John McCain has managed to go far in politics due to the press uncritically spreading the myth that he is a straight talker, a maverick, and a moderate. The problem with running as a straight talker is that sooner or later the press will go after you should you turn out to be a liar. The days of uncritical favorable coverage of McCain might be over as he has lost the trust of centrist journalists such as Joe Klein and Thomas Friedman.
Joe Klein is especially angry at the McCain campaign for the manner in which they have begun to attack the press in a manner reminiscent of Spiro Agnew after McCain picked an unqualified right wing extremist reminiscent of Spiro Agnew. He writes:
Steve Schmidt has decided, for tactical reasons, to slime the press. He wants the public to believe that there is an unfair–sexist (you gotta love it)–personal assault going on against Palin and her family. This is a smokescreen, intended to divert attention from the very real and responsible vetting that is taking place in the media–about the substance of Palin’s record as mayor and governor. Sure, there are a few outliers–and the tabloid press–who have fixed on baby stories. That was inevitable….the flip side of the personal stories that the McCain team thought would work to their advantage–Palin’s moose-hunting and wolf-shooting, and her admirable decision to have a Down Syndrome baby. And yes, when we all fix on the same story, whether it’s a hurricane or a little-known politician, a zoo ensues. But the media coverage of the Palin story has been well within the bounds of responsibility. Schmidt is trying to make it seem otherwise, a desperate tactic.
There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is “a task from God.” The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme.
Thomas Friedman warns those concerned about the environment that John McCain is not really on their side:
As we emerge from Labor Day, college students are gathering back on campuses not only to start the fall semester, but also, in some cases, to vote for the first time in a presidential election. There is no bigger issue on campuses these days than environment/energy. Going into this election, I thought that — for the first time — we would have a choice between two “green” candidates. That view is no longer operative — and college students (and everyone else) need to understand that.
With his choice of Sarah Palin — the Alaska governor who has advocated drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and does not believe mankind is playing any role in climate change — for vice president, John McCain has completed his makeover from the greenest Republican to run for president to just another representative of big oil.
Given the fact that Senator McCain deliberately avoided voting on all eight attempts to pass a bill extending the vital tax credits and production subsidies to expand our wind and solar industries, and given his support for lowering the gasoline tax in a reckless giveaway that would only promote more gasoline consumption and intensify our addiction to oil, and given his desire to make more oil-drilling, not innovation around renewable energy, the centerpiece of his energy policy — in an effort to mislead voters that support for drilling today would translate into lower prices at the pump today — McCain has forfeited any claim to be a green candidate.
So please, students, when McCain comes to your campus and flashes a few posters of wind turbines and solar panels, ask him why he has been AWOL when it came to Congress supporting these new technologies.
today i lost my belief in the concept of fairness. I am an african american woman, mother o two disabled children. i gve up a marriage and relationships with family to raise these children. I stayed stagnent in a insufficent paying job to care for them. when I SEE WOMEN USE THESE PRECIOUS CHILDREN FOR POLITICAL GAIN i AM APPALLED. THE TIME , ENERGY AND LOVE IT WILL TAKE TO RAISE THSE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AS THEY MANIPULATE THE WORLD , ARE ALL THAT MATTERS. WE SHOULD BE HELPING THIS WOMAN DECIDE THAT HER POSITION (ALBEIT SEXIST) AS A MOTHER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAT ANY POLITICAL RISE. sARAH, YOU ARE A MOTHER AND YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU, YOUR DAUGHTER DESERVES PRIVACY AND YOUR SON NEEDS TO BOND WITH YOU… sARAH, IF YOU CONTINUE IN THIS GAME YOU WILL BE PICKED APART AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WILL BE PICKED APART…. YOU KNOW YOU ARE NOT APPOROPRIATE FOR THIS JOB…..DON’T DESTROY YOUR SELF BE A MOM AND A GOVENOR , LET YOUR CHILDREN GROW AND THEN COME BACK TO POLITICE WE MOTHERS WILL LOVE YOU FOR PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST….WHEN YOU COMMITTED TO RAISING THIS CHILD YOU COMMITTED TO THE HUGE RESPPONSIBILITY THAT WILL NOT END WHEN HE IS 18, OR EVEN 80… SARAH , I BEG PLEASE THINK BETTER OF THIS
Excuce me KAREN! Mrs Palin hasnt used her children as a political gain! What cannidate hasnt brought thier family to support them at the campains and conventions. She decided to share parts of her family story to show the country that they are just as perfect and imperfect as all american familys are, including politicans which shouldnt surprise us yet. When you said she should stay home, it would be better for her children, it took me back to the 40’s and 50’s era where woman had no other say and stayed home! she couldnt be setting a better example for her children, yous and mine, that man or woman we can make change and thats the legs which AMERICA was built upon and stands with the support of a better future!
Now to the rest
We alaskans are more that ready for development in ANWR! it will bring nation wide relief! yes that means more money in your pocket and mine! not to mention NO tax breaks for the oil companys if Sarah has anything to do with it, they dont scare her. And the environment will remain in tact, we cater to the Caribou herds, leave the bird sanctuarys out of harms way and leave little impact, I know I have many friends and family who work on the north slope that help to retain it as much as possible. As far as climate change goes, our world has gone through many stages and cycles of life and we’ve been so used to a steady world it doesnt mean we are all to blame, there are volcanoes and gas pockets that give of more pollutants to our atmosphere in one day than us humans give of in a few months or even years. Her stance isnt to feed the pig, she sold the jet that our last govenor bought after he was told he coulnt because it was tax payers burden and got rid of useless house reps who who also believed in more for the rich and less for the poor! tell me thats not the kind of lady you want to help lead this nation. As far as the war goes our Fathers, Mothers and children in the war signed on knowing the dangers and did it with pride! My grandfathers, Dad and many childhood friends have been to war and they all share the same love AMERICA, so the least we can do is protect the love by commeding them for wanting a better world to live in. And what happened to God in our country! I’ll bet if Obama hit office “in god we trust” will be knocked off us currency, now that is sad and an insult to our founders! in all reality books of religion should be open to public, but if Obama gets in the big seat where will his religion stand? not our countrys christian way but ISLAMIC! thats really scary to me. So please just sit back and watch real american winners Mcain/palin take us into a legacy instead of our “celeberty” Obama….
Yukonna,
Check your facts. The effects of human activity on climate change represents the strong consensus of scientific thought.
“And what happened to God in our country! I’ll bet if Obama hit office “in god we trust” will be knocked off us currency, now that is sad and an insult to our founders!”
The founders? The founders supported a secular government and would be appalled by the actions of the religious right. “In God We Trust” was not placed on our currency by the founders. This didn’t happen until the Civil War.
Obama gets in the big seat where will his religion stand? not our countrys christian way but ISLAMIC! thats really scary to me.”
“but if Obama gets in the big seat where will his religion stand? not our countrys christian way but ISLAMIC! ”
First of all, this country is not based upon Christianity or any other religion. Secondly, Obama is a Christian, not a Muslim.
“Mcain/palin take us into a legacy instead of our “celeberty” Obama….”
Obama would return our laws to the manner in which the founding fathers intended under the Constitution. McCain and Palin reject the views of the founding fathers and instead would impose their own extremist views. As for being a celebrity, note how many times McCain has appeared on entertainment shows over the years. He has behaved far more like a celebrity than Obama.
I’ll admitt our impact on the planet doesnt really help as far back as the industrial age but its also not going to stop, who will tell the world we can no longer have cars, heat our homes, use cell phones, make our whole lives change, who will do that? NOBODY and when you try to counteract will that really help too? we can only hope it will help. Its all about trial and error and we today have brought the planet to almost complete error, Im bringing a child into this world as we speak and Im unsure if his/her world will last for another life time, so yes Im for science but that doesnt mean we are to blame we just helped the process
didnt the civil war help shape us today?
whens the last time you read the pledge of allegiance?
“who will tell the world we can no longer have cars, heat our homes, use cell phones, make our whole lives change, who will do that?”
That comes from more scare stories from the conservatives. They both deny the scientific consensus on climate change and scare people like you into paying attention to the science by exaggerating the changes that are being recommended to help the problem.