Sarah Palin's Racist Smear Campaign Against Barack Obama ( Archived) (35)

October 5, 2008


By TheImproper.com
John McCain, Sarah Palin

With about a month to go before the November general election, the campaign of Republican John McCain is getting desperate. In revealing moment, McCain showed just how low he is ready to go to wrest votes from Democrat Barack Obama.

On the campaign trail over the weekend, GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin assailed Obama for “palling around with terrorists.” The effort was patently racist and clearly tried to tie Obama to Middle Eastern terrorists, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Palin’s attack, unsubstantiated and racially tinged, showed a clear change in direction for the campaign and a potentially changing role for her. In this election, where voters seem to be particularly intolerant of mud-slinging, McCain may come to regret the move. But it seems clear, at least at the moment, that Palin has taken up the same role as former Maryland Gov. Spiro Agnew, the vice presidential running mate of former President Richard Nixon, the GOP's godfather of dirty campaign tricks.

Agnew was used as a vicious campaign attack dog smearing Nixon’s opponents, the press and anyone else to play on the prejudices of voters. Meanwhile, Nixon was allowed to remain above the fray.

Since then, Republicans have become known for dirty personal attacks. George H.W. Bush criticized Democrat Michael Dukakis over the furlough granted to Willie Horton, a black convicted murderer who raped a woman and stabbed her companion after his release. The Vietnam-era Swift Boat attack Democrat John Kerry created a cloud around Kerry’s war record, enough to off-set the fact that George W. Bush dodged the war in the Texas National Guard. After the election, too late to help Kerry, the Swift Boat attack was widely discredited.

It worked back then, but it could easily backfire now. The time and the mood of the public are clearly different.

Here's how Palin recently tried to paint Obama: "Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," she told a group of donors in Englewood, Colo.

The attempt to smear Obama was deliberate. Palin repeated the line at three separate events Saturday (Oct 4). "This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," she said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."

Obama isn't above attacking McCain's character – on the issues. He released an ad on Sunday (Oct. 05) that calls the Republican "erratic" — a suggestion that at 72, McCain's age might be a factor, according to the Associated Press. "Our financial system in turmoil," an announcer says in Obama's new ad. "And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy." The ad may question his competence, but not his patriotism or his race or suggest that a U.S. Senator is un-American and friendly to terrorists.

In this case, though, the “terrorist” is not some Middle Eastern radical who has threatened America, but William Ayers, who was a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground in a radical 1960s group that went out of existence more than 40 years ago. The implication of her remark is false to the point of absurdity.

Ayers and Obama happened to worked on community boards long after Ayers’ renounced his radical youth. Ayers also hosted a political event for Obama early in his career. But there is no evidence to suggest they were “pals” or that Obama subscribed to Ayer’s radical beliefs during the 1960s, when the war in Vietnam sent hundreds of thousands of Americans into the streets in protest.

In fact, Obama was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, and he has denounced Ayers' radical views and actions on more than one occasion. "It's a giant changing of the subject," Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist told the Associated Press. "The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don't send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don't take Sarah Palin seriously."

Palin, however, has little to lose. Only a minority of voters take her seriously on the issues. Her strength is her charm, and she can throw mud up against the wall with little recourse to her already low credibility. If it sticks, mission accomplished. If not, she can smile her way through it while McCain keeps his distance. The only saving grace is the fact that Palin didn’t deliver the remarks with much conviction. Hopefully it’s a sign that even she has some shred of decency.

The McCain campaign is desperate to return the focus of the campaign back on Obama. During the credit meltdown, most of the nation has been focused on the economy, and Obama has steadily gained in the polls. In the last 30 days of the campaign, many undecided voters will finally start focusing on the race and start making up their minds about the candidates.

Obama's ties to Ayers as well as convicted felon Antoin "Tony" Rezko and the minister Jeremiah Wright are potential sore spots. But Palin is equally vulnerable on her extremist “end of days” religious beliefs, her shameful treatment of rape victims, and her cronyism in office.

After one presidential debate and one vice presidential debate, McCain is continuing to lose ground to Obama among voters, especially independents, according to the latest poll.

Fortunately, voters seem to be more aware that dirty campaign charges are likely to be untrue and seem to have less tolerance for them this time around. If so, this could easily turn out to be another instance where the McCain campaign shoots itself in the foot.

Katie Couric is way more qualified to be in the VP role than Sarah Palin is

The whole mudslinging thing got old the last election. I am tired of the local politicians slinging BS every comercial break and smearing one anothers names. I live in one states and get comercials for a neighboring state . I mean, come one. What do they expect me to do, I can't vote for or against canidates for other states.

x 100,000

FIXED FER YA!

You was close Don216, Katie Couric is actually more qualified than McCain and Palin. I fixed it completely now Don216. I hope the republicans love it

common is magnetic
but magnetic isnt common

yay for the post but magnetic isnt even black

should he be reported for the misleading foto?





<<<thinks common is bomb

News organizations are finally looking into Ayres, Resko and the rest of the Chicago Clan. It's seeping out finally. OH....bad news, Feds raided Obama's old community organizing front; ACORN in Nevada.

Oh, quick question. Where's the racism? I'm sure you can find it if ya look hard enough...but I'm not seeing it. Please clarify.

I think they've already given him 1 warning. If it's not his photo, he could be a goner.

Patently racist?!! The focus is on Ayers who is WHITE and a US Citizen (embarrassingly). Liberals spew so much hate and nonsense an independent can never hold on to anything they say.

I thought, wow, a chance for me to hook up with a celeb!


Common- Mistaken identity!

exactly

Palin was talking about William Ayers, a member of the Weather Underground, who blew up government buildings and thereatened judges in the 60's. That's why she said "terrrorists who would target their own country". Ayers is a white American. He is unpenitent and was quoted as saying 'he wish he'd done more' in an article that ran on 9/11. He lives near Obama and they have had close ties for years. I think it's racist NOT to hold Sen Obama accountable for his associations and the judgements he's made in the past, when he's running for our nation's highest office. For me, Senator Obama just hasn't done enough good to offset his negatives. He is an excellent speaker, but what has he done?