If he's going to behave like shark bait, treat him like one
On my drive this morning, I was listening to Mark Taylor hosting for Dennis Prager. He relayed the following:
After his campaign rally in Cincinnati today, Republican presidential candidate John McCain apologized for remarks by conservative WLW talk show host Bill Cunningham that McCain said he thought were offensive to Democratic candidate Barack Obama.Apparently us right-wingers are waxing indignant, using this as another proof-positive example of Senator McCain sticking his finger in the eye of conservatives. I call BS.
I haven't followed the whole shebang, but if Mark Taylor's description is accurate, I side with him and McCain on this one. McCain is turning this negative into a positive by demonstrating class. What Cunningham said is fine for low-browed blogs and talk radio and Free Republic. It's fine for DU and Daily Kos and Air America and Huffington Post. But I expect a presidential candidate to behave presidential. This is exactly what John McCain did. Remember when John Kerry failed to pass the "Sister Soldjah moment", and repudiate disparaging remarks about President Bush, said in his behalf by Hollywood know-nothings? I expect more from my side.
In my opinion, Bill Cunningham is behaving like a whiny bitch because he deservedly got rebuked for the same criticism we dish out to limousine liberals who use inappropriate venues for their brand of discourse.
Childish.
Kind of like my lowering the bar by name-calling Cunningham.
Labels: Bill Cunningham, Dennis Prager, Election 2008, John McCain, Mark Taylor, political cartoons, talk radio
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 2/27/2008 10:56:00 AM
9 Comments:
Cunningham wasn't particularly offensive, but I commend McCain for seeming to take the high road on this one. It's unfortunate that the two didn't communicate because I'd wager that, if he knew McCain's particular wishes on the aspect, he'd not have made those specific comments. Semi-much ado about not a whole lot. Point given: McCain.
BZ
Do you hear that noise? That's me applauding your post. I wholeheartedly agree. I am watching Cunningham right now on Hannity and Colmes and I'm disgusted. I am so happy his radio show is not available here.
Cunningham is unpatriotic. He wants 4 years of a Dem instead of McCain, succumbing to the lunacy of logic that says if we suffer 4 years under an incompentent socialist then we will have many more years of a 'true conservative'. And you know how I feel about that 'true conservative' crap.
Like you, I expect better from Republicans, too. Anyone can get down in the mud and go to the lowest common denominator. Considering that McCain has a daughter adopted from Bangladesh, I imagine he is atune to racial and ethnic bigotry.
It's obvious to me that McCain had to say what he did. He has to win Independents and is also trying to win over moderate Democrats. He can't do that by agreeing with everything that Cunningham said. McCain may even agree with Cunningham (of course I don't know that) but he can hardly say so if he hopes to beat Obama in the general election. Good for McCain!
Cunningham wasn't particularly offensive,
He wasn't "expletive" offensive. But from what excerpts I heard, it made me cringe.
karen,
I saw that late last night. I've never heard of Bill Cunningham until yesterday. He was obnoxious. I believe he was also dishonest about the whole middle name calling. Those who keep emphasizing Barack's middle name, when he himself doesn't use it, are only helping to alienate voters.
His whole mentality about "4 years of Carter" gave us "20 years of Reagan", so "I'll go ahead and vote for Hillary" is asinine and wishful thinking.
We are still suffering for Carter's mistakes (think, Khomeinite religious extremists).
gayle,
I think McCain actually did feel Cunningham set the wrong tone. I would hope that he did. Not just that he had to behave presidentially, and set himself apart from that rhetoric, for political gain.
I forget the name of the McCain staffer who scheduled Cunningham to be the opening act (he should have known what to expect from Cunningham- and that the kind of tone he'd set is not who McCain is), but that doofus should be slapped silly.
I can understand where you are coming from with this Word,
I never heard of the guy until the other day myself.
Now HE was being an ass.
But I still dont understand why Obama's middle name is off limits!
On my blog I was'nt trying to lower myself to his level, I was just posing the question why?
I dont understand what happened to Freedom of Speech here.
I have a million questions I would like to have answered about Obama, that was just one of them.
I mean, if we cant say Barack Hussein Obama, then we cant say John Sydney McCain? Or William Jefferson Clinton, or George Herbert Walker Bush?
It's just a name.
I was posing the question to the Liberals who have taken up residence on my blog that if Obama isnt upset about his middle name being used, then why is the left so upset about all this?
It was'nt meant to be derogetory. I was just curious as to why those Libby's that have moved in and set up house in my blog get so upset about it.
I am not about to get down in the mud over a middle name.
marie,
It's not a freedom of speech issue. People have the freedom to say his middle name; just like Hollywood liberals have the freedom to spout off at the Emmys, just like Bill Cunningham had the freedom to lower the bar as the opening act, just as McCain had the freedom of speech to rebuke and disassociate himself from it.
I mean, if we cant say Barack Hussein Obama, then we cant say John Sydney McCain? Or William Jefferson Clinton, or George Herbert Walker Bush?
It's just a name.
Of course it's just a name! But why on earth do you suppose OUR side of the political aisle is the one who insists on using his middle name, when Senator Obama himself doesn't refer to himself by it? It's for effect. It's to put into the minds of people, the correlation between him and Muslims and terrorists. Obama=Osama "Hussein" conjures up association with Saddam, and Muslim.
It belittles us as bigoted when we type out "Barack HUSSEIN Obama", with emphasis placed upon the middle name.
Of course there's nothing for Obama to be ashamed about with its usage. But the manner in which it is being said by those on the right is deplorable. And it only makes us look like bigots.
Word,
I see where you are coming from with this but I am not trying to be bigoted.
If we are to associate his First, Middle or Last name with anyone or anything then there is something wrong.
It doesnt seem bigoted to me to be able to use any person's name. No matter what color he or she is.
Maybe we should just call him Big B, that might settle the whole issue.
We cant say Obama cause it sounds to much like Osama, we cant say his middle name because it sounds bigoted, all we have left is Barack!
And I dont know what people will make that into next.
Wordsmith, I used his middle name on my post too, but I did it because I had some very rude comments that I didn't publish telling me that I didn't have the right to use his middle name. The one sure way to make me do something is to tell me I can't do it.
But I came across an article that may explain exactly why Barack's middle name is Hussein. I think his background needs to be exposed.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/
Front_Page/JB26Aa01.html
My response is over at Marie's Two Cents
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