I think I have finally worked out what, at some subliminal level, has been nagging at me about the Obama and McCain campaigns. At the superficial level, what's been visible from the UK, at least, is that the McCain team have been far readier to revert to negative messaging about their opponent. That comes across particularly starkly in the UK because it's a comparatively rare tactic over here.
That wasn't it, though. It was more what the candidates' statements said about their motivation for seeking the top job. Now, I admit, this is an entirely subjective conclusion, reached a long way from the action by someone with a very sketchy view of what's going on, but when you look at Obama's statements they are often something like this one, from a Wall Street Journal OpEd:
"Tomorrow, I ask you to write our nation's next great chapter... If you give me your vote, we won't just win this election - together, we will change this country and change the world."
It almost smacks of Kennedy's iconic "Ask not...".
McCain, on the other hand, was quoted in these terms from a Sunday evening speech in New Hampshire:
"So again I come to the people of New Hampshire, Republicans, independents, Democrats, Libertarians, vegetarians, all of them. I am asking you again to let me go on one more mission."
It's almost as if he wants that last mission in order to tick some personal goal of his own list, rather than to do something, for their benefit, on behalf of the voters.
Still, at least he's recycling. He used the same "one last mission" appeal back in 2000. It won him New Hampshire then, but that wasn't enough to take him all the way.
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Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
...
And you, my fellow prisoners, there on the sad hustings,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce votes, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the Bush era.
Posted by Richard Veryard on November 03, 2008 at 06:47 PM GMT+00:00 #
"One more mission" was also a signature of Bob Dole's last presidential campaign in 1996.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1108/One_more_mission.html
Not forgetting Oliver North's book.
Rage, rage against the dying of the Bush era.
Posted by Richard Veryard on November 03, 2008 at 06:59 PM GMT+00:00 #
Jeez, Robin, I’m a U.S. citizen and this is the first I’ve heard of the vegetarian political party. Where have I been? ;^)
Do you think Sen. McCain was trying to make a joke? Or do you think he was he trying to include one of those groups that use Twitter?
:-)
Posted by Carolyn on November 04, 2008 at 12:38 AM GMT+00:00 #
AUTUMN
Season of frantic hustings on the road,
Close polling calls of the unfolding race;
Conspiring with the PR team to load
With ads the slots that round the networks run;
To bless the voting slips with hanging chads,
And fill all polling stations to the gills;
To swell the numbers, plump the voting rolls
With a sweet caucus; to get voting more,
And still more, later voters overseas,
And hope that thus Guantanamo will cease;
For Bush has long o'erbrimm'd its clammy cells.
Posted by Robin Wilton on November 04, 2008 at 01:19 PM GMT+00:00 #
Alleluia, Amen.
Posted by Carolyn on November 05, 2008 at 06:14 AM GMT+00:00 #