At a press event, Obama vowed to fire any staffer that stokes the Palin babygate scandal or pursues dirt in a candidate’s family. Good for him. This is the presidential, classy decision we knew he’d make, and importantly sets him above both the Bush administration (“Wilson’s wife [Valerie Plame] is fair game”) and the Clinton campaign (Q: “Is Obama a Muslim?” A: “Not as far as I know…”). He talks the talk, and walks the walk: no distractions.
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In the modern age of politices, Obama knows he doesn’t really have to do anything. The media and the blogosphere will do it all for him. I appreciate his remarks and I do think they were sincere, but let’s not pretend that his supporters are going to actually follow his commad that the subject is off-limits.
Posted by Progressive Conservative | September 2, 2008, 8:40 amI agree with you PC. Similarly, I was listening to NPR (or had it switched to BBC?), and they were interviewing someone who was talking about how great of a person and leader McCain was for taking time out to and taking Republican governors with him and addressing the hurricane situation.
And I’m thinking, really? These sort of things have already been decided by the public on what they should do, and do they really have any other option? McCain would have been blasted if he tried to go on with the RNC plans. Obama would have been blasted if he tried to criticize Palin.
Posted by Oneiroi | September 2, 2008, 11:24 amI agree with PC too on this. Party leaders can disavow certain lines of attack but trust the media to pursue them. Bush took that to new heights of dishonesty in 2004 by saying “I <3 Edwards!” and letting the Republican Party tear Edwards a new one: “disingenuous trial lawyer,” etc.
In hindsight, Edwards deserved it, but neither I nor Bush knew it at the time :).
By making the position clear that he’ll fire ANYONE, and condemns ANYONE in his organization, DNC inclusive, that follows the line of reasoning, he is going farther than Bush has
But yes. In a sense, it is cheap talk, b/c the media’s “OMFG” element lurvs a scandal.
Posted by Ames | September 2, 2008, 12:45 pm