John McCain and Sarah Palin are running “one of the most appalling campaigns” in American history.
Voters across the country are receiving incendiary “robocalls” – phone calls where a machine delivers a message over and over – connecting Barack to terrorism, infanticide, and other ridiculous accusations.
Recipients of the attacks are calling them “hateful,” “vicious,” and “desperate.” Time Magazine’s Joe Klein called out McCain specifically for thesein-the-sewer tactics writing, “Real men don’t hide behind robocalls. It is nowhere near honorable.”
In 2000, McCain himself even denounced this kind of tactics – referring to them as “hate calls.”
These vile attacks are all that the McCain campaign and their allies have left: “In a way, we should not be surprised that Mr. McCain has stooped so low, since the debate showed once again that he has little else to talk about.”
In the past, these “robocalls” have flown under the radar. The McCain campaign expects them to go largely unnoticed by the mainstream press. We need your help dragging these ugly tactics into the light and making sure undecided voters aren’t stopped by this sleaze.
Fight back with our newest smear-fighting tool. If you receive an offensive “robocall” or a mailing that uses this kind of false, negative attacks, please share it with our campaign. Upload photos or an audio recording at: http://www.fightthesmears.com/report
Together we’ll make sure McCain’s disgraceful and diversionary campaign doesn’t steal this election.
Voters in Iowa react to the McCain campaign's sleazy "robocalls."
Listen to one of McCain's "robocalls" and fight back with our new smear-fighting reporting tool.
New York Times Editorial: McCain And Palin “Have Been Running One Of The Most
Appalling Campaigns We Can Remember.”
Read this ArticleIt is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember. They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent’s record — into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison. … In a way, we should not be surprised that Mr. McCain has stooped so low, since the debate showed once again that he has little else to talk about. He long ago abandoned his signature issues of immigration reform and global warming; his talk of ‘victory’ in Iraq has little to offer a war-weary nation; and his Reagan-inspired ideology of starving government and shredding regulation lies in tatters on Wall Street. But surely, Mr. McCain and his team can come up with a better answer to that problem than inciting more division, anger and hatred. [Editorial, New York Times, 10/8/08]
New York Times Editorial: “This Ugly Brand Of Politics” McCain Now Practices “Killed His
Own 2000 Presidential Bid.”
Read this ArticleMr. McCain used to pride himself on being above this ugly brand of politics, which killed his own 2000 presidential bid….Mr. McCain repeatedly said Mr. Obama “would rather lose a war to win a political campaign” and that he “does not understand” what is at stake in Iraq. He also accused Mr. Obama of canceling a visit to wounded American troops in a German military hospital because news cameras were not allowed. That’s a false account of what occurred — and Mr. McCain ignored Mr. Obama’s unheralded visit to a combat hospital in Baghdad. [Editorial, New York Times, 7/30/08]
St. Petersburg Times Editorial: “McCain Has Resorted To Lies And Distortions.”
Read this ArticleThe Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican’s campaign and his ability to control his temper. [St. Petersburg Times Editorial, 7/31/08]
Boston Globe: McCain Has “Abandoned Respectful Discussion Of Differences For
A Trough Of Pandering And Invective.”
Read this ArticleBack in December, when we endorsed John McCain in the Republican presidential primaries, we wrote that he would conduct a campaign of ‘substance, not demagoguery.’ We didn’t count on the other John McCain – the one who showed up for the general election. Whether in thrall to his handlers or his own ambition, McCain has abandoned respectful discussion of differences for a trough of pandering and invective. [Editorial, Boston Globe, 10/14/08]
The Washington Post’s Dan Balz: “What’s Also Clear Is That McCain’s Tactics Are
Over The Line, With No Restraint In Sight.”
Read this ArticleI wrote yesterday about the risks to both McCain and Obama — and the country — as they fire at one another in increasingly sharp terms. The danger is that the winner will come to office with a sizable portion of the population poisoned by the effects of the campaign. But what’s also clear is that McCain’s tactics are over the line, with no restraint in sight, and threaten to provoke reactions among partisans on both sides that will continue to escalate. … I was in contact over the past 24 hours with another veteran of recent Republican presidential campaigns and asked, on a not-for-attribution basis, whether he believed McCain’s campaign is taking a big risk with its negative turn. ‘Yes,’ this strategist replied. ‘Big mistake. If this stuff mattered, then why didn’t they raise it five months ago? Sad.’ [Washington Post, 10/10/08]
The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart: McCain Has Shown Neither Presidential
Temperament Nor Character.
Read this ArticleSo the McCain camp is trying to raise doubts about Barack Obama — even though the Illinois senator has been on the national stage for four years and has been under the presidential campaign microscope for the last 20 months. They seem to have no qualms appealing to the cultural fears of their agitated, and now energized, base by practically branding Obama as un-American or anti-American. And this is eliciting an ugliness at McCain-Palin events that is justifiably raising alarms that some nut job is going to act on the Republican ticket’s cynical campaigning. … This past week, by ginning up an anger and resentment on the campaign trail that should leave all with a cold chill running through their bodies, McCain has shown neither presidential temperament nor character. … If they keep doing what they’re doing, they’ll deserve to lose.” [Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post, 10/10/08]