Republicans’ belated, inadequate attempt to bring down Obama on the Wright connection

The Republican National Republican Trust PAC is running a TV campaign ad on the Obama-Wright connection. According to an e-mail from NewsMax:

A new, shocking TV ad exposes the relationship between Rev. Wright and Barack Obama.
Dick Morris told Fox News today that this ad can defeat Barack Obama.

Here is the text of the ad:

For 20 years Barack Obama followed a preacher of hate and said nothing is Wright raged against our country.

[Clip of Rev. Wright:] “Not God Bless America, God Damn America … US of KKKA!”

[Quote of Obama appears on screen:] “I don’t think my church is particularly controversial.”

He built his power base in Wright’s church.

Wright was his mentor, adviser and close friend.

For 20 years Obama never complained until he ran for President.

Barack Obama. Too radical. Too risky.

I see nothing new here. Dick Morris as usual is a meretricious spin machine who says whatever strikes his fancy from day to day.

And consider the pitiful hype of calling this ad “shocking.” What’s shocking about it? The same clip of Wright saying “Goddamn USA” was replayed endlessly last March. If Republicans think this ad will make a difference, they are too stupid for this earth.

The deeper problem is that it’s not enough simply to call Obama “too radical and risky,” which ads up to little more than name calling. Republicans need to make an argument and say why Obama’s behavior disqualifies him for the presidency. Something like this:

A man who for 20 years prior to running for president had absolutely no problem with an enemy of America, will have no problem with America’s enemies once he becomes president.

If Barack Obama becomes our president, that’s change we can count on.

But Republicans are incapable of making even a simple, understandable argument like this. All they can do is throw around adjectives: “radical,” “risky.”

- end of initial entry -

Ed S. writes:

When I read,

but Republicans are incapable of making even a simple, understandable argument like this. All they can do is throw around adjectives: “radical,” “risky,”

it made me revisit an observation I made earlier today: the McCain campaign (and the bulk of the Republican Party) are petrified to say something that may offend someone, or potentially cause them to be labeled racists—leaving them near impotent at times. Case in point: why did it take Joe the Plumber to inject the “S” word (socialism) into the McCain campaign’s valid criticism of the Obama doctrine? My view is that we’ve been knee-deep in socialism for decades (due to both major political parties). However, the Obama policies are much more emblematic of that dangerous socioeconomic theory, and the McCain campaign should have used this to their advantage months ago.

What Maverick??

BTW, I thoroughly enjoy VFR’s analysis of the issues facing Americans…. as well as the new, soon-to-be, glass-half-full axiom, “Whoever loses, we win.”

Posted by Lawrence Auster at October 27, 2008 03:26 PM | Send