American Issues Project, a nonprofit 501(c)4 organization, produced an advertisement attacking Obama. The ad sets a few concepts side by side and hopes the American public does funny math to conclude something completely illogical through psst hint hinting about Obama.
Let's consider carefully the integers they are endeavoring to place in this equation:
x is Obama
q is William Ayers,
who was part of the Weather Underground Organization, which claimed responsibility for some bombings---including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol---in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
t is Obama and Ayers live in the same neighborhood, and both were affiliated with Woods Fund (a Chicago-based community group dedicated to helping the poor) and Chicago Annenberg Challenge (and education reform group).
x+q+t=these two men, who live in the same community and who are both dedicated to poverty and education reform, crossed paths.
Yes, that's all that proves---unfortunately for Ed Failor, Jr, a board member of American Issues Project and former McCain campaign paid consultant, who would like you to think it means Obama had a part in or somehow endorsed bombings that happened back when he was in first grade, and that, by the way, are only allegedly linked to Ayers (charges were dropped). (Pssst you are supposed hear that old, tired, ridiculous whisper about patriotism and the antithesis of it---it's too bad McCain and his allies think so lowly of the average American, too bad they assume (a) we'd fall for this or (b) we're that low-minded and racist.)
Failor and his conservative group are using what I like to call Rovellian tactics:
Rovellian -adj.: of, like, or befitting Machiavelli; in other words, placing political expediency above morality by using craft and deceit, characterized by subtle or unscrupulous cunning, deception, or dishonesty.
We're not this stupid. People may have fallen for the swift boat deal, but we're on to this type of monkey business now. Fool people once, shame on you, fool people twice, shame on them. Nobody's a fool here.
Even diehard biased news source Fox News refused to run the ads, which were slotted for swing states Ohio and Michigan.
However, the ads violate McCain's own legislation---that's right, the (John)McCain-Feingold 2003 Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act---said Laura MacCleery, deputy director of the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice in an article on The Huffington Post:
"This negative campaign ad is clearly express advocacy, and under a federal law passed in 2003, the Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (known colloquially as McCain-Feingold), it cannot legally be paid for with corporate money, including those of a non-profit. The ad indisputably concerns an election, takes a position on the character and fitness for office of a candidate, and raises no legislative issue. Even this highly skeptical Supreme Court would turn up its noses at the foul odor emitted by this clear abuse of federal election law."
Regardless of which rules or laws it violates, it violates the rule of common decency and relevancy.
Dear McCain Campaign and Supporters...can you truly not find a single issue to discuss? Is there really no good reason to vote for McCain other than loosely and sloppily contrived alleged "reasons" to not vote for Obama?
Next time, try spending $2.8 million advocating good reasons behind voting for your candidate.
Oh, did I give away a Top Secret Campaign Strategy? Well, consider this an act of goodwill---it is in fact allowable to focus on your own candidate and his stance on issues. You are not required to slander and badmouth your opponent. Try winning on your own merits, eh?
Julie Pippert also writes at Using My Words and Moms Speak Up, where she prefers to stick to the issues and not engage in libel, slander or other exciting legal violations.
I'm just surprised that Fox news has any sense of decency at all!
Posted by: birdgal | August 22, 2008 at 09:09 AM
You know it has to be legally actionable when not even Faux News touches it.
As much as they do like their smears, they also don't like lawsuits or other costly messes.
Grasping. At. Straws.
Posted by: cynematic | August 22, 2008 at 09:32 AM
My husband finally told (somewhat brutally)someone we know to stop forwarding us absurd anti-Obama emails based on faulty logic or flat out outrageous allegations. Make me an argument based on real issues, like you disagree with his tax policy. I may not agree with you, but at least I can respect your position. However, I find the whole "you're the elitist, no you're the elitist" argument by both candidates to be along the same lines.
Posted by: kim | August 22, 2008 at 09:55 AM