Progressive Media USA unveiled its first television ad of the campaign season last week, noting the striking similarities between John McCain and George W. Bush, down to the word-for-word talking points they share.
This week, PMUSA unveiled its second spot, a web video that might make it difficult for McCain to accuse anyone of elitism, which Logan featured earlier today.
As Matt Yglesias put it, “If you’re looking for an elitist in the presidential race you might want to look at the super-rich guy who made his fortune by marrying an heiress … And of course the couple still won’t release the part of their tax returns that has all the money on it.”
A perfect example of McCain’s tone-deafness to the concerns of real Americans are the speeches he gave in Youngstown, Ohio, this afternoon. First he touted free trade in front of a failing Ohio factory, urging Americans to reject the “siren song of protectionism”
“A person learns along the way that if you hold on — if you don’t quit no matter what the odds — sometimes life will surprise you,” McCain said in a speech at Youngstown State University after meeting the five remaining workers at Fabart, a steel-fabricating factory that had more than 100 employees a few years ago.
Then likened the hardships Americans are facing today and the high level of foreclosures to his having to carry his own bags and fly coach in the days when everyone had written off his campaign. Bear in mind, he’s speaking in a state where there are 144,000 houses facing foreclosure today. In Youngstown, with a population of only 82,000, there are 770 houses that have been possessed by the bank and 634 house in pre-foreclosure. There are 1,171 bankruptcy filings in Youngstown, bankruptcies that now threaten the homes of those Ohioans, thanks to the legislation that McCain championed in 2005. The Executive Director of the Ohio Democratic Party thought that McCain bore a resemblance to a pop culture icon known for being out of touch with how most Americans live.
“John McCain is the Paris Hilton of politics because he’s so out-of-touch with the problems facing average families,” said Doug Kelly, Executive Director of the Ohio Democratic Party.
The difference between Youngstown and McCain couldn’t be starker:
· Youngstown is a working class city; John McCain is one of the richest members of the Senate.
· McCain’s plans shred the safety net for Youngstown; McCain’s safety net is a rich heiress wife worth $100 million.
“McCain’s attempt to compare a poorly-managed campaign budget to the increasing demands on a family’s budget shows the bubble McCain lives in,” said Kelly.
Taking a step back, I’d just add that it appears the efforts to “define” McCain are taking shape — he’s the old, angry, rich Bush clone who frequently gets confused about policy details. Kind of like Grandpa Simpson with Mr. Burns’ checkbook.
No Trackbacks To “Step 2 in defining McCain: He’s really rich“
So, I know everyone expects McCain (via Clinton) to win tonight, but have exit polls given any indication yet as to the margin of his victory?
strange how so few in the media bring up McCain’s wealth, while at the same time calling one or both of the democratic challengers elitist…
will @ 2:
Good point!
The real challenge for Democrats this Fall will not be having the strongest candidate (both are quite competent), but finding a way to turn off the “zombie switch” in the MSM, which seems to see Wilford Brimley whenever they gaze on Sen. McCain.
I am a Roman Empire history nut. McCain is an Optimate…a member of the military/senatorial class who has cradle to
grave health care, military glory, slaves and wealth. They called MacArthur the “American Caesar”, but he never matriculated into
the government. McCain is no Caesar, he’s more of a Crassus, rich, vicious and shortsighted…who died choking on molten gold.
I think McCain will die years from now choking on the bitter defeat against our Plebian champion OBAMA!!
Oh, he’s rich? Why didn’t you say so? He must be evil, because anyone with a large amount of money is a bad person and surely must be guilty of something. Or, the person that chose to dedicate an entire post to ponder this idea is a complete idiot.
Why not question him on policy instead of attacking… I don’t know what you’re trying to attack; his wallet?!? It was not being rich that caused him to vote for the War or Patriot Act, his being a total dunce caused him to vote as such.
On a side note, there are people that are currently dying in a meaningless war, many of them younger than 25 yrs. I think that you’re doing them a disservice by framing the debate around a premise so utterly unproductive as his (or his wife’s) good fortunes, rather than McCain’s erroneous vote for thus such a failed policy.
John G @ 1:
From Open Left
Update #5 (6:42) : Via Markos, Mark Blumenthal at the National Journal notes that the 6:00 PM exit polls have consistently favored Obama by about 7 points more than the final result. The National Review post referenced above links to an analysis also suggesting about a 7 point bias for Obama.
Don’t forget Hillary and Bill. Their income over the last 8 years is more than the McCain’s total wealth!
X @ 6:
Hey X,
Read this fucking blog [Deleted]….it’s all about McSame’s bullshit policies, actions and history!!! His wealth ties him to the military industrial complex. His life ties him. His wife ties him.
[marko, please play nice. Thank you. Site Monitor]
I suspect that neither the ads of the 527’s nor the ads of the political parties will have as much to do with influencing the voter than will the “free” coverage and commentary given by the 24/7 corporate media. IOW how the campaigns are covered by the media and talking heads will determine the outcome of the election.
Karl Rove would attack his most prominent strength which is his P.O.W. status and military career.
I kinda think that slamming him because he’s wealthy is taking the wrong tack… I mean, what if Edwards was the dem facing him? Wouldn’t we say it was unfair for folks to bring up how wealthy Edwards is, “pretending” to care about the poor but still being a wealthy, out-of-touch elitist? So how can we then say McCain is out of touch simply by dint of being wealthy? I think we should attack his voting history and his policies, not get into silly “ooh, he’s got a lot of money so he’s out of touch” arguments.
Just my opinion…
marko @ 5:
I am Sparticus!
No, I am Sparticus!
No, I am Sparticus too!
Sorry, couldn’t pass that up.
chuck @ 14:
best part of the movie…ty
Orangutan. @ 12:
Should attack his sanity.
Nothing against veterans. I am one myself. I just don’t trust someone who was locked in a cage for 6 years and psychologically tortured. Nobody goes through that and comes back sane. The man is damaged goods. He’s not the kind of person that you can trust with power.
marko @ 5:
Perhaps you mean Croesus? Crassus was a notable family, but Croesus was the really wealthy king of Lydia…
X @ 6:
Talk about missing the forest for the trees. The point is how out of touch McCain is. He went in front of a factory with only 5 remaining employees and told them to embrace free trade. He likened Ohioans losing their home to having to carry his own luggage at the airport.
It’s not that he’s rich. It’s that he’s in a bubble. He points a finger at Obama for being an elitist and yet he supports policies that hurt the average American. It’s not that hard to grasp.
Sluggirl @ 16:
Although I guess Crassus was Marcus Licinius Crassus…
My question is, what is Cindy McCain doing with that senile, scarred up turd? You’d think $100 million could buy you a young hot stud.
I think we should slam the obscenely rich people. In the face of a country and world full of need, these people have more than anyone can possibly use…ever. There truly needs to be a restructuring of wealth in our country. When an oil executive can take $20+ million a year in bonuses while the guy who drives the truck the delivers the oil can’t afford to heat his home, there is something fundamentally wrong.
Read cannibalplanet
Sluggirl @ 18:
Yeah, that must be to whom you referred. Never mind!
Nicole Belle @ 17:
I’ve never even wanted to type this before, but here goes:
*pwned*
:D
My friends, we have gathered here the haves and the have-mores. Some call you the elite, i call you my base, my friends.
McBowel-Wobble is at least as big a moron as President Wets-His-Pants….
Exit polls:
Hillary: 52
Obama: 48
My question is, what is Cindy McCain doing with that senile, scarred up turd? You’d think $100 million could buy you a young hot stud.
She THINKS she’s gonna be first lady……
GOP voters don’t mind if a guy is filthy rich as long as he’s on their side. Their perspective is he’s one of us not an elite.
Free Sidney Scooter III @ 23:
The word “the base” translates into Arabic as “Al Queda”. I wonder why the Republicans are always refering to their supporters in the same way that Bin Laden refers to his supporters.
I like what Rachel Maddow does; she refers to him by his actual legal name, John Sidney McCain III. I think that pretty much disqualifies him automatically from the ‘regular guy club.’
PA is going to send Hillary PAcking…..unless she moves the goal post again.
Ruthless People @ 30:
She’s not an enemy of the common person. I hope people realize that at some point.
Anonymouse @ 4:
will @ 2:
I think everyone here pretty much agrees that there is really no “Press” in this country anymore. It is all owned by repukes and spews their party line exclusively. Untill the fairness doctorine (sp??) is restored, the press is like free advertising for repukes….
GB @ 8:
Sure but Hillary and Bill don’t look down there nose at anyone who doesn’t get their organic free trade coffee beans from Whole Foods Market.
This:
“John McCain is the Paris Hilton of politics”
Is brilliant !
Simple solutions. Have him donate all his dough to laidoff steel workers [deleted–over the top]. They may not be bitter in Pa., but we are in Ohio and it was our Diebolds that elected these crooks in the first place. If a republican ever wins Ohio again, there should be a revolution. [deleted]
Site Monitor: Do not advocate violence against any one on this site
L.A. Confidential @ 31:
I don’t think anybody here thinks she’s the enemy of the common person. An enemy of meaningful political change in America which has a direct impact on the lives the the common person? Probably.
L.A. Confidential @ 31:
Just not as common person friendly as Obama. She voted to send the common person off to fight Bush’s war and has yet to apologize for it. At least Edwards apologized. But then again, Edwards was common person friendly than Hillary too.
Rico @ 36:
She’s more common person friendly that McCain, not as much so as Obama and Edwards. McCain ain’t getting my vote, Edwards is out, so that leaves Obama to get my common person friendly vote.
Married a rich heiress, you say? Three words: John Fucking Kerry.
Christ almighty, find the next meme, hypocrites.
Kind of like Grandpa Simpson with Mr. Burns’ checkbook.
Awesome. Let’s run with that!
Rich heiresses aside, this country does not need anybody that takes time from the campaign trail to go shopping in Beverly Hills while the rest of us work for the chance that one day a month we can go to the flea market and buy something nice for the kids.
bobaloo @ 39:
At Least Teresa Heinz gives away lots of her money. Cindy. Not so much.
crazylikeafox @ 42:
It’s good that you point this out, because I was going to vote for Cindy McCain - until I learned this… Now I have to choose between 3 candidates that are actually are on the ballot! If there is anything more important to me than how much money that a candidate has, it is the extent to which his spouse spends it charitably.
And he wants to bone Miss SC. Too bad he can’t get it up anymore. That’s probably why he’s so damn angry.
Unrepentant Liberal @ 29:
It the same thing that the anorexic blonde woman(?) with the adam’s apple has been doing to Obama for the last year.
Sidney, ha ha!
crazylikeafox @ 42:
How do you even know? They haven’t released her tax records. And before you attack that you may need to be reminded of this.
Look, my only point is that this a extraordinarily weak issue to attack the man on and