The worst thing in a political campaign is when candidates treat the voters like children, and I hate to say it, but that’s what the Obama campaign is doing right now.
Yesterday the story broke that John McCain’s top political advisor, Charlie Black, acknowledged to Fortune magazine that "another terrorist attack" would be helpful to McCain’s political chances. Right away, Obama operatives and allies and bloggers jumped on the comment, acting as though McCain and Black had personally sat down and interviewed potential terrorists. As soon as the uproar started, McCain denounced the comment, and Black apologized.
Everyone should cut the crap. Of course another terrorist attack would be good for McCain’s chances. McCain has a lot of experience on national security issues, and a lot of voters would respond to that, and anyone who doesn’t understand that also doesn’t understand the 2002 or the 2004 elections. Black offered his view in precisely the same way that a Democratic operative might say that $5-a-gallon gasoline or another Katrina would be good for Obama. Not good intrinsically, but good in the complex, sophisticated way that almost any adult grasps that some circumstances are better in some situations for bringing out some outcomes, than are others. It’s unseemly to see Obama’s allies self-righteously condemning a political analyst’s analysis. Charlie Black, cynical though he may be, is not sitting around wishing the worst for America, but is merely acknowledging a basic political reality.
There are enough outrageous things in this country that we don’t have to engage in fake outrage.
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Comments on this entry:
That "basic political reality" that Charlie Black is acknowledging is exactly the problem. It is a distorted and hyper-cynical worldview that speaks volumes about Republican operatives. That's the point of the criticism which, by the way, comes from more places than just the Obama campaign.
No one is suggesting the guy is twirling his moustache and hoping for an attack. And to compare $5 a gallon gas to American deaths is way off base.
The fact that people perceive McCain, a guy who needs Sen. Lieberman's help in figuring out who's on which side in Iraq, as stronger on defense is like saying since 70% of the American people believed there were WMD's then it must be true. This fiction too shall pass.
The crap that needs to be cut is tired old men fantasizing about war, death and chaos.