When Barack Obama won the debate last week and effectively won the argument on every issue facing the nation at this time, the McCain campaign spun out of control. Already listing, lost, hopeless, the campaign fell back to the oldest form of politics in order to rally the base - thuggish personal attacks.
Politifact lays the smack down on the hate-filled, thuggery eminating from the McCain campaign over Barack Obama and some guy who happens to live in his neighborhood.
In short, this was a mainstream foundation funded by a mainstream, Republican business leader and led by an overwhelmingly mainstream, civic-minded group of individuals. Ayers' involvement in its inception and on an advisory committee do not make it radical – nor does the funding of programs involving the United Nations and African-American studies.
This attack is false, but it's more than that – it's malicious. It unfairly tars not just Obama, but all the other prominent, well-respected Chicagoans who also volunteered their time to the foundation. They came from all walks of life and all political backgrounds, and there's ample evidence their mission was nothing more than improving ailing public schools in Chicago. Yet in the heat of a political campaign they have been accused of financing radicalism. That's Pants on Fire wrong.
The Aristocrats who run the McCain campaign never actually thought they'd sway any votes against Obama. They are merely running the same dupe the rubes campaign pushing hate. When pundits talk about "firing up the base", it's clear that they're referring to the rallying the faithful to concerted action by playing in this case on stoking fear and hate.
Fortunately, its failed this time, and Republicans are reaping the whirlwind. An exile from power lasting a generation or more may teach them a lesson, but it likely will not. Conservatism is aristocracy, and the basic rules remain the same, the only thing that changes is the willingness of the people to bend their knee to the manipulators.