A summary of Senator Obama’s recent spin violations appeared in today’s New York Times (despite claims by some that this newspaper is a puppet of liberalism):
www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/us/politics/26ads.html
Most of the individual infractions cited in this article appear to me to be Misdemeanor Spin. However, the cumulative impact of Obama’s campaign repeating them over and over is appears to me to be approaching Felony Spin. (For my definitions of the three varieties of spin, click on Misdemeanor or Felony Spin above.)
However, what I find most egregious in the article, however, is these two quotes:
Al Gore’s press secretary in 2000, Chris Lehane: “All’s fair in love, war and politics.” I know this is what everyone is used to saying and hearing, and this is precisely the problem: it’s absolutely not true! Wake up, Chris: The ends don’t justify the means! Democrats have no right to point a finger at Republicans for their Felony Spin as long as they themselves continue to position themselves as having integrity while treating these extreme forms of lack of integrity as acceptable.
Barack Obama’s spokesperson, Tommy Vietor: “Our ads discuss serious differences on critical issues like stem cell research, Social Security and energy policy. John McCain’s ads are about Britney Spears and Paris Hilton…” Wake up Tommy: Just because these ads may be about more substantive issues, this in no way justifies using spin to discuss serious differences between the candidates! The ends don’t justify the means!
Wake up America and stop tolerating the delusion that all is fair in politics. The constitution mandates our government to serve the people not spin the people.
