wants to lose—does he? Hmmm. Is it possible the Party has decided it might be better to push an Obama "near miss" on the White House than deal with an Obama public relations nightmare if he should somehow make it in? (I'm not suggesting he has much of a legitimate chance of getting elected, but I think some DNC people might be just deluded enough to believe that even at this point.)
Successful politicians live by propaganda and slush funds, and lack any shred of humanity - end of story. Agreed, there are certainly ideas and statements that put down disabled people. Personally I never use the word "lame" in a derogatory sense, for example!! So I didn't like your first sentence!
b
The obvious problem: People know that John McCain cannot use a computer keyboard, due to a disability caused by the torture he underwent while in a Vietnamese prison.
The obvious problem with that paragraph is that "people" do NOT know this at all.
First, it is apparently not true that his disability prevents his using a computer. McCain has recently spoken of his progress in learning to use the computer and e-mail. If that was impossible, he couldn't be doing it.
But more importantly, people don't know about the extent of McCain's disabilities, let alone about this as the claimed reason (evidently now proven false) he doesn't use a computer.
I have heard many, many people comment about McCain's hunched up body posture, and his awkward and limited arm movements, because they don't know anything about his disabilities whatsoever. They see the problem, but have no idea what it's from. McCain has generally hidden details of this from the public, so of course, they don't know it, as to either his obvious arm/shoulder mobility problems, let alone a typing issue.
It's about the same as the then-average person's "knowledge" of FDR's use of a wheelchair because of his polio. They did NOT know, because it was kept secret.
As for 'ageism' as an issue, a Pew Poll last year found that if a (generic) candidate was over 70 years old, fully 50% of the respondents said it would make them less likely to support him. While this was spun at the time in terms of the near 50% who said it wouldn't make any difference, it was the third highest difference maker of those asked in the poll. It trailed only 'doesn't believe in God' and 'never held elected office' as reasons that would lessen support, and was AHEAD of 'is a Muslim' (the next highest difference maker to being over 70).
XIslander
F.Y.I. I believe his injuries were incurred in a North Korean prison, not in Vietnam.
Anon at 10:54: I believe his injuries were incurred in a North Korean prison, not in Vietnam.
Vietnam. A simple Google search would have corrected your "belief."
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