Andrew has got some original post about McCain on his site. It is a must read for all of us:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/mccains-integri.html#more
As you read the post, you wonder is it not the usual ‘weak, crying, sissy’ attack and rant of a ‘lost’ liberal? Sure at first it seems so. But when one goes at the end of the article, we realize the brilliance of Andrew’s argument.
He is going plain and simple ‘swift boating’ McCain. Granted the term is getting over used and we Dems have become obsessed with it. But if see Andrew’s point, one realizes what a ‘top’ effort he is undertaking here: McCain’s campaign manager sometime back said this election is not about ‘issues’ but about ‘character’. We thought that as outrageous and it is. But hard knuckle response to that is to go after McCain’s character. And as Andrew has shown competently, there is enough string ground to make the case that McCain is ‘flunking’ that case big time. Hence it is ‘swift boating’ – going after opponent’s strength; in this case McCain’s character. McCain and GOP have asked for it. Even today, in never ending twisting of words, McCain campaign says that it welcomes Obama’s debate about ‘honor’ and ‘country first’ issues. Let us define ‘honor’ as not ‘lying on stump’ and ‘telling Americans what they need to listen’. Let us define ‘country first’ as the decision of VP who can come in within seconds in the role of Commander in Chief. Let us define ‘America always’ as our answer to energy solution. And then we will see whose ‘honor’ remains.
Andrew’s earlier column about Sarah was also great – trying to portray her as the ‘pro-choice’ pro-lifer. Again sheds of ‘swift boating’ are there.
What all this indicates for Dems is:
- our base is getting warmed to shenanigans of GOP
- we should let free Obama to continue focus on issues (Matthew Yglesias has goot column about how Obama is making a solid case for Education Reforms http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008/09/obamas_education_speech.ph)
- all other supporters of Obama, like Andrew, continue to ‘swift boat’ McCain
- keep focus on McCain as like Huffington says, we do not fall to the ploy of ‘Sarah diversion’ from McCain the focus
- and leave the job of pointing all contradictions and unsuitability of Sarah to rest of Dems and Obama supporters.
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