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Friday, June 20, 2008

Now Who Will Engage in Semi-Anonymous Slander?

posted by on June 20 at 14:01 PM

The 527s—those frisky, often fact-free independent campaigns that brought us the tragic verb ‘swift-boated’—appear to be coming undone at high speed, and for two very different reasons. On the left, Senator Obama is cutting off their traditional sources of funding, hoping to direct his campaign’s message down to the syllable. On the right is Senator McCain:

The truth is that, less than five months before Election Day, there are no serious anti-Obama 527s in existence nor are there any immediate plans to create such a group.

Conversations with more than a dozen Republican strategists find near unanimity in the belief that, at some point, there will be a real third-party effort aimed at Obama.

But not one knows who will run it, who will pay for it, what shape it will eventually take or when such a group may form.

Jonathan Martin’s write-up focuses big on a couple of reasons why John McCain doesn’t seem to be winning the affections of those who would target Obama.

The first appears to be John McCain’s open derision of independent political organizations, even those that aired ads on purely positive terms for him during his primary campaign. Early in the process, when Romneys and Giulianis walked the earth, McCain had called for outlaw 527s in their entirety, and made it known that he wouldn’t tolerate them working on his behalf. While his position has softened, nothing says, ‘Advocate for me!’ like knowing that the man you’re making ads for thinks you’re a kind of mean, ethically-challenged reptile that should be thrown in prison.

The other missing cog is Senator Clinton: They really, really wanted to run against Hillary.

“We spent 18 months and millions of dollars making Hillary: The Movie,” laments David Bossie, head of Citizens United and a longtime Clinton tormentor. “We’re incredibly proud, but the problem is the film has no relevance anymore.”

I bet Hillary: The Movie would have been pretty fantastic. Bossie says he intends to make an Obama film featuring such beloved cast members as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, but Obama doesn’t have the same vintage appeal to the id of the conservative right.

How many bodies are in Arkansas landfills because of Barack Obama’s clandestine cocaine-smuggling ring? My guess would be considerably less than those deposited by the Clinton family. And how do you make a film out of that?

RSS icon Comments

1

Good thing Obama isn't a war hero, they would use that against him like they did Kerry.

Posted by Todd | June 20, 2008 2:29 PM
2

You Obamatrons, you did good, you did good! We cut the GOP off at their knees and now let's finish them off for good!

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger | June 20, 2008 2:55 PM
3

I'm holding out for Hillary! the Musical.

Posted by brett | June 20, 2008 2:57 PM
4

Who? How about us here on SLOG? We'll do it!

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 20, 2008 3:13 PM
5

I think the slanderous campaign video has mostly migrated to YouTube this time around.

Posted by flamingbanjo | June 20, 2008 3:16 PM
6

"Senator Obama is cutting off their traditional sources of funding, hoping to direct his campaign’s message down to the syllable." - Good luck with that. I'll believe it when I see it. Has Move On got the memo yet?

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2008 3:22 PM
7
Posted by brett | June 20, 2008 3:37 PM
8

@5,
There's a lot of truth to that, but it implies something: a decent internet connection and a certain level of internet savvy. Obviously not a ton, but probably more than available to many of the same people who would be swayed by a five million dollar ad buy during prime time in October.

Posted by Ryan S. Jackson | June 20, 2008 3:42 PM
9

@6 - move on is holding bake sales this weekend, YGBKM ... yes, the battlefront is cookies!

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 20, 2008 3:53 PM
10

@9

Just like high school!

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | June 20, 2008 4:15 PM
11

Can't MoveOn just sell sex instead? Not that I need to pay. But, for the sake of this great nation, I'd pay for the right guy.

Posted by Fitz | June 20, 2008 4:24 PM
12

@10 - and you know we've got the sweet sweet cookies all the cool kids want to buy ...

Tell McSame nobody wants his stinky fish guts.

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 20, 2008 4:56 PM
13

This is one of the reasons I liked BHO over The Hill. These wackos have been hating Hillary since the early 90s. They were salivating at the chance to make their precious Hillary films.

They've only known BHO since late '07. People justdon't hate Barack like they do Hillary.

Also, nice one @ 3...

Posted by Mike in MO | June 20, 2008 6:16 PM
14

Why bother with 527's and propaganda films when forwarded emails seem to reach every member of the dopey demographic the GOP plays to?

Posted by CP | June 21, 2008 7:33 PM

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