Two names enter the lexicon of the 2008 presidential race today. Their long term impact is negligible. Their shelf life story is less than 24 hours. What they say about the state of the race, however, might provide us with the greatest insight as to where we stand three weeks and a few days out and as we enter the homestretch before the next (and final) previously scheduled game-changing moment in the presidential race: Wednesday’s final debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York.
But before we get there, our two names:
JOHN LEWIS (D-GA)- And we’ll put an asterisk by Lewis’ name because he first appears in the story of the 2008 race during the South Carolina Democratic Primary back in January. Today, in a posting on the ingenious Politico online feature “The Arena,” and on his campaign website, Lewis wrote:
“As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing today reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.
During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who only desired to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed one Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.
As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."
His comments come in reaction to what we covered in Friday’s report, of the crowds at McCain/Palin rallies and their increasing (this week: explosive) agitation and inflammation. So, the first reaction is, “Did he really go there?” connecting McCain with George Wallace and, it could be inferred, the Birmingham church bombing.
In Obama’s reaction, he repudiates that part, but sticks with Lewis’ message—which was incorporated in the Biden ad yesterday and that Obama mentioned early this morning while on the stump, that negativity is no way to run the end of this presidential campaign, especially when the American People are hurting so much. Here’s the Obama Statement:
“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists. As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead
Separation—to a degree.
The McCain Campaign hammered at what the charges, and included a line at the end which can only speak to the sense of urgency (some may say desperation) present within the McCain Campaign Headquarters in Arlington:
“Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.
I call on Senator Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America.”
Later today, Lewis issued a follow-up statement, in no way saying that he directly compared McCain/Palin to Wallace, instead raising the negativity issue and the general nature of his campaign (and remember what that does to Independent Voters, who use to be McCain’s voice, and who will be decisive in the election):
"A careful review of my earlier statement would reveal that I did not compare Sen. John McCain or Gov. Sarah Palin to George Wallace. It was not my intention or desire to do so. My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior. I am glad that Sen. McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation.”
So Lewis’s remarks will have a short-attention span, especially because Obama has distanced himself from the Wallace reference. But did it fulfill its purpose of raising the issue of temperament, both of McCain and his supporters, do a level of cable-news & national discussion? This is not a place that McCain wants to spend the upcoming week. And to that end, it did not help in any way tonight that Sarah Palin was booed, loudly, as she dropped the puck at the Philadelphia Flyers hockey game. If that YouTube video is replayed on cable, the decision to send her on the ice will be looked at as a careless, even stupid, one—clearly because of lack of a coordinated campaign at this point.
The Big Question: However much the McCain Campaign might want to attack Obama with Lewis’ remarks, do they actually do McCain the most harm?
ARNOLD CONRAD—a name that will not become as familiar as Jeremiah Wright—a pastor who gave the following invocation at a McCain event in Iowa today:
“I also would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god--whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah--that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and election day."
The Obama Campaign has not responded, nor will they, below McCain had to walk back and release the following statement,
“While we understand the important role that faith plays in informing the votes of Iowans, questions about the religious background of the candidates only serve to distract from the real questions in this race about Barack Obama's judgment, policies and readiness to lead as commander in chief." - Wendy Riemann, Midwest Regional Communications Director
This story has a very short lifespan also. But it speaks to the same theme that we saw above, that we have seen over the last day and a half, and that could become a theme driving the time between now and Wednesday (we will know for sure if we see it on the Sunday Shows tomorrow) and that is the issue of whether or not McCain is control of his own campaign events—his own supporters—the operations and mechanism of his campaign. For the third time in the last week, those that the McCain Campaign selected to speak at McCain Campaign sponsored rallies have gone off message and prompted a push-back from the McCain, the first two being speakers at Palin events who said “Barack Hussein Obama.”
Maybe this is intentional on the part of the McCain Campaign, meant to rally the base leading into the final month and in the face of bad poll numbers. But one wonders if it is not a larger sign. If McCain has lost control of his rallies, how could he ever be in control of his campaign, or of the White House for that matter?
And the astute Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic noted today that gone was the refrain line, “Who is Barack Obama?” from the McCain speech today—could this be a sign that the character attacks, the kitchen sink strategy, of the last week have ended—in failure? If so, what is next for McCain? What is his strategy leading into the homestretch?
MCCAIN’S LAST BEST HOPE FOR TAKING COMMAND OF THE RACE IS ON WEDNESDAY. AND IT IS FAST BECOMING AN INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGE: TO REGAIN ALL LOST GROUND, BREAK EVEN, AND MOVE AHEAD.
And if any more affirmation were needed, today’s tracking polls, conducted entirely after Tuesday’s Town Hall Meeting debate and completely since the names William Ayers, Tony Resko, et. al. were entered into the campaign, are further evidence of Obama’s key strength:
Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 52%/McCain 45%
Diageo/Hotline Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 50%/McCain 40%
Gallup Daily Tracking Poll: Obama 51%/McCain 42%
Guess where Todd Palin was today? The Second Congressional District of Maine.
