"It's surprising how often the McCain campaign operates under the assumption that voters are idiots.

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_09/014789.php

Steve Benen

THE CULTURE OF 'LOBBYING AND INFLUENCE PEDDLING'.... As the presidential race has turned towards the economy and away from nonsense, John McCain has struggled to find his footing, and his lead in the polls has slipped. This morning, he tried to get back on track with a series of odd attacks.

"We've heard a lot of words from Senator Obama over the course of this campaign. But maybe just this once he could spare us the lectures, and admit to his own poor judgment in contributing to these problems. The crisis on Wall Street started in the Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling, and he was square in the middle of it. <...>

"My friends, this is the problem with Washington. People like Senator Obama have been too busy gaming the system and haven't ever done a thing to actually challenge the system.

"At the beginning of this campaign he promised to raise taxes on your savings and investments. He said he won't raise taxes for most people but he has voted 94 times in his short Senate career for tax increases and against tax cuts. He said he would only tax the rich, but he voted this year to raise taxes on those making just $42,000. Senator Obama has simply not given Americans good reason to trust him with your tax dollars."

The line about Obama voting to raise taxes on those making $42,000 a year is a rather transparent lie, which was debunked months ago. The line about the 94 votes is also a rather transparent lie, which was also debunked months ago. (That really is the fundamental difference between McCain and his predecessors -- most candidates stop repeating lies after they've been exposed as lies.)

But putting all of that aside, I can't help but find it genuinely hilarious to hear McCain rail against the "Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling," blame this culture of the Wall Street crisis, and insist that Obama is "square in the middle of it."

He couldn't be serious. McCain has 177 lobbyists working for him, either as aides, policy advisers, or fundraisers. Of the 177, 83 are Wall Street lobbyists, representing the very financial industry McCain is now railing against. McCain is now condemning influence peddling, while he had a high-priced corporate lobbyist overseeing his campaign strategy while doing lobbying work from aboard McCain's campaign bus during the GOP primaries.

Who's in the middle of the "Washington culture of lobbying and influence peddling"?

For that matter, it's downright hysterical to hear McCain say that Obama's judgment has contributed to the crisis. This would be the same McCain who's teamed up with Phil Gramm -- who McCain has suggested would make a fine Treasury Secretary -- and who really does deserve blame for the current mess.

It's surprising how often the McCain campaign operates under the assumption that voters are idiots.

[cali]

1. it's a reasonable assumption to operate under. I do so myself.

Sorry to sound so cynical, but I believe that most voters are idiots.

[1corona4u]

2. No kidding...

mccrap needs to keep it up though, people are starting to see him for what he is; a liar, and a con man.

[predfan]

3. That's the tightrope the McCain campaign walks...........repeating the same lies until they

sink into the head of the less educated voter (and that unfortunantly does work), and risking becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of the more educated voters........which appears to be starting.

I don't envy their task.

[AuntPatsy]

4. You know, like it or not, anyone thinking of voting mcbush are indeed seen as idiots by those

attempting to ensure he leads this country to another four more years of bush and company....they could care less about the voters they are harvesting like cattle herders intent on nothing more than taking the herd to the slaughter house...if they have yet to realize they are nothing more than pawns they are indeed idiots of the highest order.

[niceypoo]

5. John McCain is desperately scratching and clawing...

...and grasping at any straw he can, The Republicans have absolutely nothing to run on, and they know it. Like Obama said a few days ago. "The way a candidate runs his campaign is indicative of how they would run the country."

[elocs]

6. As Democrats, possibly our biggest weakness is assuming

that the vast majority of voters are swayed and convinced by rational and intelligent arguments that are backed up by facts. Overall, voters are not idiots, but a huge number of them are swayed and convinced by their feelings and emotions, their perceptions and gut reactions. As Democrats we cannot seem to understand this attitude and then classify them as idiots. What we really need to do is to connect with them on a visceral as well as rational level to maximize our success and those two things are not mutually exclusive. We need to speak a language that more voters may understand and not allow ourselves to be defined in the eyes of the American people by the Republicans.

[predfan]

7. Exactly. Plus keep in mind that if the election is close, the republicans will steal it.

They know how to do it, are good at it, and aren't apologetic about it after the fact.

[elocs]

12. If somebody lets me know they intend to pick my pocket

and then after they walk past me I discover that my wallet is missing, that simply makes me look incompetent and feckless.

[irish.lambchop]

8. McCain's campaign is akin to

a hastily cobbled together celebration (for lack of a better word) by inept party planners for a man who is not well; one last shot to make McCain happy. Throw a former beauty pagaent contestant at him, straighten his tie and throw him out in front of cheering fans. This 'Country First' crap is exactly like the 'Clear Skies', 'Healthy Forests', etc. - the exact opposite.

[old guy]

9. They operate this way because it has worked so well for them.

Uninformed people do stupid things and until the media reports the truth in language these people can understand, they will continue to do stupid things.

[Thrill]

10. Because they know voters ARE idiots

[babylonsister]

13. And rethugs cheat, but we know that. nt

[Claire Beth]

11. Most ARE idiots and the proof for this is...

Bush got in for a 2nd term AND Obama should be 15 points ahead in the polls EVERYWHERE right now.