The two McCains.
Last night Ben and I watched clips of Senators Obama and McCain roasting each other at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. Both of them were absolutely hilarious, but to be perfectly honest, McCain’s was funnier. Maybe he’s just had more experience working in comedy, maybe he’s just a funnier guy (perhaps his whole calamity campaign was really a big misunderstood joke?)
What struck me about McCain’s roast was how genuine and good natured it seemed. It was a tone I haven’t seen in his campaign, but wish I had. He also spoke honestly and non-comedically about the accomplishments of Obama, a gesture that was so poignant that it made the comedic parts seem even funnier. It was a nod to the very real possibility that he will lose, and a very graceful move.
It reminded me of the John McCain who got eaten by the Bush-Rove machine in 2000. It gave me a glimpse of what people liked about the (more) moderate, decent-seeming guy who ran an honest campaign and got his ass handed to him by a dirty smear campaign. And if we’d seen more grace like that in his campaign (or a different running mate), perhaps he wouldn’t be lagging so soundly in the polls right now.
But instead he ran a campaign that resorted really early in the game to tactics like this:
It’s TPM, so clearly there’s a leftish bias behind the reporting, but they have audio of the call and it is appalling. Even after the “campaign reboot” it’s the same old BS, a twisting of facts in attempt to smear Obama.
It doesn’t surprise me, exactly, but the juxtaposition of the two McCains is just really disturbing.
Oh well; on to Election Day!
Sphere: Related Content
What is this Memorial Dinner? A friend posted it too…
noelle´s last blog post..F&E on Wino Wednesday
It’s the annual dinner for a charitable foundation set up by a former 4-term governor of New York. That’s the extent of what I know about it.