Maybe Kos covers this in his new book and I’ll soon get all the information I need, but for the moment, I am left to wonder, "How does anyone fight bat-shit crazy?"
Over the last few weeks, I have felt a sense of apathy towards the Obama campaign. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely want and need Obama to win the election. He has my unwavering support. (I cannot even envision McCain winning without the thought of moving my family out of the country.) It’s just that lately I haven’t had the same level of energy when I think about Obama and his chances in November.
For a while, I though my lack of energy was due to Obama’s move to the center. His FISA vote stung and was a bitter pill to swallow. And, all of his other overtures to the right (read: Faith Based Programs, Saddleback Church appearance, etc.) haven’t been any better. But, I realized that I still support him whole-heartedly and these moves haven’t shaken my faith in him. I still believe he is an extremely smart man and will govern effectively (and hopefully progressively).
So, what’s got my goat? What is it that is sapping my energy? I think I have figured it out.
To answer my own question, I had to go back to when I first started feeling nervous about the campaign, which coincided with McCain’s celebrity ad. Up until that point, McCain was shooting blanks and shooting himself in the foot more than anything else. Obama had just come back from his trip abroad and had really hit it out of the park from a publicity standpoint. Obama’s trip has, thus far, been the high water mark of the campaign, in my mind. Conversely, this time probably also coincided with McCain’s low water mark, which is undoubtedly why the McCain camp decided to go negative. They were desperate. Hence, the celebrity ad, which first aired right after Obama’s trip.
I remember thinking at the time, "This ad doesn’t make any sense." You probably had the same thought I had, namely, "What? Popularity is now supposed to be a bad thing? Since when?" Of course, the media ate up the ad because it signaled the start of the negative campaign season, and in their blood lust, they couldn’t contain themselves. It was all over the place.
At the time, I laughed off the ad. I thought it was stupid, and it confirmed, in my mind at least, that McCain was desperate. Surely the American people would see through it for what it was. Oh, how foolish I was!
Then came more attacks. Obama puts politics over country. (Huh? This from a man who was tortured and yet somehow manage to vote to allow torture? This from a man who voted against the new GI bill?) Obama’s idea of an energy plan is to properly inflate your tires. (What? This from a man who’s idea of a comprehensive energy policy is "drill, drill, drill!" This from a man who was against offshore drilling before he was bought off by the oil industry! Huh?) Why won’t Obama admit that his judgment was wrong about the "surge"? (Excuse me? McCain was wrong about the link between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein! McCain was wrong about WMDs! McCain was wrong about it being a cake walk! Why does Barack Obama have to defend himself?)
And, on it goes. More senseless attacks. One after another. After a while, you just have to shake your head and wonder, "WTF?" But, here is the really demoralizing thing. It appears to be working. The polls have shifted in McCains favor, and it is a much closer race than it was. I am not saying that McCain’s messaging is the only reason the polls are moving, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be hurting him any. And, it has left me wonering, "How do you fight this stuff?"
So, I think this is what has got me down. I don’t know how to handle these attacks, and frankly, I don’t think the Obama campaign has a good handle on them either. They have been going after McCain, making fun of his statements and at the same time trying to set the record straight, but I don’t think it is working. It’s not having any noticeable effect.
And, at the same time, the base (our base) is depressed and sniping and griping at one another. You don’t read the same number of diaries you once did from people saying how they are excited about this campaign. (Granted, maybe the number of positive diaries will pick up after all this Veep chatter is over.) I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me, but I know I don’t have the same level of energy I once had.
So, let me open it up to you. How’s your energy level? How are you feeling today? And, do you know how to fight bat-shit crazy? If you do, please share! I am desperate and would love to hear your ideas.
Thanks!