The title question refers to an issue that is frustrating me because I see hardly anyone else talking about it, and I don't understand why. Maybe somebody here can help me out on this...
I haven't been overly concerned with the Obama compaign's strategy thus far, although like others I've been wondering if they couldn't be at least a little more agressive towards McSame and his party of goons.
Here's what has been really bugging me lately, though:
The "Ayers" thing is rearing its ugly head again because the GOoPers are obviously desperate. From TPM Election Central I've learned that the Obama camp is taking their efforts head-on, unlike the Kerry camp did 4 years ago against the Smear-Boaters.
From the ad...
"With all our problems, why is John McCain talking about the sixties, trying to link Barack Obama to radical Bill Ayers?" the spot says, suggesting that McCain himself is behind the Ayers spot. "McCain knows Obama denounced Ayers' crimes, committed when Obama was just eight years old."
I've also heard that they've organized a boycott which has had some success in getting some stations to refuse to run the ad.
Ok, great. It's better than just ignoring this (we all know how well THAT turned out!). But why stop there?? If Obama's association with Ayers, no matter how overblown, is going to be an issue with these issues-starved Republicans, why not go on a counterattack instead of just react to them.
Here's what I mean: earlier this year columnist Steve Chapman wrote this article, where he ripped into McCain's association with one G. Gordon Liddy. This, btw, was after he wrote a column defending attacking Obama for Ayers...at least he was being bipartisan about this bullshit.
Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great."
Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn't disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist?
Now can anyone here imagine the look on McCain's face if someone confronted him with that quote and asked him if he still believed that about such a thug?
So here's the "Why?!?!?" part: WHY is it that the only place I've seen this mentioned in the so-called mainstream media in Mr. Chapman's column (from almost 4 months ago, no less)?? WHY have I not seen any Dems, whether inside or out of Sen. Obama's campaign, mentioning this bit of hypocrisy? Even as just an off-the-cuff remark? AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?!? What could possibly be the downside of bringing this up and WHY is it not being done!?!
Ok, rant's over, now here's a poll....