Monday, September 22, 2008

Anatomy of a Smear

Since the media isn't going to to the job (unless the smear is directed at Obama), here is the McCain $5 million quote in full:

On August 16, Pastor Rick Warren asked John McCain how much money someone would have to make to be considered rich. McCain didn't answer directly. "I think that rich should be defined by a home, a good job, an education and the ability to hand to our children a more prosperous and safer world than the one that we inherited," he said.

Then he made a joke: "So, I think if you are just talking about income, how about $5 million?"

The audience laughed, immediately understanding that McCain was being facetious. Just in case there were any doubts McCain started his next comment by saying "seriously," to underscore the joke. Then he made a prediction.

"I'm sure that comment will be distorted," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.


Thinking people should be able to figure out that McCain was joking. Apparently Obama couldn't figure it out, since he's repeatedly used it to smear McCain.

Do we want someone so dense running our country? Unless ... you don't think Obama KNEW it was a joke and is simply using it to smear McCain? That can't be true. He was going to be the ONE of HOPE and CHANGE. New Politics. Not the politics of destruction!!11!

Certainly The One wouldn't use cheap smear tactics to lie about his opponent in order to win? Time tells me it's McCain that is using dirty tricks, and we all KNOW there is no such thing as media bias.

The phrase by any means necessary keeps running through my head. And it makes me very nervous.