Flushed Out Politics

Crap on Hypocrisy

2008-07-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Charlie Black, a McCain surrogate, told us that "A terrorist attack would help John McCain's candidacy." Perhaps five days later, General Wesley Clark declared (rightly so,) that flying a plane wasn't an automatic qualification for a president. Senator Jim Webb agreed, saying that McCain needed to "Calm down" when it came to mixing politics and war.

McCain camp fired back with this: "If Barack Obama can't control his own surrogate operation, how can he be trusted to run the country"

Are we kidding? Does McCain really want this fight to go to who has the less bad surrogates?

Hint: The answer is no.

Obama gives Clinton Cash

2008-06-25T05:48:00.001-07:00

Looks like Andrea Mitchell can stop flipping out.

Crap on General Election Strategy

2008-06-24T19:19:00.000-07:00

I'm a debater at heart, so allow me to look at the general election through a debater's paradigm and explain things to you that way. In a debate, one side has the burden of proof. This side is often the affirmative because the affirmative must prove that a change in the status quo is good. The negative side does not have a burden of proof - it does not have to prove anything, just disprove the affirmative. In a courtroom, technically the defendant does not have to say anything, it is the prosecutor's job to prove he is guilty.

That's what this election is about. Barack Obama has the burden of proof - he must prove to people that he should be the president. John McCain only needs to prove that Barry can't be the president. Everyone knows that McCain could be the president. Whether you want him to is another matter, but he could be. Barry hasn't proven that yet, and that's why the "imaginary" Democrat is outperforming him. That's why, when all indicators say he should be winning by a significant margin, he is not.

So what should each of them do?

Barry: Obama's route to the presidency isn't as straightforward as McNugget's. Obama needs to do two main things to affirm that he should be the president:
1.) Continue stressing your whiteness. Your recent campaign commercial is a step in the right direction. You need to prove to independents and moderate republicans that you aren't a radical. Go to small towns in Indiana, Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania, and other states that are either delicate shades of purple, or only a teensy bit red, like IN and VA. Drop Iraq (polls show you are losing the debate over Iraq) and stress the economy and oil (the two big issues, and the two issues people trust you on most. Also the two issues that small towns are being pwned hardest by.) Focus on independents and moderate conservatives - the Clinton supporters will support you (at first they said that they would never support you; now they are saying they will if she is on the ticket; they'll come around and manufacture a reason to support you,) and so will all Democrats. And perhaps, most importantly, NO MORE REVEREND WRIGHT'S. A controversy about a white person who was never a radical won't hurt you. A controversy about a black, a radical, a Muslim, etc. will destroy you. It's the sad truth.
Final Statement: SMALL TOWNS AND ECONOMICS. AVOID CONTROVERSY DEALING WITH RADICALS AND NON-WHITES.
2. Surround yourself with experience. Everyone on earth - even Mike Gravel's rock- knows that you represent change from the old, and, more politically important, change from Bush. At this point, know that you are out of the primaries, you don't even need to denounce the "old way of doing things" anymore. That was a killer hit against other Dems, but what's going to be more effective in the general election is saying "I disagree with George W. Bush." You've been criticized during the primary season for being too much about change and not enough about the issues. Here's your chance: stress the issues - a majority of Americans agree with you on them. Don't stress all the issues (abortion,) but stress the economy and the environment (which is going to be the dark horse issue of the year.) But, back to experience. We've shown that you no longer need to prove change, you now need to prove your ability to create change. Get experienced, non-polarizing Democrats around you. Bayh (the best bet for VP, btw,) Biden, maybe even Christopher Fucking Dodd. Beware the curse of Billary. This whole Unity thing is cute, but drop it ASAP. They'll vote for you, don't worry about it. And, GET A MODERATE REPUBLICAN TO ENDORSE YOU, and make it one with experience.
Final Statement: GET BIDEN AND BAYH AND BE SEEN WITH THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. STRESS YOUR DIFFERENCES WITH BUSH.

In conclusion, Obama doesn't even need to acknowledge McCain's existence to win this election. He needs to prove himself, not disprove McCain. McCain is not popular, he is getting more anti-Obama votes than pro-McCain quotes. If Obama can focus on and prove his ability to create change, then McNugget will flip-flop the hell out of America and Obama will destroy in the GE.

Johnny: In the best of times, you wouldn't have to do this, but we aren't in the best of times, especially for repubs. This is something that you and I both fundamentally disagree with, but, frankly, you have no choice but to go negative. I'm not talking about race-baiting negative (although you've proven you won't speak out against that,) I'm talking destroy any Obama attempt to make him seem ready to be the POTUS. Drop the economy - you've admitted you don't understand it, and the American people understand that you don't understand it. Drop the environment, alternative energy, healthcare, and taxes. Focus on the scary stuff - Iraq and terrorism. You're beating Obama there and if you can widen that margin you'll solve your campaign's two main issues by mobilizing your base and winning over undecideds and moderate democrats. It's fairly simple: prove Obama wrong. You have no other choice.

Crap on Obama Schizophrenia

2008-06-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Barry's Campaign has a problem: his aides are more focused on politics than his message. This has been a core tenant of the campaign, but it's also one of its greatest weaknesses. Barry focuses less on what people will think compared to what he thinks, and his aides do the opposite. What we're seeing as a result is a rift between message and policies, as made evident by his numerous issues with Muslims in this country.

The most blatantly obvious gaffe was made by two campaign volunteers in Michigan, in incident which everyone in America, and even the (not-so-)undiscovered Brazilian tribe has heard of. The volunteers, in a bit of not-so-wise bottom-up management, told two Muslim ladies that they would not be allowed to sit behind the candidate (where the cameras would pick them up) unless they removed their traditional headdresses. DUMB. Now, it is incredibly hard to believe that this is a policy of the Obama campaign. This is because it seems to me that there are two problems with the thinking of the volunteers: 1.) It is unlikely that the vast-right-wing-conspiracy could or would make use of an image of Obama speaking while 2/20,000-ths (.01%) of his crowd is Muslim! and 2.) If the vast-right-wing-conspiray were to (stupidly) use the image or the example, there would be backlash of unimaginable proportions. John McCain would have to choose between fear and the issues. And, no matter what, he'd piss someone off.

But, according to the New York Times and Keith Ellison, the issues are widespread. Keithy, a Muslim, got shunned repeatedly by the Obama campaign. But Ellison, a smart guy, blames the aides.

Blame the aides. Tighten things up, Barry.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"They are too eager, the criticism is, to deny the false rumors that he is a Muslim, which he is not."
-Andrea Mitchell, who is also not a Muslim, but does work for The Department of Redundany Department.

Michelle Obama - 31
Cindy McSame - 25 - Knows how to pilot a plane (hopefully better than her husband.)

Crap on the '08 Electoral Map

2008-06-19T21:29:00.001-07:00

I have one quick beef here with the media. Everyone on the news is saying, "Well, Barry has a chance to really redraw the electoral map for the Democrats. Change is coming! ORGASM!"

I think that's crap.

There is no doubt that Barry has a chance to redraw the electoral map. I also think that there is no doubt that Billary II could have redrawn the election map, or Mike Gravel, or Bill Richardson (who, by the way, is my hero for not taking any Democraptic debate seriously,) or Joe Biden, or Dennis Kucinich, or John Edwards, or even Christopher Fucking Dodd.

While Obama may be unique in his speaking ability, I think a lot of hooblah is being made that shouldn't be about his ability to draw over independents or republicans.

In this election cycle, Christopher Fucking Dodd can draw over independents and republicans. Bob Bauer could draw over independents and republicans. Fidel Castro could draw over independents and republicans, had the right wing conspiracy not poisoned his liver. A rock could draw over independents and republicans, had Mike Gravel not thrown it in the river.

Side Note: According to Firefox spell check, Democraptic is in fact a word. RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY STRIKES AGAIN. Also, the words "right wing conspiracy" do not occur on the internet without the word "vast" preceeding them, congrats to Billary II for the meme.

Crap On Public Financing

2008-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama today opted out of public funding for the general election. When I first heard it, I was extremely disappointed. It seemed like a sudden reversal and a DUMB political move. But the facts all point towards Obama making a fair move, and maybe even more importantly, the RIGHT move.

In response, McCain crapped a cow. His machine crapped forth a statement saying that Obama ""has revealed himself to be just another typical politician who will do and say whatever is most expedient for Barack Obama." McCain expressed his disappointment in Obama, who I'm sure will lose sleep because McCain is disappointed in him.

The crap here?

Obama NEVER committed to public financing. In the "commitment," a survey from Midwest Democracy Network, the question asked, "If you are nominated for President in 2008 and your major opponents agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign, will you participate in the presidential public financing system?" Obama agreed.

McCain did not "agree to forgo private funding in the general election campaign" until this afternoon - after Obama's announcment. So, Obama in NO WAY broke his commitment. Before today, John McCain had been raising private money. He also bent the rules, according to the FEC, by opting into and out of the system several times during the primary.

It is in fact McCain who will do the politically expedient, casting the first stone when he is certainly not without sin on the matter. As Obama lawyer Bob Bauer (BB) pointed out, "The important thing is that John McCain has been running a privately financed campaign for the general election since February. The problem from our perspective is that the horse is long gone from the barn here." MSNBC reports that McCain has spent $2 million a week for the last 3 weeks on TV ads. So unles McCain wants to accept $78 million (actually less,) then Obama is right, and McCain is "gaming the system."

Oh, and by the way, the Midwest Democracy Network sent out the same survey to the remaining candidates in February. Obama was the only one out of the five to actually answer that question a second time - and gave the same answer.

McCain, who ya Crappin'?

But nobody knows the above, so McCain is coming out the winner here. So, truth to Obama, let's look at the politics of it.

In the short term, the advantage is of course to McCain. He's able to snip the feathers off of Obama's angelic wings, tarnish the halo a little. But when Obama spreads him like crazy in the general election with (as one analyst predicted) six times the funds, we'll see what's up. What McCain should do then is say, "He's using evillll money to do this." Run ads in the key states saying that.

But by that point, it probably won't matter.

First Post

2008-06-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

This blog has gone through a relatively quick gestation period. It has evolved into a regular (hopefully) form from my irregular and sporadic notes on facebook criticizing this or that part of the campaign trail. All I'm hoping to do is expose the gaffes of and provide commentary on the politics of today. Whether it's Barry, Johnny, or Dubya; or maybe even the double-headed monster of Billary, I'll do my best to keep you up to track.