McCain...*sigh*

[Cheebs]

McCain annouced his campaign manager. Bush had Karl Rove. Who will be McCain's man? Terry Nelson.

Don't recognize the name? He is the man behind this advertisment:


You know the infamous advertisment that had to be pulled from TV due to the claim that it was racist. This ad was considered one of the key factors that tore down the Harold Ford Jr. campaign.

Also during the 2006 election he was the head of opposition research for the NRCC meaning it was he who was in charge of the robocalling in which republicans called voters nonstop to make it seem like they were Democrats to anger them into not voting Democrat.


THANKS MCCAIN FOR PICKING SUCH A HONEST GUY! He really fits in that whole "straight talk express" maverick attitude you used to have. 

[Phoenix Dark]

Well when you say shit like this you don't have much of a chance of winning elections anyway

[Mondain]

yeah, their superfries are really awful

[Cheebs]

Well when you say shit like this you don't have much of a chance of winning elections anyway

Harold himself helped him lose of course. Harold tried WAAAAAAAAAAAAY to hard to be christian, to the point it was eerie. But honestly, McCain picking a guy behind a disgustingly racist advertisment to lead your campaign isn't cool.

[Phoenix Dark]

Well when you say shit like this you don't have much of a chance of winning elections anyway

Harold himself helped him lose of course. Harold tried WAAAAAAAAAAAAY to hard to be christian, to the point it was eerie. But honestly, McCain picking a guy behind a disgustingly racist advertisment to lead your campaign isn't cool.

Harold was just an idiot. He's not that liberal, which helped him a bit in the south, but he killed his own chances. His opponent blitzed him in the last week of that election plain and simple.

People who blame the ad for ruining his career and idiots. If you're a southern racist you aren't going to vote for a black person one way or another. No racists/closet racists saw that and said "dammit, he's chasing after white women! Gotta stop this." Fuck that far left straw man

[Cheebs]

Out of all the big name dem's running in 06 he was my least favorite ANYWAY this isn't about Harold. It's about McCain picking a dirty Rove-ish type of guy to lead his campaign and that is sad. 2000-era McCain would NEVER do this.

[ToxicAdam]

Much of Republican Washington turned out at the huge Christmas party Monday night hosted by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at the Corcoran Art Gallery. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), the newly elected Senate minority whip, has emerged as a major McCain backer. McCain is not only the front-runner for the presidential nomination but is emerging as the establishment candidate.


Establishment candidates always win the nomination for Republicans.

[Phoenix Dark]

True. But how is he dirty again? Politics is a dirty business, period. It's been that way since Jefferson.

Rove has been one of the most successful political strategists in American history, and I'm not suprised why the republican would be looking to find the "next" Rove, if such a person exists

[Cheebs]

Establishment candidates always win the nomination for Republicans.

Yes. McCain realizes this and is becoming an establishment candidate. Republicans almost always nominate the "chosen" one whose time has come. Democrats tend to shun their front runners(Dean) and rush to unknowns who they feel fit the "electable" title(Kerry is a war hero! How can he lose?).

True. But how is he dirty again? Politics is a dirty business, period. It's been that way since Jefferson.

It's different for McCain. He ran on being a honest clean "straight-shooter" in 2000 and is running as the republican establishment conservative in 2008.

[Phoenix Dark]

Establishment candidates always win the nomination for Republicans.

Yes. McCain realizes this and is becoming an establishment candidate. Republicans almost always nominate the "chosen" one whose time has come. Democrats tend to shun their front runners(Dean) and rush to unknowns who they feel fit the "electable" title(Kerry is a war hero! How can he lose?).

Kerry as a candidate>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Dean as a candidate

[Cheebs]

Establishment candidates always win the nomination for Republicans.

Yes. McCain realizes this and is becoming an establishment candidate. Republicans almost always nominate the "chosen" one whose time has come. Democrats tend to shun their front runners(Dean) and rush to unknowns who they feel fit the "electable" title(Kerry is a war hero! How can he lose?).

Kerry as a candidate>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Dean as a candidate

I agree 100%. That is the point. Primaries for Democrats tend to have them masturbating all over the big time liberal front runner then quickly freak out and go to whoever they think can win(which is why clinton and obama wont get nominated. Primary dem votes are OBSESSED with electability). It's a weird weird circle. Carter and Clinton were the out-of-nowhere electable candidates.

[ToxicAdam]

It's just weird, bizarre and disheartening that McCain would position himself as the "anti-Bush" for 6 years .. then all of a sudden become "Bush 2.0" in time for the elections.

[Cheebs]

It's just weird, bizarre and disheartening that McCain would position himself as the "anti-Bush" for 6 years .. then all of a sudden become "Bush 2.0" in time for the elections.

The sad part is he could have remained the 2000 McCain everyone fell in love with and win the nomination. There is no real  insider longtime conservative in the running(I mean Brownback and Newt? Come on they have no chance).


2000 McCain running in '08 would have got my vote even though I am Democrat. Over Hillary, Obama, anyone. It bothers me that I dislike this guy now. Teddy Roosevelt is one of my 3 favorite President's. 2000 McCain reminded me of a potential Teddy like Republican but that day is gone.

[Diablos]

Terry Nelson does the exact kind of negative advertising I could've sworn McCain lashed out against not too long ago. It is absolutely disgusting what he has become. What a prick.

He really is gearing up to be Bush 2.0. This makes my blood boil.

[Fatghost28]

(Image removed from quote.)

yeah, their superfries are really awful

Shut up, superfries are awesome!1

[Phoenix Dark]

Terry Nelson does the exact kind of negative advertising I could've sworn McCain lashed out against not too long ago. It is absolutely disgusting what he has become. What a prick.

He really is gearing up to be Bush 2.0. This makes my blood boil.

Jesus Christ, does anyone honestly think McCain would be a worse president than Bush, or even comparable? If anything McCain selling out is him positioning himself to win, after which point he'll do what he wants.

[Tigerriot]

Well when you say shit like this you don't have much of a chance of winning elections anyway

Harold himself helped him lose of course. Harold tried WAAAAAAAAAAAAY to hard to be christian, to the point it was eerie. But honestly, McCain picking a guy behind a disgustingly racist advertisment to lead your campaign isn't cool.

Since the day the uproar began about those Harold Ford ads, I never quite understood the "racist" claims made against that commercial.  Does not compute.

[Phoenix Dark]

Ugh oh...

This bout to get uglah

[Diablos]

If anything McCain selling out is him positioning himself to win, after which point he'll do what he wants.

Don't be daft.

If McCain latches on to the far-right, he owes 'em. He can't just pander to them, let them basically hold his hand to the White House, then tell them to instantly go away and hire a bunch of real moderates for his administration (even though that's not really possible since there are no moderates left in the GOP, but that's a completely different discussion).

He told the far-right to fuck off, then he kissed and made up. Now he has a Falwell staffer shaping his communications strategy, for crying out loud. Yes, someone who worked for Jerry Falwell, the nutbag who once blamed 9/11 on homosexuals among other types of people and issues. Great move McCain. 

He told us that he's against negative campaigns, and now he hired someone responsible for creating an ad that was pulled off the air. Racist or not, why would you hire that person as your very own Karl Rove if he's perceived as someone who supports negative campaigning?

He can't turn his back on what he's already pandered to like the tool that he is. Otherwise he'll REALLY piss off the people he's currently winning support from. That is, going back to 2000 McCain = one-term Presidency (assuming he runs and wins, and I sure hope he does not).

Tigerriot: Racist or not, the ad was just a LITTLE bit too personal and especially stereotypical of his lifestyle.

Democrats better be watching McCain's every move. They could easily paint him as the Republicans' very own John Kerry and seriously run with it, especially if McCain keeps this up. Which I suspect he will.

[etiolate]

You know the infamous advertisment that had to be pulled from TV due to the claim that it was racist.

Racist? Wtf. What was the racist part?

[Diablos]

It was still pulled off the air for controversy. The fact that McCain would associate himself with someone given a label for making negative, controversial campaign ads baffles me. Racist or not, it was still very personal, completely baseless and unnecessary. These are the kind of ads that McCain once said he'd like to stop seeing being made.

[Tigerriot]

You know the infamous advertisment that had to be pulled from TV due to the claim that it was racist.

Racist? Wtf. What was the racist part?

I honestly think the ad became "racist" when the Harold Ford camp called it so.  You know how it works, the "racist" label is one of those ace in the hole cards that you pull out if you're in trouble.  Guess what?  It worked, the ad got pulled.    It usually doesn't matter if the "racist" claim is validated in any way.  If the claim is made, people listen.


Personally, I think the ad was a little sleezy, but the truth is that most of today's political ads are pretty effing sleezy.  I really don't think it was any worse than most of the others out there.  Harold Ford actually admitted to partying at the Playboy mansion.  It's not like the ad made some claim that was proven false. 

No canidate for the senate should be hanging around the playboy mansion IMO.

[Diablos]

Personally, I think the ad was a little sleezy, but the truth is that most of today's political ads are pretty effing sleezy.

Ok but McCain has personally called for the end of sleezy campaigning in the past and now he's doing this. The argument ends here. Stop bringing Harold Ford and what he did or didn't do and how he may have overreacted into the argument. Harold Ford himself is old news. This is about McCain picking a guy who does sleezy ads to be his very own Karl Rove. This is a punch in the gut to his own integrity and any American who actually bought into his "straight talk" bullshit.

[Cheebs]

Yes, the "well politics is sleezy" nonsense doesn't work when the candidate was all about bringing the END of this in 2000 and called himself the "straight talk express".