Seeing as how criticizing Obama's lack of political experience is not a strategy Palin can employ, she has instead turned to stretching the truth about her rival's past. Obama lives in the same Chicago neighborhood as radical activist Bill Ayers, who in the 1960s led militant group Weather Underground in the bombings of several government buildings, and the two men have crossed professional paths several times. Palin, however, has tried to significantly exaggerate the extent of the relationship to make specious insinuations about Obama's character.
Sure, the two have worked together. According to The Los Angeles Times in April, both were part of the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago, a group focused on combating the area's poverty. But as Laura Washington, chairwoman of the organization, said, it is "ridiculous to suggest there's anything inappropriate" about the two serving together on the board; last year, the organization gave $3.4 million to local arts, civic, and housing groups. It hardly seems that Obama's participation in the charitable, well-intentioned organization should frighten the American people.
While it is clear that Obama has tried to downplay his connections with Ayers, the two were definitely not tight. As Scott Shane writes in The New York Times on Friday, "...the two men do not appear to have been close," and Obama has never "expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called 'somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.'" It is absurd to claim that Ayers has remotely influenced the presidential candidate's political beliefs.
A separate NYT article reports Palin as saying in Colorado, “Our opponent...is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” But let's be clear: Obama did not participate in the terrorist acts. His involvement with Ayers is unrelated to issues of terrorism or violence. The two are not close, and Obama has not adopted Ayers' beliefs. Palin's allusions to the senator's anti-patriotism are thus unjust and outright ludicrous.
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2 comments:
Twee, I completely agree that the Republicans' attacks on Senator Obama because of his acquaintances are completely unfounded and undeniably absurd. Governor Palin is calling the Senator guilty by loose affiliation. Really, if those sort of casual ties were all that was needed to convict one of unpatriotic beliefs and wrongdoing, shouldn't Senator McCain be getting a much heavier dose of his "bulldog"s medicine? (Keating Five, anyone?) Although, I can't say that the "new campaign strategy" is any worse than the old one (that is, if the Couric interview was part of their devious plan). As much as Gov. Palin says she's against "politics as usual," she's sure up to the same old dirty political ploys.
I agree with both of you, but, considering what I think are our shared political views are, there is a bright side to this. Such a strategy is employed by a losing side, even more proof that the McCain campaign themselves feel the pressure. I would add to this that, even though I, Baracrates, is all for Barack, I do think a man like McCain has to be stretched more thinly than the average politician to resort to such tactics. I think that even more strongly shows the trouble that the Republicans are in right now.
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