Some of Nothing

And the Beat Goes On...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008

What a shock! This election is a referendum on...the Democrat:

HALPERIN: There’s been a little bit of the paradigm shift. I think that McCain web video might have had the same effect as the Saturday Night Live parody that…on the Clinton/Obama race. I think some reporters recognize going forward if we replicate the way the coverage has been, the imbalance, the unfair pro-Obama coverage going forward, it would do a disservice in the general election. This…whenever I go on TV and say, ‘this election is about a referendum on Obama, that’s the whole thing,’ those guys with the Cheetos on the end of their fingers…

BRZEZINSKI: [laughs] Exactly…

HALPERIN: …attack me and say, ‘that’s just some dodge, it’s about McCain too’. McCain deserves scrutiny and he’ll get some...

How many times are we going to hear that John McCain will eventually get some scrutiny? I remember Tim Russert making that very claim on the night Obama won the Democratic nomination. When was that again? Oh, that's right--two months ago. And when are we going to stop making the ridiculous claim that the reason this election is a referendum on Obama is that he's new? Whenever one political party does nothing but attack and the other political party does nothing but defend, the referendum is always on the party on defense. This is nothing new. The 2000 election was a referendum on Al Gore's personality and the Clinton administration (Yep, that government neophyte Al Gore sure had a lot to prove back then). The 2004 election was a referendum on John Kerry's personality and war record (Apparently, the Alabama Air National Guard just wasn't good enough for Kerry). Now, this election is a referendum on...imagine that...Obama's personality and well...social status (John McCain--the humble every man who wears $500 shoes and owns 7 houses). Hell. I'm on Obama's side, and even I'm mostly seeing this election as a referendum on him. That's not right.

This entire "referendum on ____________(D)" tradition will continue until a Democratic presidential candidate draws a line in the sand. At the beginning of this election, Obama claimed that he will not put up with attacks on his patriotism. What has he been doing lately? Putting up with attacks on his patriotism. Obama claimed that he will not put up with attacks on Michelle. What has he done? Put up with attacks on Michelle. Sure, he's stated that these attacks are not nice and beneath John McCain, etc, but really, is there anyone who didn't already know that? What people want to see him do is defend himself like he would defend this country. People (and by "people", I mean mostly me) don't know that they can trust someone who won't call out the B.S. for what it is. Not just mean or "dishonorable" but...let's just say it..."irrational" and "divorced from reality".

We gave Obama the benefit of the doubt with regard to Clinton's dishonest attacks because she was a Democrat, and we saw where he was coming from when he said that he didn't want to create intra-party divisions. So, he let her do it instead. Now, he's letting McCain's Republic of Media take him down. And he's apologizing for someone else's rap lyrics (Oh. Did we forget to remind you that Obama's black?). Nothing says "strong leader" like apologizing for something you didn't do.

Hello 2004. Nice to see you again.

UPDATE: Apparently, McCain is now being called by the Republic of Media "The Unhappy Warrior". Seriously. Apparently, "The Lying A--hole" was already trademarked.

UPDATE 2: Atrios officially wins the internets. If you don't get it, watch this:

Nothing New byslag at 2:33 PM