Amid Negative Ads, McCain Claims High Road

CBSNews.com Reports: Candidates Want To Be Seen As Running Positive Campaigns, But They Have Little Control Over Outsiders

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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A controversial ad out this week is raising questions about how much control presidential candidates have over their broad array of campaign supporters - and how much they might ultimately want.

The ad, from the Republican Party of North Carolina, is aimed at raising questions statewide about two of the state's Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Normally, such an ad wouldn't get much national attention, but this isn't you're run-of-the-mill local politics spot: It focuses on the support both candidates, Bev Perdue and Richard Moore, have given Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama - who, the ad claims, is "too extreme" for the state.

"For 20 years, Barack Obama sat in his pew, listening to his pastor," an announcer says as the ad opens. That controversial pastor, Jeremiah Wright, then appears onscreen, saying, "No, no, no. Not God Bless America. God Damn America!" (The ad, which you can watch here, has been called "misleading," since, according to Obama, he was not sitting in his pew when this particular sermon was delivered.)

Presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, who has pledged to run a "respectful campaign," quickly condemned the ad. He suggested in a letter to the state party chair, which was released to the media, that the spot "degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats." The Republican National Committee also condemned the ad.

The state party, however, didn't back down.

"We make the decisions how to run state campaigns here," state party spokesman Brent Woodcox said on Thursday. "We think it's a legitimate question to ask and we intend to run it."

After McCain's letter went out, skeptical bloggers questioned whether the Arizona senator was trying to have it both ways, suggesting that he was publicly taking the high road while allowing the anti-Obama ad to remain on track to air. Charlie Black, a chief strategist to McCain, called that notion "crazy."

"We wish we had influence on state parties, but we cannot legally tell them what to do," Black told CBSNews.com. He acknowledged that in so-called "targeted states," the general election battlegrounds to which the national parties often funnel money, the national party and nominee could potentially use "financial persuasion" to try to exert control over the state party. But Black said the McCain campaign wasn't doing so, and additionally noted that North Carolina isn't a targeted state.

"I could give you my 35 year history of watching the RNC try to control state parties, and it's not a very good batting average," Black added.

The North Carolina spot wasn't the only ad to surface this week over which a presidential campaign has no control. Floyd Brown, the producer of the famous "Willie Horton" ad that helped defeat Michael Dukakis, unveiled a 60-second anti-Obama spot called "Victims." The spot opens with an announcer detailing the gang-related murders of three Chicago residents in 2001.

"That same year, a Chicago state senator named Barack Obama voted against expanding the death penalty for gang-related murders," says the ad's female narrator, as ominous music plays in the background. "When the time came to be tough, Obama chose to be weak. So the question is, can a man so weak in the war on gangs be trusted in the war on terror?"

Brown's ad, which he says will air in North Carolina and elsewhere, has thus far has not attracted much attention. But with outside groups on both sides gearing up for massive spending to influence the 2008 campaign - in the 2004 election cycle, according to the Campaign Finance Institute, the outside groups known as 527s raised more than $400 million - "Victims" looks like a harbinger of things to come.

The 527 groups, named for their tax designation, can raise money to run issue ads but cannot legally coordinate with the campaigns. (Among the major 527s planning major pushes this year are the conservative Freedom's Watch and liberal Campaign for America's Future.) Asked if he would stop running the "Victims" ad if McCain asked him to, Brown, who fronts his own 527, replied, "I think that you should get a primer on election law."

"What they think or don't think is none of my business, because I'm not a part of their campaign," Brown said. He added: "I am bound by federal law. I can't take direction from them, can't work with them, can't really listen to them."

[realpatriot1]

It''s the good cop-bad cop routine. McCain & the RNC pretend to condemn the ad without actually putting any pressure on the state party to not run it.

It''s a trial balloon to see if it draws blood. If it does, we''ll see it repeated from now until November. If it blows up in their face(as I expect it will) we''ll see a lot less of it.

[metroduck75]

Great!! Obama''s Aide told a reporter yesterday that Obama doesn''t really those white working class Voters in OH and PA at all to win the General Election.

Wow, I just could not believe what I heard on TV. They just insulted more than half of the faithfuls who helped built this Party from the beginning.

Change and Hope???? What Change and Hope???

[janiet3]

Metro are you back here again today trolling your c r a p some more? Go back to your seat in the corner with your dunce cap on before I am force to use my ruler across the back of your hand.

[realpatriot1]

Bill Clinton didn''t win a majority of those voters when he was elected twice.

The last Democrat to win a majority of white working class voters was LBJ.

He can win without them, that doesn''t mean he wants to.

[realpatriot1]

Beverly Purdue(pictured here with Obama)has been endorsed by Sheriff Andy.

The Republicans have uncovered a plot also involving Opie, Barney, & Aunt Bee to institute Sharia law in America!

[prinzowhales]

What is a Democratic politician in North Carolina?-- A Republican who tries to appeal to people just smart enough not to be Republicans.

[prinzowhales]

realpatriot1--Aunt Bee is dead. She lived over in Siler City for years.

[realpatriot1]

Prinzowhales,

***! I thought I had a good conservative conspiracy theory going!

Oh, so what...what do facts have to do with conservative conspiracy theories anyways!

[prinzowhales]

I''ll be voting for Ron Paul in the North Carolina primary...and then after a nice long shower to wash away the taint of Republicanism, will be moving to the Libertarian Party...Personally, I wish Ron Paul would do the same thing...any party that would give John McCain its nomination is not fit to govern.

[spotchester]

Fake patriotism is going to be a key issue in this election because the American electorate has such low intelligence. Ain''t it grand?!

[realpatriot1]

Prinz,

I''ve just received an e-mail from the North Carolina Republican Party.

It seems that in Arabic Siler City translate to "Nest of the Intifada."

[spotchester]

"Great!! Obama''''s Aide told a reporter yesterday that Obama doesn''''t really those white working class Voters in OH and PA at all to win the General Election.

Wow, I just could not believe what I heard on TV. They just insulted more than half of the faithfuls who helped built this Party from the beginning.

Change and Hope???? What Change and Hope???"

You''re reading way too much into that.

[abbe91]

This is the high road ...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/politics/22diamond.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1208876530-pXfcsV7mLE2IoeA3V%20MH9A&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

[prinzowhales]

realpatriot1-Aunt Bee wouldn''t really be pivotal to the conspiracy...Otis is probably gone as well...He''s done time and has a key to the jail...definitely a Republican operator.

[mike71067]

The negative ad referred to in this article has nothing to do with McCain, and he should keep his mouth shut about it. It a campaign that doesn''t involve him, and if anything, he should be HELPING them Republicans, not hurting them. As a Republican, I don''t trust the guy.

[likeitis5050]

Whatever....taking the high road shouldn''t apply to confronting racism, terrorism, or anti-American movements. Obama intends to sweep in and level the country...way to go McCain...way to be ''strong'' and ''experienced'' and ''prepared to lead''. Hillary needs this job.

[realpatriot1]

mike71067,

Do you honestly think this will help McCrory or Smith?

I was actually was still open to either McCrory or Orr in the Governor''s race before this and not particularly enthused by either Perdue or Moore.

Now I''ll vote for whatever yellow dog the dems put up.

Prinzowhales,

I didn''t even think about Otis! It''s all coming together now!

[neonink]

I question Barack Obama''s patriotism too.

Get over it McCain.

I also question Obama''s resume. It looks a little light weight if you ask me.

Can everybody with a law degree and a few years community service of driving people around get the CEO of USA job?

[prinzowhales]

The chicken processing plant is closing in Siler City...800 jobs gone...even many of the illegals are packing their bags...It was a nice small town...still is in many ways...the Walmart Supercenter hasn''t destroyed the downtown...the Piggly-Wiggly is holding its own...I came close to buying some property in the area...if I''d realized how soon suburbia was going to be encroaching on me, I''d have done it.

[jockh]

Hillary lies again.

The Federal Election Commission has just reported that her campaign debt is $15 million and not $10 million as the Clinton camp reported because she failed to list her $5 million loan among the debts.

This means that even after her new surge of fundraising, she is still $5 million in debt; but Hillary is still smiling; why? Because she knows that her $110 million fortune is nice and safe. It%u2019s the ordinary person on the street who is tricked into losing money on a campaign that is doomed to fail.

Mitt Romney put $42 million of his own money into his campaign, why doesn%u2019t Hillary show she has complete confidence in her campaign and put in some of her own millions. Why? Because she knows it%u2019s a lost cause.

Those of you who are fooled into contributing to her campaign ask yourself why she LOANS her own money but wants you to GIVE your money?

[realpatriot1]

Prinzowhales,

I feel your pain bud! It''s hard to find a corner of open space or small town charm left in any part of the greater triangle. At least there are some folks in Chatham County who are putting up the good fight against the developers.

[xlib]

Saw the ad and I do believe it was regarding the election for governor, not president. So, playing the words being spouted by a hate monger is wrong???? Since when? What wasn''t true in that ad??
As for mccain, he with no nads, condemned the ad. The dems will probably win the election based on their ability to get away with negative ads against the other side. The msm will give them free reign and any detection of negativism by the Republicans will get ridiculous coverage like this.
You should all be very proud.

[xlib]

makeitso928-how''s the honorable senator byrd????????????

[abbe91]

"The dems will probably win the election based on their ability to get away with negative ads against the other side." LOL

[homespunlady]

So, aside from the usual playground tactics of the CON SHILLS and the standard DENIAL of MUDSLINGING -

How''s OUR NEOCON puppet "FEDERALLY APPROVED by divorce dumping" Serial marriage Polygamist doing otherwise?

Nothing like taking one wife, then "legally" getting a "second wife" because those "younger and richer ones" are soooo much better.

WHAT was it about GLASS HOUSES again....

[aka3994]

If McCain was really serious about pulling this ad and not simply doing something to make it appear as if he is the ''compassionate conservative" Bush claimed to be, it would have been pulled.

His campaign is using this attention to his advantage.

Eventually, we will get to a point where people actually THINK before they vote, not simply react to something they heard... (I hope)

[mcvet]

Saw the ad and I do believe it was regarding the election for governor, not president. So, playing the words being spouted by a hate monger is wrong???? Since when? What wasn''''t true in that ad??
As for mccain, he with no nads, condemned the ad. The dems will probably win the election based on their ability to get away with negative ads against the other side. The msm will give them free reign and any detection of negativism by the Republicans will get ridiculous coverage like this.
You should all be very proud.


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Posted by Xlib at 10:01 AM : Apr 25, 2008
+ report abuse

I don''t care WHERE it came from or whom YOU say it''s directed, it''s FASCISM/KKK and couldn''t be done better by the Third Reich if they tried. If this nation votes for the Republican Party it''s VERY Important that they UNDERSTAND what the base of that party is... it''s NAZI plain and simple. Sieg Hiel Bush

[mcvet]

"The dems will probably win the election based on their ability to get away with negative ads against the other side." LOL


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Posted by abbe91 at 10:03 AM : Apr 25, 2008
+ report abuse

RIGHT! Who can''t see what you are trying to do here. THESE are YOUR people Sparky now either defend them of LEAVE them behind!!

[mcvet]

Why don''''t you be quiet and do your college (more likely high school) homework and leave the REAL discussion to the grown-ups makeitso928? Go watch that dvd of Star Trek that makes you so happy.


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Posted by globlwarning at 10:12 AM : Apr 25, 2008
+ report abuse

Why? He posed a very serious question to people who run or allow ad''s like this to run and you come up with some stupid childish remark. IF the Rev Wright is a ISSUE so is the Rev. Hagey! Now let''s let the Reich and the Rev hear ya here.. let them know you are ready to ride out and light that cross this weekend!! SIEG HEIL GRAND WIZARD!! Good little bootlicker!!

[mcvet]

For those of you who do not know it NC has one of the biggest membership in the Klan of any of the facist states. The chair of the Republican Party in that state also has very long and deep roots in the Klan. If you want to check on them you can contact Klan Watch! Sieg Heil Grand Wizard!!

[tazmjam]

A very good article on %u201CClassism%u201D and the Democratic Party. This article can be found on:

savagepolitics.com/?p=313

This site is not related to Right-wing pundit Michael Savage. Below is a small portion of the article.

In other words, the progressive prejudice against the white working class has reached an apotheosis wherein the best one can do is wish they would just hurry up and die off. And yet in his article Schaller has to give the devil his due:
%u201CYet centrist Democrats continue to urge the party to find new ways to lure white male voters back into the fold. Bill Galston, former domestic policy adviser to Bill Clinton and one of Washington%u2019s sharpest analysts, is a proponent of a Democratic reinvestment in white male voters.%u201D
Well, somebody gets it. But most do not. And our impervious and elitist attitude to class is the element that will lose Democrats the election. It is more than I can bear, let alone understand, to see my parents and my friends ridiculed and written off as worthless, good only for dying off. When death reigned out of the sky on 9/11, 2001, and stock brokers and financial analysis%u2019s were running downstairs out of the burning towers, firemen were running upstairs to rescue the wounded and the helpless. Over 200 white guys gave their lives that day in the service of their country. And the whole world took their hats off to them. It is about time the Democratic Party did the same.
(Reference: savagepolitics.com/?p=313)

[lindaredtail]

The Republicans are masters at this kind of stuff. Bush and company have always allowed the third party players to be the ones who do this kind of stuff. Take the Swift Boaters. Take the whisper campaign against McCain in 2000. They always want to portray themselves as the party of discipline and the Dems the party of chaos. I have no doubt then by their own self-definition that if McCain really wanted it to the ad would be dropped. But he doesn''t really want it dropped. Recently the "Straight Talk Express" has been taking a few detours.

[homespunlady]

Hey McVet, some of those Klan members can cook up a mean seafood dinner.

I liked NC when I was stationed there - despite having to "tread lightly" on certain subjects around certain people.

Back then the public schools LACKED HEAT as well as educational prominence but some of the PRIVATE SCHOOLS were outstanding - too bad the peasants there couldn''t afford them.

[lindaredtail]

If people look at everyone who died that day at the World Trade Towers, Flight 93, and the Pentagon they weren''t all white people. That''s a misnomer that should be discouraged. Caucasians are the largest percentage of our population and so numbers always reflect that. People of other races also acted with great courage that day. To each hero belongs their place in the sun.

[homespunlady]

Posted by tazmjam at 10:23 AM : Apr 25, 2008


ALL NY FIREMEN are WHITE?????
News to me.
Let me guess ALL the PEOPLE that DIED that day WERE ALSO WHITE according to you TOO.

[homespunlady]

I LOVE how the ROVIANS can make Black turn into white, Wrong turn into "Right", Trivia into an OVERBLOWN "big deal" and use their "magic mirror to DISTORT ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING.

[tazmjam]

ALL NY FIREMEN are WHITE?????
News to me.
Let me guess ALL the PEOPLE that DIED that day WERE ALSO WHITE according to you TOO.
Posted by homespunlady



Are you dimwitted? This article is about the way the Democrats have been treating and referring to the %u201CWhite working Class%u201D The article did not say all NY firemen were white. You are quite clueless. I posted an excerpt from the article because I think the article makes a very valid point.

[lindaredtail]

In actuality a lot of the people who died in the Towers that day weren''t white. They came from other countries. Lots of them were of other races. There are also hundreds of stories of courage from the survivors like the guy who refused to leave his friend in the wheelchair. This should not become a race issue and shame on you tazmjam for making it one. SHAME!!!!!

[lindaredtail]

And now of course the name-calling as begun with you calling homespunlady dimwitted because she challenged you. I''m not so sure that she''s the dimwitted one.

[tazmjam]

This should not become a race issue and shame on you tazmjam for making it one. SHAME!!!!!
Posted by lindaredtail

Go to H"LL this is a class issue, not a race issue.

[homespunlady]

Hey tazmjam, it WASN''T ME that posted the following - IT WAS YOU:

"Over 200 white guys gave their lives that day in the service of their country. And the whole world took their hats off to them. It is about time the Democratic Party did the same.
(Reference: savagepolitics.com/?p=313)"

YOUR WHITE ROBES ARE SHOWING.

CLUELESS is NOT KNOWING that the Democratic Party IS BY FAR MORE MINORITY that the NEO RepubliCON party.

YEP, WHICH NEW WORLD ORDER puppet-master let YOU out of your CAGE?

[tazmjam]

%u201CThe American Prospect%u201D John Halpin and Ruy Teixeira write:
%u201CKeep in mind that Bill Clinton actually carried white working-class voters in both his successful presidential campaigns (by a single percentage point in both instances)%u2026 Progressives%u2019 difficulties here are underscored by the large size of this group. According to the 2004 Current Population Survey (CPS) Voter Supplement data, white working-class voters are a larger portion of the electorate than indicated by the exit polls %u2014 52 percent, rather than 43 percent. Based on educational attainment trends and population trends by race, a reasonable guess is that the size of the white working class in another 10 years, even though it is shrinking, will still be around 46 percent to 47 percent %u2014 a very large group among which to be doing very poorly. In fact, a progressive majority coalition is simply not possible if that poor performance continues, despite the many ways in which demographic change and growth favor progressives, including the increasing proportion of single women within the white working-class population.%u201D
But everywhere so-called progressives who decry racism in any form are rushing to malign and demean this core Democratic voting group. Perhaps nothing demonstrates this better than this picture in the Huffington Post which accompanied an article by Thomas Edsall titled: %u201COn Course For Another White Guy Election%u201D Reference: savagepolitics.com/?p=313

[lindaredtail]

Absolutely clearly you made it a race issue with the "200 white guys". You didn''t say 200 bluc-collar hardworking firefighters. Did you. Is that your best shot- go to ----. My how intelligent. Are the Republicans lacking in debators today? You made a race issue out of it. The Dems are the big tent. The Republicans the small one. They aren''t represented by one black Senator since J.C. Watts left.

[lindaredtail]

All these selective statistics sound just like mudrose. You wouldn''t be related by any chance?

[tazmjam]

Posted by homespunlady

That was part of the article, they were discussing....white working class... not 9/11. This is an example the author chose to use in reference to some white working class men. You jumped to conclusions and ignored the point the author was trying to make.

[homespunlady]

I''m ALL for reducing CLASSISM!

The problem though is that for the past 2 Presidential terms:

POVERTY has DRASTICALLY INCREASED

The WEALTH GAP is WIDER than the one that CAUSED the GREAT DEPRESSION

The POOR PAY a BIGGER percentage of their income on TAXES through ALL the NICKLE AND DIME SALES TAXES ON NECESSITIES than the ELITE

The ELITE ARE WHINING THAT THEIR RECORD LOW PROFIT TAXES ARE TOO HIGH and THEY WANT MORE CORPORATE WELFARE

The programs CREATED because of the GREAT DEPRESSION are being SYSTEMATICALLY DESTROYED due to LOBBY EFFORTS by the ELITE.

ILLNESS, DEATH and CHILD MORTALITY are WAY down for the ELITE and WAY UP for the POOR.

and I could go on MUCH LONGER about the INEQUITIES CREATED by the ELITE Against THE poor but it''s OBVIOUS that YOU DON''T think ANY Minorities ARE POOR or deserve the SAME BREAK as a WHITE - I''m in that poor white class and can see clearly that you''re shilling for the ELITE.

[mcvet]

That was part of the article, they were discussing....white working class... not 9/11. This is an example the author chose to use in reference to some white working class men. You jumped to conclusions and ignored the point the author was trying to make.


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Posted by tazmjam at 11:00 AM : Apr 25, 2008
+ report abuse

Are you saying these people aren''t KLAN??? Better check that one sparky... they are as KLAN as the Grand Wizard himself! It''s fascism, guilt by association... If we allow this we are no better than the klan or the American Nazi Party. Sieg Heil Grand Wizard!!

[lindaredtail]

Then you quoted an author who chose to make it a racist issue. Maybe the Dems need to better reach white male middleclass voters but that was a wrongful,erroneous and racist way to go about it. The mind plays it has been said. You don''t always know your deepest feelings about things until you see them written down. That was gone about in a really bad way.

[tazmjam]

If we allow this we are no better than the klan or the American Nazi Party. Sieg Heil Grand Wizard!!

Posted by MCVet


If we allow what? Anyone who points out that the Democrats need white working class voters are now part of the Klan or Nazi Party? My parents are part of the "white working class" and I am sick of people referring to this group as stupid, racist, etc. I am a DEMOCRAT%u2026I plan to vote for whoever wins the nomination. My concerns are to many white working class people are beginning to get offended and without a nice chunk of their support WE WILL LOSE.

[lindaredtail]

A new report just came out yesterday detailing very alarming statistics. The mortality rate of women in the U.S. is way up and we are now 42 in the world. The infant mortality rate has also risen dramatically and we are 27 in the world below most of the other industrialized nations. Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than we do. Primarily affected are minorities and poor white people. What a terrible thing for the wealthiest most powerful nation in the world. White men need to understand that there are many more issues in this country in dire need of attention than just theirs.