INEZ, Ky. - Republican John McCain asked the North Carolina GOP not to run a television ad that brings up the controversial former pastor of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
North Carolina Republican party officials insisted the ad will run as planned despite McCain's request.
The ad opens with a photo of Obama and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright together and a clip of Wright, whose incendiary comments about race have bedeviled Obama.
"He's just too extreme for North Carolina," the narrator says in the 30-second spot.
Dividing the American people
"We asked them not to run it," McCain told reporters on his campaign bus in Kentucky Wednesday. "I'm sending them an e-mail as we speak asking them to take it down.
"I don't know why they do it. Obviously, I don't control them, but I'm making it very clear, as I have a couple of times in the past, that there's no place for that kind of campaigning, and the American people don't want it," McCain said.
McCain said the ad was described to him: "I didn't see it, and I hope that I don't see it."
Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan, campaigning Wednesday with McCain, said he had left a voice mail message for state party chairwoman Linda Daves asking her to pull the ad.
McCain, in an e-mail to Daves, said he will draw sharp contrasts with Democrats. "But we need not engage in political tactics that only seek to divide the American people."
North Carolina GOP spokesman Brent Woodcox said the ad will begin running statewide on Monday, a week before the state's crucial May 6 primary.
'It is entirely appropriate'
The ad actually targets gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Bev Perdue, Democrats who have endorsed Obama.
"We have a great relation with the RNC and we fully support John McCain for president," Woodcox said. "But this is an ad about two North Carolina candidates for governor. The ad is going to run."
Daves defended the ad, saying it "presents a question of patriotism and judgment."
"It is entirely appropriate for voters to evaluate candidates based on their past associations," Daves said.
North Carolina Democratic Party chairman Jerry Meek said the ad is an attempt to distract attention from real issues.
"It's one thing to criticize somebody for associating with somebody else," Meek said. "But to criticize somebody for associating with somebody who associates with somebody else is ludicrous. Where does it end?"
Obama has denounced the most inflammatory of Wright's comments, but says the pastor shouldn't be judged solely on a handful of remarks. Obama has expressed admiration for the pastor, who officiated at his wedding, baptized his two daughters and inspired the title of his best-selling book, "The Audacity of Hope."
North Carolina's primary will divide 115 delegates among the Democratic presidential candidates and decide the party's nominee for governor. Polls indicate that Obama holds a comfortable lead over rival Hillary Rodham Clinton in the state.
9 comments:
Not so much "Odd" as "Underhanded", maybe. But then, what in politics isn't? :|
It's fairly obvious to anyone that isn't absolutely delusional that Obama is going to EVENTUALLY be the nominee.
Now, the reasoning for this ad is pretty simple: Help Hillary, and in doing so, help McCain. There's a good bit of discord in the democratic party over the fact that Hillary hasn't let it go yet... in fact, there's even talk among some democrats that her camp may resort to litigation in the end if the numbers are close enough. (ugh) If this ad (and others like it) contribute to stoking the coals even further, helping prolonging the nomination process as long as possible, the better McCain's footing will be come November, and the worse off Obama's will be.
Not only that, but the Republicans get to rub Obama's nose in Rev. Wright's tyrades for the rest of the campaign... And the more and more social conservatives (Republicans and Democrats alike) hear it, the more repulsed they are. And in this particular instance, the Reverend's sound bytes never really lose their oomf. Hell, I acquitted Obama of his association with this man, but everytime I see those videos and hear those sermons, my blood absolutely boils, and I can't help but think "WTF were you thinking, Obama?"
Anyway, this particular ad comes on the coat tails of two other negatives ads that I've already seen aired, funded by the DNC, that are targeting McCain. So really, what we're seeing in all of this is a shift away from the nomination process to the Presidential race itself. And regardless of whether McCain admonishes such tactics, I think the NC GOP is banking on it having some kind of an impact, no matter how dumb the whole fiasco makes them look.
For this ad specifically, I am totally with Mr. Meeks:
"It's one thing to criticize somebody for associating with somebody else," Meek said. "But to criticize somebody for associating with somebody who associates with somebody else is ludicrous. Where does it end?"
And btw, good for McCain for doing the right thing.
I agree in principle. But in all fairness, if McCain's pastor of 20 years and close personal friend turned out to be a member of the KKK, Meek and others like him would be having a field day with it. Hell, the tried to hang him out to dry when he got an endorsement from John Hagee.
Now to be fair, in a way, Obama set himself up for all of this. He stated very clearly in his own book that he has always been very particular about who his friends are. And lo and behold, some of his close, personal (and high profile) friends are marxists, homophobes, and biggots. I can't fault anyone for feeling uncomfortable about that.
But then again, some of my own friends who I hold dear, while not necessarily homophobic or racist, are insensitive at times. :) So who am I to judge?
Umm, you are missing the point Beck. While I have reservations about pinning Wright's comments on Obama, and hell, most of what Wright said I don't disagree with, the ridiculous thing about this ad is that it is trying associate two democratic gubernatorial candidates with Wright through their association (generally loose though it is) with Obama. That is underhanded and wholly retarded. At the risk of pissing off the Pope with a purposely stupid analogy, that would be like me telling the world that you were an immoral degenerate because some relative of one of your friends was a crack dealer and a pimp. That would be both irresponsible and stupid on my part.
Again, kudos to McCain for showing he is not a total douchebag. Lastly, in the same interview I mention above, the state GOP leader stated she would not pull the ad *even if* McCain requested the party do so because it was hurting his campaign. Good job NC GOP. Nicely done.
How many degrees of separation are ok Beck? Judging someone for association with someone who is associated with someone who made derogatory comments is ridiculous. Now, if you want to connect Obama with Wright's comments, fine I suppose - he did denounce them though. But to judge the other dems who support Obama by those comments, that just doesn't make sense to me.. or Reed... or John McCain even.
Question: If I support Obama, do you judge me by those comments?
Apparently, I did miss the point, as I've not watched the ads, only read and heard all the heresay revolving around the whole mess. That's a point that escaped me entirely. If those ads were targeted at democratic gubernatorial candidates, then, Jesus H Christ, yes, that is absolutely fucking retarded.
And yeah, McCain's not doing himself any favors via his non-douche-baggedness. Conservative talk radio is fuming over how McCain refuses to throw any red meat to unwashed (except perhaps in Kool Aid) masses. They dislike him as much as they do Hillary... and as much as I hate to say it, McCain's going to have problems without the support of the hardline base. Even so, I'd rather he take the high road and lose, than win via asshattery.
Actually, no one has seen the ads. They won't run until next week I think. I posted a preview I found on youtube.
Yeah, see, I started watching the video you posted, and turned it off half-way through because I was already bored with it. :P
So the moral of the story is I spoke too soon, as I thought the ad was specifically targeting Obama... not two other totally unrelated candidates. Please disregard all previous buttmouth-a-speak.
Speaking of which, I make the following offer of mirth in repentence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA52YdEpkbg
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