As I reported last week, the McCain campaign accused Barack Obama of "playing the race card" last Thursday, principally for Obama's thrice-repeated remarks excerpted here:
They're going to try to say that I'm a risky guy, they're going to try to say, 'Well, you know, he's got a funny name, and he doesn't look like all the presidents on the dollar bills and the five dollar bills,'
Barack Obama has since clarified his remarks, trying to step away from the issue of race and remain focused on issues like the economy, and the energy crisis. He denies he was referring to race.
John McCain, for his part, has said he would "...let the American people judge" whether Obama was playing the race card.
American people, allow me to present Exhibit A. Hat tip to Christina at YesToDemocracy.com for pointing this out. Here's the video:
Now, it's not that John McCain's campaign would mock Senator Obama being on the dollar bill (well, kind of), it's that they would mock Senator Obama being on the bill with such a ubiquitous "mugshot" photo. Yeah, the photo that depicts him as "different."
John McCain thinks that he can inject race into this campaign by threatening Senator Obama will change the "100 dollar bill" while also turning the tables and blaming Senator Obama for saying something McCain had already portrayed.
For my part, I stand by my earlier analysis of the "Celeb" ad, and this summation:
It will be a neat trick if the McCain campaign can deflect attention away from its intensely negative campaigning by accusing Obama of noticing it.
The McCain campaign has not returned calls for comment.
At this point, both candidates need to stop their pettiness. Both act juvenile. Both bring up issues that they shouldn't. Tired of it all, would rather hear solutions, not petty BS.
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gabill
10:28AM Aug 4th 2008
Have you ever wondered why you havn't seen the democrats show pictures of Obama beside his airplane? take a look
Is this the best PM can come up with today? There are many reasons to knock the Obama Boy, this is just one of many.
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Christina
10:45AM Aug 4th 2008
gabill- when you show me John McCain's flag. I'll plee for Obama to put his back on.
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fem56
10:46AM Aug 4th 2008
I use to respect and admire McCain. These childish ads will come back to haunt him. Does he think we are that stupid?
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jblarrere
10:47AM Aug 4th 2008
McCain folks had apparently put Obama on a bill as a joke before Obama said anything. McCain has gone negative no matter what he is saying. I used to like him a lot. Now I turn the station whenever he comes on. He lost me.
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neil
10:52AM Aug 4th 2008
the truth shall come to light;''' mccain is such a liar..if he can lie to us about this ..what else is he lying about// he got on national tv amd told us that obama started playing the race card first...
but i am sure that most of you will say that mccain is a hero..he is one of us..he loves america..blah blah balh
a real hero don't lie..no matter what..a trie patriot takes responsiblity for they action..
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iynaroc02
10:54AM Aug 4th 2008
John McCain is a bitter old man who feels terrible that his time has passed. McCain figures he has nothing to lose, so he can go all out because it's either now or never. It's terrible that after squandering 26 years in the US Senate, the country's issues such as economy, healthcare and others have become a joke or light issue for McCain. To me, this is the time for Obama to start hitting McCain hard. First, show ad of him with flashes of some ghosts of old people or old folks home or something that keeps reminding people of his old age in a subtle way. Two areas that must be mined are (a) keep reminding people that McCain has been in the US Senate for more than a quarter century and (b) subtle reminders of his old age. I've seen one ad by Obama a couple of times saying that now McCain is blaming him for high gas prices, then he goes on to talk about his energy plan. This was a weak ad because it did not close the loop and by that I mean, he should have closed out the ad by pointing out that McCain has been in the US Senate for more than a quarter century. That way he's indirectly planting in the voters minds that McCain is more like the esatblishment or part of the issue than Obama is. By not closing the loop, the voter is wondering, then who's fault is it? Who ever is doing Obama's ads needs to put some edge to them and leave somethings for the voter to wonder about McCain. Question for all the dumb ones on here, how come for the past 26 years in the senate Mccain never introduced any bills in the senate to deal with solutions to the issues facing this country and now he wants to believe that he can come up with solution if only we vote him. McCain thinks he is slick, but he's not convincing.
This is hilarious. At least McCain has a sense of humor! Obama looks as much fun as having a root canal.
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Marsha
11:00AM Aug 4th 2008
Obama deserves to be mocked. He started this whole thing by saying he doesn't look like past presidents. We all know he wasn't talking about powdered wigs. He's got a lot of nerve playing the 'race card', and then blaming McCain for it. I can't wait for the debates. This time Obama won't have Hillary giving him all the answers!
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iynaroc02
11:05AM Aug 4th 2008
Frankly, I rather see Obama's face on the currency than McCain's old wrinkled up face. I don't want to be looking at McCain's face each time I look at the currency. For somebody who is clueless about the economy, why should McCain's face ever be put on any currency, not even monopoly money.
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pumadolt
11:06AM Aug 4th 2008
Marsha- this ad came out BEFORE Senator Obama's remarks. Maybe you should start READING.
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Splash
11:07AM Aug 4th 2008
Tommy Christopher: "Barack Obama has since clarified his remarks, trying to step away from the issue of race and remain focused on issues like the economy, and the energy crisis. He denies he was referring to race."
Tommy -
The Big O has made this comment, in similar variations, several times, including to 200,000 Germans who's votes he was trying to win; I hear he got them all.
Now that the statement blows up in his face and he has been called to task for focusing the race on RACE, he wants to "step away from the issue" (I am glad you called it an issue; because it is!). Well, then he shouldn't have said it in the first place.
The statement can't even be called a gaffe, since he has made the statement many times. It was tantamount to any bloke that says, "They probably won't give me the job [in this case, the presidency] because I'm black."
Of course The Big O denies that he was referring to race. What else can he do? Be honest? No frickin' way. Not when he can count on a liberal army of O-bots to cover his ass.
You, Tommy, are a product of and a pawn for O-botics, the first principle of which is that you don't even know you are an O-bot.
Too bad, because otherwise you are a pretty smart guy. You just went over to the dark side.
The first ayah to come the rise of the sun from the west) [Ahmad]. The messenger SAW said, "Allah (SWT) places His hand at night to forgive his morning sinners, and places it in the morning to forgive his night sinners until the sun rises from the west" [Muslim].
Coincidence that Obama chose this logo? Or does he think he is allah?
Be very afraid America
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EGObaMANIAC
11:20AM Aug 4th 2008
This came in the mail for you TC ...you have earned platinum since you use it so often.
the truth shall come to light;''' _____________________________________
neil -
Since you are here, I will give you an update.
I am happy to report that the success of ... The List ... is growing.
We already have convictions and sentences. We also have a nark named Mark (Mark the Nark) and the work load got so heavy that I have appointed an additional Supreme Magistrate and I am actively recruiting others to help with the work load.
We will make sure that those that would dare to say anything racial or insulting to Our Messiah, The Big O, will not go unpunished.
My gratitude for your inspiration, My Liege.
I am but a servant to the Citizens of the World,
Splash
Fear ... The List ... for it is powerful!
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neil
11:23AM Aug 4th 2008
splash guess the weekend didn't bring you wisdom
the reason obama backed off was to change the issue/..any time the issue is about race ..obama loses
why?because theres so many people with low mental capacity to realize that they are being duked by mccain and friends..
we know who really started this..but most of you can not be honest
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Bert
11:27AM Aug 4th 2008
Poll: McCain's attack strategy paying dividendsAPPosted: 2008-08-03 19:14:07WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain's political offensive against BarackObama appears to be paying off in the polls. With a slew of negative ads aimed at Obama, the Republican candidatehas effectively erased the Illinois senator's nine-point lead in anational survey. Yesterday's Gallup poll suggests the candidates aretied at 44 percent apiece.
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Eddie
11:37AM Aug 4th 2008
After reading through the comments, I am more excited than ever for November. People who discuss here are obviously already firmly in their own camp and lobbing ideological grenades over the walls of their fortified positions, but something is happening outisde these amusing little battlegrounds.
People who previously couldn't tell you who was on the dollar bill or what he did but could recite the entire cast of American Idol are taking notice.
Whatever camp you're in, let's not let this opportunity go unnoticed. Democracy only works when the populace at large cares about its fate and believe that involvement is crucial to defining that fate.