Back Channels: Obama's lowball attacks

[Red October]

What a pleastant surprise to see this in the Philadelphia Inquirer!   

Back Channels: Obama's lowball attacks
Suggesting that McCain is a bigot runs afoul of the high- minded "unity" tripe.
By Kevin Ferris

Inquirer Columnist

[excerpt]

What exactly is the change we're supposed to believe in this election year?

That Barack Obama represents a new kind of politics? Or is change tied to hope, as in we hope he re-morphs from typical negative-ad-slinging pol back to magical new Obamassiah once he's safely elected president?

Does Obama even know?

In his ad "Plan for Change," Obama decries the "petty attacks and distractions" of the campaign. "Bitter partisan fights" won't solve our problems, he says. What will?

"A new spirit of unity and shared responsibility."

That ad is in English.

In Spanish, he has a very different message, one much closer to sleazy race-baiting than the spirit of la unidad.

The intro to the ad talks about "insults" and "intolerance" toward Hispanics, how they've been "marginalized." Inflammatory quotes from Rush Limbaugh are shown. And then, "John McCain and his Republican friends . . ."

You know you're in trouble when even ABC News and the Washington Post come to the defense of Limbaugh, and both have pointed out how Obama took the talk-show host's quotes out of context.

But John McCain intolerant toward Hispanics? Is there anyone in his party who has pushed back harder against anti-immigrant sentiment? Backing a comprehensive reform bill - cosponsored by Ted Kennedy - almost sank McCain's presidential bid.

Yes, he's now putting a higher priority on border security, but is that the basis for suggesting the Arizona senator is a bigot? Interesting that McCain's tolerance became suspect just as Gallup had him rising to 35 percent support among Hispanics.

Is this what Obama means by a new spirit of unity?

Obama also regularly complains that his opponents say he has a funny name - actually, he first brought this up in his 2004 Democratic convention speech, and he hasn't shut up about it since.

He says the other side suggests he doesn't look like the other presidents on U.S. currency. McCain never mentions this, just Obama.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080928_Back_Channels__Obama_s_lowball_attacks.html

[Red October]

Is that the point of an Obama campaign? To elect the first victim-in-chief and indict the opposition as bigots when the polls are close or when he doesn't get his way?

Victim-in-Chief!     That's so perfect!