The News & Observer in North Carolina has an article about the losing Dole senatorial campaign and their explanation of why the famous "godless" ad was necessary.

Dole's campaign thought it would run such an ad only as a last resort. And then it would be the mildest version of the ad.

So says Fred Davis, the Hollywood-based media consultant who produced the ad, which became one of the most discussed TV commercials in the nation during the past election.

Critics of the ad from the right and the left accused Dole of questioning Hagan's faith.

Hagan, a Sunday school teacher and elder in her Presbyterian church in Greensboro, called the ad "despicable" and ran her own ad accusing Dole of "bearing false witness against fellow Christians."

A candidate thus reveals the presence of a sufficiently clear and present danger to failure of the campaign as to justify hiring a spin doctor to empasize the trivial at the expense of the important.

But Davis insists the commercial was not designed to question Hagan's faith. He said it was about her decision to attend the fundraiser.

"It was about her judgment," Davis said in a telephone interview last week. "I never questioned her faith. A lot of people questioned that in hindsight. But that's not the point."

"That's not the point?"

How appropriate. The point is that all over this country candidates keep shallowly trusting consultants and advisors, effectively handing over their own sincerity and honesty in asking for votes based on reality.

Instead, they bring into play hired mind-slingers to create and promote the shallowest of messages using Viagra or Cialis tactics.

They hand over their own integrity regarding political ethics. They do not  encourage thoughtful civic participation by bringin a fast-talking narrow-minded snake oil sales person into the game.

They declare then that civics takes a back seat to deceptive marketing.

This elevation of suppossed 21st century political and media sophistication to a pedestal defined by  30-second messaging  is a sacrament of worship that will not make us a better nor wiser society.

That is what "the point" is. 

This guy Davis produces an insulting piece of ad-trash that assumes a  tremendous stupidity and gullibility of voters

- an ad that lowered the civic standard in an entire state

- and calls it a meaningful piece about judgment.

It was a meaningful piece about judgment .... his employer's Mrs. Dole's.

There has to be a more honest living than being a professional manipulator.

Posted SwanDeer Project at 8:04 AM PST

Updated: Sunday, 9 November 2008 8:36 AM PST

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A candidate illegally fund by sneaky corporate lobbyists cannot really promise "change" by riding the coat tails of Barack Obama and asking us to vote for Barack and Dino ... no, he can't.

Dino is left promoting his own deceptively packaged change as well as hoping we won't recognize the truest friends he has. 

Posted SwanDeer Project at 11:44 AM PDT

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Republicans have single-partyedly fractured their base out in their last remaining bastion states. 

This headline and the following comment titles at Democratic Underground say it all.  

Idaho's flagship newspaper endorses Obama. 

Idaho Statesman endorsement: America needs Obama's steady hand

[Comment titles]

Idaho???

W0W! Idaho!! -- and Powell Endorsement

Holy Shit!!! Idaho???

Idaho?

Latest list of newspaper endorsements ... 76-19

62% for McCain Idaho?

and this: 

Hell definitely just froze over. Salt Lake Tribune (Utah!) endorses Obama!

The Salt Lake Tribune has been there since the 19th century. In the twentieth century the Tribune is the successful competition to the other daily there, The Deseret News - more the voice of Utah conservatism and the LDS Church.

In terms of profit and loss, endorsing the Democrat for president would not be a wise economic decision unless ...  

Nationwide: The rest of the Red Wall looks like a dam about to break:

Newspaper Endorsements for Obama:

Raleigh NC News & Observer

 Bryan-College Station, Texas Eagle (next door to Crawford)

Tuscaloosa News Alabama

Nashua N.H. Telegraph

Houston (Texas) Chronicle

Austin (Texas) American Statesman

Cleveland Ohio Plan Dealer

Posted SwanDeer Project at 9:21 AM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 19 October 2008 9:30 AM PDT

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"McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man," Dramesi says today. "But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."  

 

At Fort McNair, an army base located along the Potomac River in the nation's capital, a chance reunion takes place one day between two former POWs. It's the spring of 1974, and Navy commander John Sidney McCain III has returned home from the experience in Hanoi that, according to legend, transformed him from a callow and reckless youth into a serious man of patriotism and purpose. Walking along the grounds at Fort McNair, McCain runs into John Dramesi, an Air Force lieutenant colonel who was also imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam.

McCain is studying at the National War College, a prestigious graduate program he had to pull strings with the Secretary of the Navy to get into. Dramesi is enrolled, on his own merit, at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in the building next door.

There's a distance between the two men that belies their shared experience in North Vietnam — call it an honor gap. Like many American POWs, McCain broke down under torture and offered a "confession" to his North Vietnamese captors. Dramesi, in contrast, attempted two daring escapes. For the second he was brutalized for a month with daily torture sessions that nearly killed him. His partner in the escape, Lt. Col. Ed Atterberry, didn't survive the mistreatment. But Dramesi never said a disloyal word, and for his heroism was awarded two Air Force Crosses, one of the service's highest distinctions. McCain would later hail him as "one of the toughest guys I've ever met."

On the grounds between the two brick colleges, the chitchat between the scion of four-star admirals and the son of a prizefighter turns to their academic travels; both colleges sponsor a trip abroad for young officers to network with military and political leaders in a distant corner of the globe.

"I'm going to the Middle East," Dramesi says. "Turkey, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iran."

"Why are you going to the Middle East?" McCain asks, dismissively.

"It's a place we're probably going to have some problems," Dramesi says.

"Why? Where are you going to, John?"

"Oh, I'm going to Rio."

"What the hell are you going to Rio for?"

McCain, a married father of three, shrugs.

"I got a better chance of getting laid."

Dramesi, who went on to serve as chief war planner for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and commander of a wing of the Strategic Air Command, was not surprised. "McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man," Dramesi says today. "But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."

McCAIN FIRST

This is the story of the real John McCain, the one who has been hiding in plain sight. It is the story of a man who has consistently put his own advancement above all else, a man willing to say and do anything to achieve his ultimate ambition: to become commander in chief, ascending to the one position that would finally enable him to outrank his four-star father and grandfather.

In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.

In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.

Page 1 of 10

Posted SwanDeer Project at 6:45 AM PDT

Updated: Monday, 6 October 2008 6:48 AM PDT

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When John McCain arrived  at the Hanoi Hilton one of his former classmates from the U.S. Naval Acadmey was already there 

From Brave New Films

Watch it. It's only 4 minutes long 

Posted SwanDeer Project at 8:19 AM PDT

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"There was one man who was presidential tonight, that man was John McCain."

Let's see ... McCain never looked at Obama during the debate.

Not looking at your opponent is "presidential?"

This very much was the "don't talk to your enemies - don't look them in the eye" foreign policy expert practicing his "presidential" craft for a nationwide audience.

McCain campaign continues:

There was another who was political, that was Barack Obama. John McCain won this debate and controlled the dialogue throughout, whether it was the economy, taxes, spending, Iraq or Iran.

The McCainers are right. There was one who was political. That would be the older white-haired fellow who was obviously too afraid of his opponent to look him in the eye.

You know ... that guy who stared anywhere but at Obama while repeating and praising his own 30+ years of politically-expedient decision-making.

... political choices that consistently fell on the wrong side of what's best for America and it's individual citizens.

But perhaps the most annoying, insulting and embarrassing declarations were his blatant patronizing self-praise remarks about his love, concern and loyalty to military veterans.

Talk is cheap. Veterans perhaps more than any other American voters, look at what The Man Does more than What The Man Says.

Were we to hear that kind of talk up close at the Elk Snout Tavern on Willapa Bay, McCain would have been tossed out on his lying ass ... more than likely by the American Legion and VFW patrons drinking with him.

More from old-white-eyes' guys:

There was a leadership gap, a judgment gap, and a boldness gap on display tonight, a fact Barack Obama acknowledged when he said John McCain was right at least five times. Tonight's debate showed John McCain in command of the issues and presenting a clear agenda for America's future." --Jill Hazelbaker, McCain-Palin 2008 Communications Director

I have to hand it to them. The leadership, judgment and boldness gap WAS on display tonight. The gap defined mostly by the political ex-fighter jock who has yet to make a positive and socially redeeming political decision since taking the lead flight position of the republican attack formation.

Unfortunately, all we've gotten since he took the lead position have been foolish and rash decisions. Look at who he put out there as wing man - er - wing woman.

That's keeping faith with veterans? Putting a cadet as next in line for command authority?

Unfortunately the McCain campain's "clear agenda" seems to be an assumption that the majority of the electorate wants Patton for President.

I don't recall that Patton refused to look enemies in the eye. In fact, Patton did look directly into the face of either Marshall Zukov or another general meeting with him immediately after the end of hostilities in Germany at the birth of Cold War hostilities.

Staring into his opponent's eyes, Patton - minus McCain-style repeated blinking - told the interpreter to call that officer a "sookensin" (my transliteration from Russian) - a son of a bitch.

So I guess McCain can't do a Patton either. He just stands there trembling and afraid of being open and honest cause honesty might let loose the real McCoy, er, McCain. Honesty might include releasing and revelaing again his still immature temper.

As a veteran, I don't think I want him to try his way of keeping the faith with me or my family ... especially the ones serving in the military.

And about the "at least five times" Mr. Obama said McCain was right?

Five times in a 90-minute debate?

That would be like Muhammad Ali acknowledging that Joe Frazier connected on five swings out of two-hundred during the Thrilla in Manila.

Posted SwanDeer Project at 9:45 AM PDT

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SGM Larry A. Myers U.S. Army (Retired) has a blog, The Sergeant Major's Thoughts on That

A veteran of 27 years in the United States Army including combat tours in Vietnam, Myers has written one of the definitive veteran's perspectives on the current legitimacy of John McCain's assertion that he is qualified to lead this country.

His diary of 9/10/08, Honor - To Have And Have Not was cross-posted to KOS and has comments nearing 300 as of this morning.

Myers says what many veterans are thinking but have not publicly acknowledged. Honor and conscience are some of the strongest traits any soldier desires of his commanders. For years most in this country have assumed that these traits were part and parcel of what makes a military officer and a United States Senator.

There was a time in 2000 when I was seriously supportive of McCain and somewhat distrustful of Clinton and Gore. I did not know all I needed to know about McCain back then because he was BUSHwhacked out of the Republican nominating activity and became the McCain we never knew.

The McCain that brazenly stands before the electorate and lies right into our faces seems oblivious to how his image has so severely deteriorated or the vast disgust he generates daily with every public appearance.

Myers:

... once one's honor was compromised it was a permanent and oft never fading blemish. ... I believe that even the most honorable and well intentioned people with the most hard earned sense of honor can fail and that they can be guilty of being dishonorable and I believe that that has happened in the presidential race.

I would go further than Myers. We assumed much about John McCain that was apparently not true and would only be revealed - as has been the case with McCain - when he is under pressure or suspects he won't be held accountable.

If I go thru the pro-forma motion of recognizing his five years POW suffering for his country, I also have the right to declare respectfully that I reject the idea that POW suffering automatically creates excellent presidential material.

Here 40+ years after his POW crucible, McCain is self-revealed as an ordinary or perhaps even typical mediocre Naval officer who did not extinguish himself as a leader of men.

There are other veteran military officers much more capable and preferable to McCain as a CIC. If I were God and able to appoint any veteran of my choosing to be president, John McCain would not even be on my long list, let alone my short list.

Myers seems to agree with me:

... past honorable service and dedication to duty and country does not immunize one against poor judgment, failure or even from doing the wrong thing. I believe that ones honor is not something one does once and then puts it on a shelf where it shines forever. Honor is second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour and year by year. It is only as untarnished and undiminished as ones past and ones last action.

Myers goes on to say that his previously expressed disappointment and sadness with McCain lies in a conclusion that the candidate is not an honorable man today.

In my world of definitions, an honorable man is a man of class, respectful toward women and someone who refuses to be crass. In my world of a veteran's experience, the definition of a military officer as a class act does not include the a poorly thought-out and hasty rashness that sometimes becomes an attribute a fighter jock needs in the middle of aerial combat. As the oft-used asset of a commander of men or the chief national statesman or leader of the free world, poorly thought-ought and hastily rash decisions are to be feared and avoided constantly.

When McCain resorts to good ole boy fighter-jock back bar humor, he fails to be outstanding in his chosen field. He reduces himself, his candidacy, his wife and his running mate to mere props behind which he plays with his saber and pretends that the presidency is nothing more than a game of RISK.

Myers also explains how wrong it is to use lies to get somewhere with the implied promise that once elected you will not lie anymore and return to straight talk.

The reason I say this is because I am observing and hearing reported by every major news organization in this country that he and his running mate are participating in and personally articulating blatant lies. These are not the actions of honorable people. When one is aspiring to the highest and second highest public offices in the land it is incumbent upon one to speak truth and only truth and to communicate about those issues that are vital and of importance to the citizens of the nation. It is not honorable for individuals to speak lies to the citizens and make unproven accusations against those whom they oppose. When one opposes another person in vying for public office it becomes even more important to insure that one speaks the truth and deals with issues and substantive differences and not innuendo and accusation.

Most veterans know full well which officers had class and who had no need to demand respect. They also remember which officers were not classy and who those were who could get them all killed.

Myers continues.

The fact that John McCain is a former Naval Officer and a sitting United States Senator makes this lack of honor horribly reprehensible. But I think what makes this lack of honor so disgusting and even more vile is that he would lose himself to the point of using his own sacrifice and service as a shield to commit such petit dishonorable acts of lying. Conservative, liberal, or Independent, share his beliefs or not, it would be morally reprehensible for anyone to support someone who displays so little honor.

Honor is what has been lacking from the first day of George Bush's presidency and of his Republican dominated congressional support system.

Craven is a more apt description of the Republicans in congress who rubber-stamped the Bush/Cheney/Rove definition of the political abuse and denigration of genuine patriotic American Civic participation in government.

Honor is the last thing we are seeing and have come to expect from the flag-waving pseudo-corporate patriotism sold to American's as Republican snake oil. McCain with the advice of Republican spinners is demonstrating the worst of our society at this significant moment in American History.

Myers concludes with this about honor:

Our honor as a nation is not just blemished but in tatters and we cannot endure another four or eight years of the same. If for no other reason than the fact that John McCain and his vice presidential running mate have publicly lied and continue to lie this nation needs to insure that he does not occupy the office of the president. Our nation needs honor above all else at this crucial point in our history. With honor comes respect and from these come all else.

Enlisted American veterans like me are much more numerous than retired admirals and generals. We have always been most often the first to recognize flaws in their officers primarily because they deal with them at the level of execution rather than chain of command.

These are the truths American veterans need to recognize.

Tags: McCain, commander-in-chief, leadership

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Posted SwanDeer Project at 8:40 AM PDT

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Posted SwanDeer Project at 7:56 AM PDT

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For those who have claimed the mantle of "family values"--I hereby question and scoff at your support of Sarah Palin. - Carla Axtman

McCain and his spinners apparently thought they could call forth the 2004 Evangelical Gullible Base back from wherever it faded. I doubt they can ... but they are again trying to poison the country with a fake piety that belittles every parent in the country.

Family values are not tools of the opportunistic - to be summoned when needed and hidden in the closet when expedient.

One of the Pac Northwest's premier bloggers gives us a truth some do not dare bring up.

Carla Axtman at BlueOregon.com

Its not as if I don't understand what its like to have a wonderful and beloved job in politics. I've had that. But when my teenagers (who were not actually in any trouble or crisis) began to show signs of needing their mother's guidance and presence in a more profound way, I gave up that job to do what I knew was right for them.

Isn't that what "family values" is supposed to be all about? Or is being a secular progressive a "family-values" nonstarter in the eyes of conservatives, no matter what? And does being an anti-choice, book-banning, global-climate-change denier mean otherwise, no matter what?

Sarah Palin either deliberately placed her pregnant, 17-year old daughter directly into this ridiculous media scrutiny--putting her in the position of being eaten alive by the rabid tabloid press--or she didn't know that her child was 5 months pregnant. Neither of those scenarios speaks especially well of Ms. Palin as a "family-values" candidate, in my view. All of this for a high-profile, high-power political job.

The hypocrisy of this woman being placed as the standard bearer of social conservatives is staggering. And all of us who sport a uterus are supposed to be able to relate to this woman because...so does she? We're all supposed to be blind to what's going on with her family and embrace her alleged "pro-family" policy stances because its worked out so hunky dory for them...? Seriously?

I don't see how a "family values" man could relate to her either.

Tags: Palin, family values

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Posted SwanDeer Project at 8:36 AM PDT

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