So who is the elitist?
The fact that Senator John McCain has no idea how many homes he owns certainly does undermine his continued attempt to play the “elitist” card against Senator Obama.
This sounds like one of those Jeff Foxworthy jokes – you might be an elitist if…
And if you don’t know how many homes you have, then write it down: you’re the elitist.
And by the way the answer is apparently seven. McCain has seven homes,
But as good as that moment was for the Obama team, it was just another example of how removed we are from the issues that matter.
Do we really care how many homes someone has?
Interesting, sure.
And it makes a point, yes.
But more important than, say, the housing crisis or health care for 45-million uninsured?
Hardly.
Consider where the rest of the news day went. The McCain campaign brought up Senator Obama’s relationship with Tony Rezko, a convicted felon. Then the Obama team responded with McCain’s ties to that oldie but goodie, the Keating Five scandal.
Great theater, great politics, and a great example of the Obama campaign’s rapid response team, but nonetheless, it was a news cycle completely removed from the issues that matter.
Now, in an election campaign, it’s not always about the issues that matter. It’s about the issues that move voters and can win elections. And that means, undoubtedly there’s a whole lot more of this coming, especially from Team McCain. It’s certainly become clear from its early tone that they’ve come to the conclusion that the only chance they have is to win this is somewhere way to the side of the high road.
And that’s going to make for a campaign that is spent more on personal issues than on the issues that matter,
But hopefully, in this election, there will be just enough discussion of the real issues that voters can make a decision to vote for one of the candidates, not just against the other.
But in this round of back and forth, score this one for Obama.
Posted by Bernie Campbell on Friday, August 22, 2008
Permalink: So who is the elitist?
