The Ugly Kicks Back at You

Talking Points Memo has conveniently gathered together John McCain's World of Sleaze for your enjoyment: "As of October 3rd, the McCain Campaign shifted virtually 100 percent of their advertising money to negative ads. And a few days later began the push to connect Obama to Bill Ayers. And I think we can expect it to get a lot worse."

CNN also reports on how voters feel about the Ugly: "A moving graph at the bottom of the CNN screen during Tuesday night's presidential debate measured the reactions of uncommitted voters in the swing state of Ohio, and it seemed to bear out the theory that negative campaigning draws negative voter reactions. Nearly every time one candidate threw a jab at the other, the voter reaction dipped measurably. The only voters who like to hear the jabs, [Merle Black, professor of politics and government at Emory University] said, are 'the strong partisans. They like to see the other candidate, the other side, criticized.' But those voters, he noted, have already made up their minds, and in criticizing their opponent, candidates are 'not persuading anybody that's persuadable.'"An interesting point...

In an interview with Charlie Gibson, Obama also discusses that certain topic we didn't hear McCain address during the debate. "Well, I am surprised that, you know, we've been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days that he wasn't willing to say it to my face."

It's the kind of response that I've come to appreciate these past few weeks when every new attack makes me furious. Thank Goodness someone has a cooler head! "Mr. Obama's response has been to keep firm control of his public image: That of a very cool customer, someone who is deliberative and not easily distracted, who is willing to risk appearing a bit remote if it means that at the same time he appears unruffled by pressure and crisis.

Which reminds me...how long before we get an eruption of the famous McCain temper? Why is it not an issue to talk about that? Take a trip down memory lane with this video. Do you want this man answering the 3 a.m. phone call? He'd likely start a war just because you woke him up. Even military leaders interviewed for Salon earlier this year were a little more than dubious about his penchant for flying off the handle. "'I studied leadership for a long time during 32 years in the military,' said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, a one-time Republican who is supporting Obama. 'It is all about character. Who can motivate willing followers? Who has the vision? Who can inspire people?' Gration asked. 'I have tremendous respect for John McCain, but I would not follow him.'"

It must be irksome too, to have people constantly reminding you that you're wrong. "In a case of comically awful timing, Petraeus yesterday gave a talk at the Heritage Foundation in which he more or less echoed Barack Obama's views on negotiating with hostile foreign leaders -- views that McCain has repeatedly subjected to criticism and ridicule. Asked by a questioner specifically about the disagreement on this topic that McCain and Obama had at Tuesday night's debate, Petraeus demurred a bit, but said: 'I do think you have to talk to enemies.' 'I'm not trying to get into the middle of domestic politics,' Petraeus also said, 'but I mean what we did do in Iraq ultimately was sit down with some of those that were shooting at us. What we tried to do was identify those who might be reconcilable.'"