Personal attacks are as old as the scriptures:
…often termed an "ad personem argument." The statement or argument at issue is dropped from consideration or is ignored, and the locutor's character or circumstances are used [instead] to influence opinion.
That’s the philosophical take but Heloise says it best: “style over substance.” However, I want to amend that just a bit. I believe that Barack Obama will win the style and substance war. John F. Kennedy won that war over Richard Nixon, and so, too, will Obama. In that, he is just like Jack.
Obama has both style and substance. And my article written over a year ago invokes that image quite handily. It is worth revisiting; some prescient words found therein:
TIME has also had to take note of his smile and stellar speeches — all bling? Who knows? But we know that he has to bring bling to the table, every time, all the time. And according to crowd size, smile size, contribution cash, polling numbers, and the TIME 100 list, we think he is doing just that.
Yes, it’s true folks. It was true when I wrote that in May 2007 and it is even truer now that he is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. McCain and the right radio talkers are taking notes: Obama’s got bling! Here’s my personal Obama slideshow from his Fort Worth rally.
McCain lacks style, that’s a fact. So why is his wealth of substance failing? Why has his campaign become increasingly juvenile? He has trouble attracting greenbacks, so he goes on the ad attack: Let’s play, how patent can you get? So patent that his camp has to trot out Paris, Berlin and Brittany all in the same political commercial? Just what are the Republicans afraid of? They are afraid that Obama WILL win, not a landslide mind you, but a win nonetheless.The ads make the man
Did you watch McCain’s first general election ad? Here’s my first impression: ROTFLMAO! I honestly thought the ad was a joke, especially the grainy Hanoi Hilton end. Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath at the mention of “John McCain war hero.”
Clearly, there is much ado about how many hits McCain’s Obama celeb TV ad has garnered—rocking Youtube. Does the popularity of the ad mean that McCain is gaining polling points? Or that he is going ballistic? Or that Obama is gaining even greater celeb status? Either way, perhaps McCain should go back to the drawing board. He has a personality problem. If his attack ads, featuring a Dem, are so wildly popular then no one really wants to see McCain on the big or small screen.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Arch Conservative
What is certain at this stage in the race is that the best way for McCain to win the election is to show the American people what a leftist radical inexpereienced hack that Obama is.
What is not so certain is what the best way to do that is.
2 - Heloise
Yeah, I hear ya: wack the hacks! That's the type of ad Dallas ran when JFK showed up with Jackie. The rest is history.
Heloise
3 - Dave Nalle
Unpleasant though this kind of approach to politicking is, I think that it's ultimately legitimate in this kind of election. When dealing with a position like the presidency the character of the candidate is important - who he is and what he represents actually matters, so making HIM the issue makes sense.
Dave
4 - Dave Nalle
I want to amend that just a bit. I believe that Barack Obama will win the style and substance war. John F. Kennedy won that war over Richard Nixon, and so, too, will Obama.
Let me get this straight, you believe that the victory of style over substance is a GOOD thing in a presidential election? That's what happened in 1960 and that's what Obama has over McCain today.
Dave
5 - Lee Richards
Both campaigns are flopping and floundering. McCain's is weak and wacky, and Obama is getting creepy-scary.
Will anything change after the conventions? Don't know, but I'm doubting it. There's just no THERE there.
If any more proof was needed that the current two parties are in ruins these two candidates, that are the BEST they can offer, provide it.
6 - Heloise
Two parties are not the problem--money to become part of the two parties is the problem. It is played down that the only REASON Barack is THERE is because he raised a hell of a lot of moulah!!!
NOT because he's black but because he could raise a billion!!!
There the real story that has made headlines so it is no secret.
Heloise
7 - Lee Richards
When what the parties stand for is for sale to the highest bidder, then the parties are the problem.
8 - Ruvy
Gee Heloise,
If you're going to make such a big stink over the sizzle in this presidential campaign, bear in mind that while eating steak can give you a heart attack, you will starve if you attempt to survive on sizzle.
And given that America's economy is up shit's creek, and there is nothing anybody can do to get you out of shit's creek, you most assuredly will need more than sizzle to get by.
Prayer would help - but why should we pray for America's welfare when its government is endlessly trying to gut us here in Israel?
Better for us to pray that America falls, and that we in Israel, redeemed by our Maker, rise in its place. That, at least, has Biblical backing....
9 - Cannonshop
You get what you work for, Ruvy-so good luck with that hope of yours, your end's much more likely to fall apart first, after all, You get the Leadership your actions earn you, also known as "God helps those that help themselves". The corrupt leadership you've often made note of in Tel Aviv was allowed to take power by someone in Israel, was voted for, is supported, and gets away with it, after all, just like us here in the States with our Pelosis and Bush's, Clintons and Roves, and anyone else anyone else feels is convenient to blame.
It's the situation that I think the Founders had in mind, all those years ago, when a certain one of their number mentioned that "You have a Republic-if you can KEEP IT", and another mentioned that Liberty must be guarded by unswerving vigilance (something most Americans, and based on some of your prior posts, Israelis, have failed to maintain).
Is McCain going "Negative"? sure. it's in the JOB DESCRIPTION of a candidate to try and win by any allowed means. Look at the broadsheets and Libels, the political cartoons and the speeches, of candidates going back to Aaron Burr's time. I rather expect Obama's friends, if not the man himself, will go negative too-in fact, I rather suspect a look at Daily Kos will show they already did...
10 - Ruvy
Cannonshop,
You've had your republic for a good long time. Indeed, you had G-d's blessing over you for 190 years.
But, it appears, G-d's blessing over you is gone.
That's neither here nor there. This article is akin to judging a man's sexual performance by his bragging in a bar. It's truly a sad day when you've sunk that low.
11 - Arch Conservative
It's the same crap every election season. Candidates, pundits, advocates and the public all claim to want nothing but positivity but we always get a healthy does of negative campaigning and mud slinging from both sides.
Left and right...we go back and forth blaming each other for all of our woes when the truth is that both major political parties in this nation are equally to blame for the sad state of affairs in this nation. Rampant illegal immigration, a massive federal government that gets more bloated with each passing day, non-stop reckless spending on the most uneccessary endeavors, and the not the slightest bit of hesitancy to flaunt a gleeful total disregard for the will of the majority of the American people.
I used to think that because Obama is such a complete and utter affront to traditional American ideals and values, an abomination beyond all comprehension, an agent of Lucifer himself sent to earth to wreak havoc upon the world.....that I could vote for John McCain who to his credit, has done at least one honorable thing on behalf of his nation and countrymen when he put his life on the line in some hot, dank jungle in southeast Asia 40 years ago. But the more I think about it the more clear becomes the realization that the potential for any actual substanitive positive change in my life or the life of the average American by picking one over the other is virtually nil.
That is why I will be voting for either Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin or writing in the name Ronald Reagan when I step into that booth this November.
12 - troll
Better for us to pray that America falls, and that we in Israel, redeemed by our Maker, rise in its place. That, at least, has Biblical backing....
? - rise as what...the next beast - ?
your delusions are waxing grandiose (psychiatrically speaking that is)
13 - Ruvy
Pick up your Bible and read, Troll. Not the Christian Book, the Hebrew Bible. Read the book of Isaiah, specifically chapters 59 and 60....
My delusions, Troll? 'Fraid not. But I do have a prediction for you; there is a very good chance that you will become rich in the not too distant future.
14 - Dr Dreadful
"These are the specifics that preclude personal attacks Mr. McCain. He who can’t come up to the podium, he who can’t rest his short arms on the lectern..."
Not sure if you made it so deliberately to illustrate a point, Heloise, but that was a rather low blow.
From this piece:
"McCain signed an anti-American propaganda message which was written in Vietnamese, but only as a result of rigorous and brutal torture methods, which have rendered him incapable of raising his arms above his head."
[my emphasis]
15 - Baronius
Yeah, it's hard to believe that an article makes fun of the crippled guy who makes personal attacks. In terms of politics, though, the ads are pretty lousy and unnecessarily negative.
16 - Dan Miller
Baronius,
I have seen some pieces of attempted humor from the McCain campaign (I thought they were funny, but can understand how others mightn't). However, I haven't seen anything quite approaching this pitiful attempt to mock someone for injuries sustained as a POW; or, for that matter, for physical disabilities sustained in another context. I found the attempt rather disgusting.
Dan
17 - Baronius
Dan, you raise an interesting point. I haven't been able to figure out what McCain is running as. But with the odd humor, the confrontation, and the implied contempt for the process, maybe he's running as John McCain.
18 - Dan Miller
Baronius,
maybe he's running as John McCain. If so, that would be a refreshing change we could believe in.
Dan
19 - Baronius
It'd be wild to see a candidate run as himself. Even more enjoyable if it's McCain.
"Barack Obama is a %#$% $^%&$@ @#^@# little !#$*&?> who isn't fit to @#*$%$#%#@$% @#$@#^^&*, let alone run the country. I was killing people before he was born. Yeah, that's right; 1960, a drifter in Pensacola. I'm John McCain, and I approved of this !#$^**."
I don't see how McCain could possibly win by being himself, but then again, I'm surprised that he got the nomination.
20 - Dan Miller
Baronius,
It'd be wild to see a candidate run as himself. Even more enjoyable if it's
McCainObama. Turn about is fair play, right?Dan
21 - Baronius
Dan, thanks for the challenge.
"Hi, um, I'm Barack Obama, and I did really good in school, and I'm a senator from Chicago, and I think we could be peaceful, I mean, have peace, and it'd be good to have peace, and I read that there are a hundred other senators but I think I'm the best one, and I approve of this message, oh yeah I mean I want you to vote for me and I approve of this message."
22 - Heloise
No, Dave I am saying that Obama will win both the style and the substance war. Jack was accused of winning simply on style, but he had substance that no one suspected he had.
Heloise
23 - bliffle
The citation repeats what I read earlier in McCains autobiography: "He broke both arms and a leg after ejecting from his plane. "
That's why he has difficulty raising his arms.
24 - Dave Nalle
If you read more closely, Bliffle, you'll see that the problems stem not just from his ejection, but also from the poor medical care he received while a POW. They didn't set his leg properly and didn't do anything at all for his arms with the result that they all healed wrong. He's had dozens of operations since then to try to restore use of his limbs with limited success.
Dave
25 - Dan Miller
Bliffle,
Let's assume, contrary to fact, that Senator McCain sustained his injuries while on a skiing vacation. It would be only marginally less disgusting, in my opinion, to mock him for those injuries, which in no way detract from such qualifications to be the President as he may have.I don't quite get your point in Comment #24. Perhaps, you will be kind enough to elaborate.
I have never ejected from a missile-disabled aircraft, broken any bones while doing so, been beaten by captors, denied medical treatment or tortured. Instead, I have privileged to lead a rather tranquil life. Do I owe any aspect of my tranquil life to people who suffered such misfortunes in the service of my country? Yeah, I think I do. Do I think that those misfortunes, standing alone, qualify anyone to be the President of the United States? No, I don't -- even when compared to a candidate who never went, voluntarily or otherwise, into harm's way in the service of his country.
The following is extracted from Wikipedia, a fairly reliable source at least for subject matter which does not seem to be controversial. The Wikipedia link below provides much the same information as the link cited by Doc.
Dan