Friday, August 29, 2008

McCain Shows His Class



A few hours before Obama rose to speak in Denver, John McCain put out this rather surprising campaign ad. It won't win him a single extra vote, but it was the right thing to do.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

If it gives the impression of him being a genuinely decent bloke, it could well gain him votes.

Nice touch, too.

Anonymous said...

Iain, earlier today you couldn't bring yourself to admit this fact - but now you think it's 'classy'.

Have you been reflecting on your churlish post below?

:)

It is an historic day and Obama does deserve our respect.

Iain Dale said...

Canvas, you are blind where Obama is concerned. I agreed with you below it is an historic day. But it is also a day when Obama could blow it big time. That's not an opinion, it's a fact.

Anonymous said...

Iain, my point is that your post below was flippant, disrespectful, churlish and graceless.

You know how many people these days have lost faith in politics and politicians. How is helpful to slam Obama for inspiring so many people - and on today of all days?

Why not do the right thing and acknowledge this historic day in a respectful manner?

As far as 'blowing it bigtime' - well, that's something we could all do every single day of our lives (and we often do). Obama is human too. But he's done pretty well so far - don't you think?

Positive attracts positive.

Anonymous said...

No, Iain, it shows his cunning! it cuts across the whole Bush/Rove line which the Democrats are trying to pin on him. Nasty, nice, nasty, nice. Keeps Obama guessing and unable to accuse Mccain of being grumpy as well.

Iain Dale said...

Canvas, you are being oversensitive. You know full well that I have been very positive towards Obama over recent months. I have just re-read my post and see nothing in it to retract at all. Indeed, I was quite mild. I think there is a tremendous potential for him to blow it tonight. I don't want him to, but it all smacks of premature triumphalism.

Going by your rules, he is beyond criticism!

Anonymous said...

Well, don't worry Iain, he just gave probably the best speech of his life. Definitely one of the best speeches I've seen in my lifetime.

Anonymous said...

Put that speech in your pipe and smoke it, Dale!

Anonymous said...

Actually you have all missed the point here John McCain is being very sarcastic you just dont see it.

He says on this histric day - meaning well what a surprise you chose this day 40+ years on the same day/date that Martin Luther King made his never to be matched I have a dream speech.

Job well done he says meaning your PR people did a good job in getting it our today.

Or am I being too hard have I been turned into a cynic by being exposed to New Labour Spin shite for too may years?

Yak40 said...

Obama's speech was predictable, no specifics, just the usual laundry list of what the gov't can do for you. His roared out offer to debate McCain "right now" was funny seeing as he's consistently refused to do any real (unscripted) debates at all and won't even go on Fox News.

His delivery was a bit odd, he really comes across as hectoring and even angry. You'd think that this speech should've been positive, upbeat, motivating and cheerful but it wasn't that way at all.

If you want to see stirring Democrat convention speeches go find Mario Cuomo or even Ted Kennedy in his heyday.

Today's lot don't have it and instead need to construct stupid over the top stadium set pieces.

Anonymous said...

Today, by any standards, a historical day. A coloured American is within a few steps from the White House. In my student days in America, I have seen how black Americans were treated in America. How my black American class mates were humilated. Many times, I a brown young man was allowed in restaurants to sit with white friends, where as my black friends were barred entry. I am witnessing something I thought 45 years ago would never happen in my life time.

McCain may be an acceptable face of Republican Party. But I am puzzled why he did not answer a simple question on the number of homes he owned. Like me , he belongs to the past.

It is not the neocons baggage that Republicans carry that brings out worst in their followers but the religious nutters who support them and who were used as attack dogs in Ohio to give the second term to Bush. They spewed out hatred questioning patriotism of just about any American who disgreed with their antipathy to minorities- gays, women, blacks just about any one who are different. I am right-of centre in my political views, and that for me is detestable. Without the support of this group who call themselves Conservative Republicans, McCain cannot win.

Glyn Davies said...

Don't agree Iain. This could win him a lot of support. Right thing to do - and a very smart move.

Anonymous said...

Nice touch from McCain, but Obama is going to cream him in November (fingers crossed).

Roger Thornhill said...

A pat on the back to ensure the knife can go in smoothly. Service with a smile.

Cannot fail to raise his Statesmanship stock with waverers not happy with Obama, while also providing an indirect rub in the dog-doo for Hilary.

Simplicity is often underrated and rarely achieved. This ad is an example of simplicity, yet it is far from simplistic - quite the opposite in fact.

Anonymous said...

He isn't classy because he puts out one ad in amongst a host of other personal attack ads that came out of Rove's playbook. McCain said he'd run a campaign of ideas but he has done nothing of the sort.

But let me guess he'll blame it all on being a POW - the catch all excuse.

Anonymous said...

Far from classy and more to do with the booing he faced this day lasy year for having voted against honouring Martin Luther King.

Obama makes a point of praising McCain's military service in almost every speech even while McCain and his filthy ad making serpents inpune Obama's patriotism.

That's classy.

Anonymous said...

Iain, I agree - this was a decent thing to do, and it is good to remember that McCain is a fundamentally decent man.

I've just come from the stadium where Obama gave his speech. He made special mention of McCain's qualities and service, and that received a warm round of applause from almost the entire crowd.

The US should be proud of the comparative civility that this campaign has seen.

On your Telegraph column - I agree entirely, except to say that the Conservative party shouldn't be looking for Republican strategists - they should be looking for Democratic Party strategists, who are well ahead of the game. By comparison, the GOP just doesn't know how to use the 'system of tubes' (if you don't recognise the phrase, look it up on Wikipedia)- they're still using the internet that is made of 'trucks'!

The DFA and Daily Kos and the other guys I've spend the week with at the Big Tent in Denver might be to the Left, but there are Democratic Party activists who would be very at home in a Cameron-led Conservative party. Go for talent, not historical claims of shared-values - that's my tuppence-worth, anyhow.

AtB

Morus

Anonymous said...

It will definitely win him extra votes. Lots.

"Eh, maybe I won't actually vote for the black guy? ...I'll just vote for old white guy who was so kind to him in that ad-thingy. That's near enough the same, right?"

Letters From A Tory said...

McCain shows his class? I think not. McCain has realised that Obama is a very humble man and continues to praise McCain for his military service, yet McCain has been rooted in cynical attacks on his opponent.

Anonymous said...

Wont win him a single vote?

What absolute rubbish. Of course it will.

Catosays said...

Letters From A Tory said...

McCain shows his class? I think not. McCain has realised that Obama is a very humble man and continues to praise McCain for his military service, yet McCain has been rooted in cynical attacks on his opponent.

I disagree. The one thing Obama is not is humble. He might present as being humble but in reality is as humble as a spitting cobra. How on earth did he beat the Hillary person? By being humble? I think not.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant move by McCain - makes him look a natural for the job unlike The Reverend Obama who I presume will be appearing in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas next!

Dick the Prick said...

Today is truly an historic day. It was with great elation and pride with which I watched the news this morning. The magnitude of the situation cannot be under-estimated. For too long have we lived under the shadow of this illegitimate blight, for too long have we struggled with our conscience, our ethics, our guilt.

But lo, those days have passed, my fellow sports fans - seems like English Cricket is on the mend - hurray!

Malcolm Redfellow said...

No. No. No.

Read the thing again. It's subtle and it's nasty.

The key sentence is: "“How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day".

The "historic day", of course, subtly reminds all who needed it (and that won't be those positive for Obama) of Martin Luther King and Obama's race. Ask yourself why that key phrase was omitted from the Washington Post coverage, if not because the writers there saw the signification.

Now go to the McCain attack ad from earlier this month: "The world will be blessed. They will call him --- THE ONE." It's on YouTube.

Or the analysis by Professor David Gergen of McCain's "dog-whistle" campaign. (That's also on YouTube.)

Or cut to where the dirt is properly dished at Malcolm Redfellow's World Service.

Anonymous said...

McCain was obviously currying a few votes. But I really wish people like canvas would drop this messianic stuff. It's not helping Obama at all. This is why potential voters who should be on his side aren't warming to him, as they don't know of his policies. And incidentally, if you read his website, his economic policies are quite useful and clever. But he has to say general things in his speeches as people are obsessed with the historical significance of his candidacy. Commentators would be showing him more respect if they treat him like any other politician. Analyse what he says, criticise or whatever, but don't make out this is some moment with destiny. And this history and destiny business just attracts nutters with guns to take a pop at him. I wish for the day an African American would achieve something and his race isn't even mentioned.

Anonymous said...

"impression of him being a genuinely decent bloke"

Mmmmm. By my standard a decent bloke doesn't insult his wife with the c word. Nor does he call people from South-East Asia gooks. Nor does he threaten to physically assault colleagues he disagrees with. Nor does he call a female political opponent a bitch, question her sexuality or question the parenthood of her child (deja vu South Carolina 2000). Nor does he verbally insult people during committee meetings with the most obscene words I've ever heard a publicly elected official use in public.

But that's just me.

Lola said...

We all get so wound up with the politics and the wheels within wheels that it might just escape us, just once in a while, that someone, some politician does something genuine.