Thought for Food

Was Saddleback Rigged Or Did McCain Just Cheat?

bunnynico:

[A really interesting read.]

Why did McCain feel compelled to cheat?

[…] Whoever opted for this gamble was foolish to think it wouldn’t come to light. We know McCain’s been accused of doing or saying anything to win, and that supporters tend to find it “part of the game.” Ultimately, however, such flagrant cheating reflects poorly on the candidate, regardless of who advanced or championed the strategy. McCain has been relying on the most time-tested strategy in modern politics, the Rovian triumverate:

• name recognition
• attacks by surrogates
• talking points to stay on message at all times

And I have to excerpt this shout-out to one of my heroes:

Senator Obama, in contrast, is relying on the Wellstonian ideals of truth, transparency, and candor. Granted my personal preference for this approach, it has been the riskier strategy. Riskier, that is, right up until the time where Saddleback revealed that either McCain or his advisors lacked confidence in his ability to perform under pressure.