Editorial: What Barack Obama and his supporters need to do to win in November

I receive a lot of requests for guest editorials, most of which fall by the wayside because I procrastinate too much.  After almost 5 years of blogging, it's about time I organized the site a little better.  I have decided to keep Picasso Dreams as my art, photography and personal writing blog.  I will put most of the political and news content on my new blog, Poets, Priests and Politicians.  Actually, I don't want to call it my blog.  I want PPP to be a place where those who don't have a blog or to share their insights on lies, deceptions and manipulations of the media and those in a position of authority.  I will set up Junior or Guest accounts for those interested in regular commentary.

I see so many passionate "Letters to the Editor",and far more that never make it to print.  It's a shame that the corporate media wishes to stifle the voices of those who dare question the status quo.  lt's important to have some kind of record that shows that those who oppose war, corruption, and cronyism far outnumber the fictitious polls placed in corporate media outlets.  I hope to provide another outlet for people to share their voices.

Email me at kelly at picassodreams dot com with commentary.

What Barack Obama and his supporters need to do to win in November

by Kurt Muse

Right after the Congressional election of 2006 CNN conducted a poll asking voters why the Democrats were so successful. 64 percent described the results as a rejection of Republicans. Only 13 percent described it as support for Democratic programs.

Most voter’s in most elections, do not vote for a given candidate—they vote against another candidate. Obama supporters need to provide voters compelling and emotional reason to vote against John McCain.

And those reasons should be able to fit on a bumper sticker or label.

Unfortunately, slogans, sound bites and bumper stickers decide elections. We must accept this as fact and use them to our advantage. We must define John McCain.

We must let the voters know that the reason John McCain is where he is, is because of whom his father and grandfather were and because who he married. McCain’s father and grandfather were both four-star Navy Admirals.

John McCain graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1958. His class ranking was 894th out of 899. In other words, fifth from the bottom of his class. The main reason he didn’t flunk out was because his father was a four-star Admiral. (It’s not a career move to flunk the son of a four-star Admiral).

Either John McCain is not very bright or he didn’t study very hard.  Perhaps both.

Five and a half years as a prisoner of war obviously did not stimulate his intellect. In fact, it did just the opposite. Almost nobody who spends prolonged periods in prison comes out a better person either
intellectually nor emotionally.

If elected President, John McCain will be our oldest President ever. Not only is John McCain very old, he is a very “high-mileage” old person. He is not young for his age. His father died as a result of a stroke at the age of 70. His grandfather died of a heart attack at the age of 68.

For much of his life, John McCain was a two pack a day tobacco user.  Heavy tobacco use does irreparable damage to the cardio vascular system.

We need to point out McCain’s age problem without blatantly appearing to do so. We should point out that McCain has spent 26 years in Washington, DC. McCain has way too much experience in Washington, DC.

Negative campaign ads work. If negative ads didn’t work, George W. Bush would not be in the White House today. In 2004 the Bush Campaign spent 75 percent of their budget on negative, attack ads.

So how can Obama supporters attack John McCain? On several levels McCain is very vulnerable. There is a common saying in the military that rank has its privilege. And John S. Cain III, the son and grandson of
four-star Admirals, was very privileged.

And as an opportunist, McCain has no superiors. Five weeks after divorcing is first wife Carol, he married Cindy Hensley, the only child of a very wealthy beer industry executive. Cindy McCain is worth more than $100 million. John and Cindy McCain own seven multi-million dollar homes.

John McCain doesn’t feel any pain at the pump. John McCain doesn’t have to worry about the price of food or anything else. John McCain was born into a life of privilege and John McCain married into a life of privilege and wealth.

The British newspaper The Daily Mail had a story written by Sharon Churcher about McCain and his first wife Carol titled: “The wife U. S. Republican John McCain callously left behind.” We need to get this story read by every potential McCain supporter. If trickery and deception is required to do so, so be it.

John Dolan wrote a great article for AlterNet.Org titled: “Fighting Words: How to Humiliate—and Convert—a Right-Winger.” He suggested we call the opposition names like Suckers. He suggested a bumper-sticker  “There are two kinds of Republicans: millionaires and suckers.”

I suggest we put them on labels just a little larger than a return address label. And make hundreds or perhaps thousands of them. You can make your own with MS Word and blank Avery Labels you can buy at any office supply store. Or you can order them through a professional label making company. Some suggested labels are as follows:

Two kinds of Republicans:
Millionaires & Suckers

McCain Supporters:
Don’t Google:
“The wife U. S. Republican John McCain
Callously left behind”

McCain—McSame—McBush

McCain Supporters:
Don’t Google:
“Opiate for the Mrs.”

John McCain, 1958 Graduate
U. S. Naval Academy
894th out of 899.
Fifth from the Bottom of his class

Three kinds of Republican voters
Multi-millionaires, billionaires &
Suckers. Dumb Suckers.

Cindy McCain’s net worth is more than
$100 million. The McCain’s own
7 private homes. Just like you and me.

John McCain has way too much
Experience in Washington, DC

Obviously it is probably illegal to place any stickers or labels on other people’s property without their permission. So don’t get caught putting them on or near ATM machines, gas pumps, grocery shopping carts, parking meters, bus benches, newspaper racks, public rest room stalls and other highly visible public places.

Kirk Muse
Mesa, AZ

Kirkmuse@cox.net

Kirk Muse is a retired business owner who lives with his wife and son in Mesa, Arizona.

Comments

[Gary G]

1. The guy at the bottom of his class at the USNA will outperform most students at most US universities. You have to be very good to get in.

2. You dont think his time as a POW did him any good. I'll bet he doesn't either! But he served his country. Your point is ridiculous.

3. I can't believe a democrat is attacking someone's personal lifestyle. Incredible.

[Kelly]

In defense of Kirk's editorial:
1. There are always legacy exceptions to admissions policies, which is why both Gore and Bush attended Harvard.
2. McCain's crappy piloting skills not only got him caught, they resulted in more than 160 deaths of Active Duty U.S. Military. As for Vietnam, it was never a war that served America - it was a war that served the Military Industrial complex. It was all based on lies. Towing the line because you are afraid to speak out isn't serving the country.
3. Your third point is meaningless. Are you implying that that Democrats are somehow less moral? Ever heard of Jeff Gannon, the fake reporter and gay escort who managed to spend more than 16 nights at the White House at Bush's request? Ever hear of the Franklin Cover-up? Or the D.C. Madam, whose clients included Dick Cheney? What about the politician caught soliciting a blow job from an undercover police officer? All Republicans running on a campaign of "Family values."

When I read stories about a politician leaving his wife for another woman, funny how more often than not, it's the Republican who screwed around and left his wife.

[Gary G]

I'm not the one who tried to stir up dirt by attacking McCain on his previous divorce. Your guy is. I did not say that Republicans are all morally perfect. I would be typing all day long and into the next week if I tried to list out all the moral failures of Democrats, though. So where does that leave us? Perhaps we should stick to the real issues at hand and not try to denegrate a man because he graduated near the bottom of his class at a prestigious university or because he selected a dangerous service selection (fighter pilot) during a time of war. The issue of Viet Nam is not clear cut enough to declare him wrong for not opposing the war. I respect him for choosing to serve during a very tough time.

I really don't know if you are a fighter pilot and if you are intimately knowledgeable with the circumstances surrounding Mr. McCain's missions over Viet Nam. If you can say yes to the both of those issues, then you may be qualified to judge his skills as a fighter pilot. If not, then you are out of line.