Election ’08: The final straight
8:28 pm - October 7th 2008
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Ok, so it may not quite be the final straight. But it is undeniable that Barack Obama’s growing lead is starting to panic the GOP. Republicans are worried that there may not be the time to turn it around.
Rightwing blogs are denying that it’s over, claiming that Kerry led Bush going into the ’04 election – only to lose. But as leading Democrat blogger Oliver Willis points out, this is simply not the case (wot, you mean rightwingers lie?). Bush was leading Kerry at this point in ’04.
Moreover, the Obama lead is beginning to bring more and more States into contention. This is a result of Obama’s adoption of Howard Dean’s ambitious 50-State strategy (something it should be noted, that was ridiculed by the Clintons), and the increasing economic concerns of the electorate. In polls Obama crucifies John McCain on the economy.
Previously Red-States such as Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Nevada, and Colorado are now realistic Democrat targets. The uber-important “swing-states” of Ohio and Florida are sliding towards Obama, and McCain, much to Sarah Palin’s ire, has given up completely in Michigan.
So what do you do when you’ve all but lost the election? Well, if you’re John McCain you get nasty, very nasty.
The past week has seen the McCain campaign turn from prickly to just plain vindictive. Everything that was off-limits is now fair game. McCain, who suffered so grievously at the hands of George Bush in the 2000 primary, has dropped his “straight talk” commitment and has signed up to the gutter politics he always claimed was beneath him.
In recent speeches, Veep-hopeful Sarah Palin has linked Obama to “demoestic terrorist” Bill Ayres, using a NY Times article as a source – neglecting to mention that the Times article concluded the Obama and Ayres were little more than passing acquaintances (unlike Palin’s long-term links with the anti-American Alaskan separatist movement, whose convention she addressed earlier in the year).
The McCain team has also asked to view the Obama campaign’s donation registrar. No doubt they plan to pour over every name in a desperate attempt to raise questions about Obama’s background. Any name sounding even remotely Islamic would no doubt find its way into GOP election materials. Oh, and did I say that the McCain team has suggested that Hamas supports Obama? Seriously.
Nothing, it seems, is below the belt. The McCain strategy is now to try and ruin Obama, while simultaniously diverting the electorate away from the nation’s economic woes.
An increasingly volatile and grumpy John McCain has no answers, only dirt to throw.
With undecided voters beginning to make their minds up, and with many postal voters submitting their votes around now, it could well be over. Unless McCain can strike gold with a campaign-toppling scandal (or unless a terrorist attack means security trumps the economy), Obama should coast to a famous win.
Tonight, during the second presidential debate, expect sparks and dirt to fly as the two candidates clash. A good performance from Obama could well be the killer blow, but Republicans will be hoping for a final fightback by McCain.
As Obama has learned, McCain can swing viciously when on the ropes.
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Aaron Murin-Heath is an occasional contributor. He is a writer based in Newark-on-Trent and Tallinn, Estonia. He is both socially and economically liberal. Aaron blogs at tygerland.net.
· Other posts by Aaron Murin-Heath
Story Filed Under: Foreign affairs ,United States
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Reader comments
Is anyone really surprised McCain and the GoP would turn out to be real pieces of shit once the game was on. In a sense the Clinton’s did Team Obama a real favour by giving him a taste of things to come…
Aaron,
Thanks for this article. It had all gone a bit quite around here on what I see as a pivotal moment for the West. That it has been reduced to who can throw the better quality mud, rather than who has the better policies is actually a bit scary. And, if the feminists around here will let me off with this, I actually find Sarah Palins attempts at sex appeal more appropriate to a fifties movie star, Marylyn Munro for instance, than a VP pick.
I find it amusing that it was mere months ago that people were claiming that Obama wouldn’t be able to stand up to the GOP machine, yet we’re already at gutter politics and the people aren’t really engaging with it (so far).
I’m more and more convinced that Obama is going to win and win big.
I’m also convinced this will not solve any of the serious problems caused by the current structure of US politics unless he is brave enough and secure enough in his majority to depart from orthodox establishment strategy.
This is because I’m certain the US will see continued progressive declines in electoral standards this year and be less free, less fair and less reliable than any in the last half-century.
It is possible that events are conspiring with the personalities to create a mandate for real changes, but I’m sceptical anyone in the US would attempt to challenge their constitutional system let alone know how to reform it successfully.
Thomas,
Sadly, I’d have to agree with you. The ratchet effect is in full flow in the USA, and picking that apart is going to be so hard.
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