Has McCain let it get too far?

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

I was just reading the response from the Obama campaign to Palin "Palling around with terrorists" remark. I thought well, that was easy to turn around. It was brilliant. Make them look as desperate as they are. I thought it would make for an interesting discussion on DU. Has McCain let Obama get too far ahead, that anything he throws now, especially OLD stuff like Wright, Ayers and Rezco, going to seem desperate to people? How will it effect the independents?

I watched the debate on CNN this past Thursday specifically to watch the lines of undecideds in Ohio and how they reacted to certain things. Every time that Palin went after Obama or Biden in a mudslinging way, both lines either flatlined or dipped way down.

I'm of the opinion that McCain has let it slip just to the point where people will question the attacks, so, the Obama campaign can use a dual approach. Diminish the associations, while saying that they are focusing on those things because they have no plan.

What say you all?
So, what say you all?

[mzmolly]

1. I think she crossed the line.

Yes, is my answer.

[babylonsister]

2. McBush used all his heavy ammo too early; now he's got nada...

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/the_deadly_final_attack.php

The Deadly Final Attack...

04 Oct 2008 04:48 pm


It looks like the deadlier final attack might come not from John McCain, as advertised, but from Barack Obama, with his McCcain-will-cost-you-more blitzkrieg. McCain's already on extremely weak footing regarding the economy.

By eliminating McCain's one economic trump card, that he is a tax cutter and Obama a tax-hiker, Obama's pounding on those coffin nails.

This is why the "Barack Obama is lying to voters and is a dangerous terrorist pal who can't be trusted" response is coming from the McCain campaign; their only hope is to erode trust in Obama's attacks the way Obama eroded trust in mccain's attacks.

One worry for Republicans is that McCain has already gone too negative too quickly; you never pull out the strongest punches against your opponent until the very end; it's hard to get tougher than the kindergarten ad... or over-the-top statements about Obama not being fit to lead.

[CLANG]

3. McCain has lost the election, fair and square

The only chance he has is to lie, cheat and steal. Fortunately most people no longer have the patience for frivolous bullshit. The American people have a terrible hangover, and they are not in a very good mood.

[BlooInBloo]

4. When all you have left are the smears that were used in the primary....

You know it's over.

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

5. That's my take on it too Bloo

Too little too late, it will be seen as desperate. Of course, that's no reason not to counter and slam.

What I really can't believe is the risk. He's certainly NOT clean and there are plenty of skeletons to bring out and shake the bones. If he puts these things on the table, he knows that his will come out too. I don't see the upside for them. The squeeze has been applied masterfully.

[BlooInBloo]

6. It is kind of amazing to note that with OVER A MONTH to go, they've run out of material.

[knowledgeispwr]

9. DING DING DING!

Exactly. All the stuff McCain/Palin is coming out with is old news and looks silly now. Obama campaign's framing of McCain's campaign as desperate sets up McCain to play right into that meme whenever the repeat the old smears.

[electron_blue]

16. I agree. They never had anything good on him anyway. Remember when they attacked

him bcs he was so "popular"? LoL

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. Whoever said the primary being so long was a bad thing - well

here's the upside. All the bad stuff has already come out - once. Flickered and died.

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

8. Not inly that, with the longer primary,

people are getting tiredof it all. Most have made their decision and are getting sick of the nastiness.

[Clio the Leo]

10. Yep, and Indi's didn't like it in the first debate either...

.... I read a strategy point here that the reason why Obama stayed above the frey during the first debate is that independants dont enjoy watching Democrats and Republicans throw mud at one another. They think it's petty. So in keeping it clean and respectful, Obama was hoping to win their support.

Let's see .... how did that turn out. ;-)

Every time McCain made a personal attack in the first debate, the sliders went way down.

[Vinca]

11. McCain has put his desperation in neon lights.

Guilt by association is not a place he wants to go, especially during an economic crisis considering he was a cause of the S&L meltdown, barely escaping indictment, and a proximate cause of this meltdown given his deregulation philosophy.

[BlooInBloo]

12. We're watching an old, bitter, stupid man die v e r y s l o w l y.

[President Decider]

13. Obama has been vetted for 2 years now campaigning. Negative attacks now only sound like "whining"

McCain is going down and he knows it.

[trueblue2007]

14. Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

Analysis: Palin's words may backfire on McCain

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON - By claiming that Democrat Barack Obama is "palling around with terrorists" and doesn't see the U.S. like other Americans, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin targeted key goals for a faltering campaign.

And though she may have scored a political hit each time, her attack was unsubstantiated and carried a racially tinged subtext that John McCain himself may come to regret.


<snip>

In her character attack, Palin questions Obama's association with William Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground. Her reference was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career.

Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions.

<snip>


John McCain occasionally says he looks back on decisions with regret. He has apologized for opposing a holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. He has apologized for refusing to call for the removal of a Confederate flag from South Carolina's Capitol.

When the 2008 campaign is over will McCain say he regrets appeals such as Palin's? ___

EDITOR'S NOTE — Douglass K. Daniel is a writer and editor with the Washington bureau of The Associated Press.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_on_el_pr/palin_s_words_analysis

[Psst_Im_Not_Here]

15. Did you guys see what Obama said today in NC?

If you haven't yet, on this topic, his response is nothing short of beautiful!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7322537

>>"But none of you need the papers, or ads on TV, or folks like me to tell you what this election is all about. You know what’s at stake. You’re living it.

Here in Asheville, and across America, you’ve seen your incomes go down as the price of just about everything has gone way up. It’s harder to pay the bills. Harder to send your kids to college. Harder to save enough to retire.

And on Friday, we learned that we’d lost another 159,000 American jobs in September. It was the ninth straight month of job losses – more than three quarters of a million this year, including 24,000 here in North Carolina. And it came just as we finished a week in which our financial markets teetered on the brink of disaster.

Yet instead of addressing these crises, Senator McCain’s campaign has announced that they plan to turn the page on the discussion about our economy and spend the final weeks of this campaign launching Swiftboat-style attacks on me.

Think about that for a second. Turn the page on the economy? We’re facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and John McCain wants us to “turn the page?” Well, I know the policies he’s supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend. I can understand why Senator McCain would want to “turn the page” and ignore this economy.">>

[RagAss]

17. McCain has no say over what she does. He has been told to shut up and stay out of it.....

[Hellataz]

18. McCain is going to regret his action in this campaign

He's played dirty and i bet lost a lot of respect from many of his associates. He's not the same guy that both sides of the aisle liked and respected anymore, he's now a GOP TOOL!

[Odin2005]

19. The angry, bitter old man and the ditzy sidekick shot themselves in the foot.

They are history.