With less than 2 weeks before election day, McCain's campaign continues to slip deeper and deeper into the muck. Now understand, McCain and his advisors are hyper-aware that Republicans are leaving him en masse and endorsing Barack Obama instead. And two of the top reasons are 1). The belief that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be Vice President or President and is a worrisome reflection on Mr. McCain's decision-making abilities and 2). McCain's vile smear campaign against Barack Obama, especially those that suggest he's a terrorist. But even in the face of this, McCain and the RNC continue to self-destruct and prove that they are truly incapable of listening to the public or learning from their mistakes. Not meaning to sound like a campaign ad myself, but are these the qualities we want from a President and his advisors? 

The Republican National Committee is distributing a mail piece that says "Terrorists" on the front and opens to a big picture of Barack saying "Not Who You Think He Is."

CBS' Early Show anchor Harry Smith interviewed Barack Obama yesterday and asked him about McCain's negative ad campaign:

Harry Smith: The rancorous tone of this campaign - I was with John McCain on Monday, and I said, 'Our poll data shows that it's actually hurting you.' He says, 'I wouldn't be doing it if he weren't doing it.'

Barack Obama (laughing): Well, look. I - I mean - politics is tough. ... But I will say this: I don't think there's any equivalence between what we've been doing and what John McCain's been doing. ... Witness some of the comments that have been made just over the last several months, his last several weeks, 'Socialistic.' You know, 'Pals around with terrorists.' I mean, just - the kinds of stuff that - that I can't imagine saying about an opponent of mine. 

So let me get this straight... Sen. McCain suggested that, even though he's aware these ads are hurting him and his campaign, his excuse for continuing them is basically "He started it"? And this is a man running for President of the United States?  It seems to me the more Sen. McCain tries to separate himself from President Bush, the more he seems to embrace Mr. Bush's fear-based approach to getting what he wants, despite the fact that it seems clearer with each passing day that the majority of Americans are fed up and even downright resentful of this hateful strategy. Mr. McCain has dug himself a hole. And the only solution he's come up with so far is to continue digging. What's worse, he seems to believe Americans will follow. But it seems to me they're scrambling to get out. 

Today Barry "Mr. Conservative" Goldwater's granddaughter, CC Goldwater, added her name to the long list of Republicans coming out publicly against John McCain:

Being Barry Goldwater's granddaughter and living in Arizona, one would assume that I would be voting for our state's senator, John McCain. I am still struck by certain 'dyed in the wool' Republicans who are on the fence this election, as it seems like a no-brainer to me.

Myself, along with my siblings and a few cousins, will not be supporting the Republican presidential candidates this year. We believe strongly in what our grandfather stood for: honesty, integrity, and personal freedom, free from political maneuvering and fear tactics...

...the Republican brand has been tarnished in a shameless effort to gain votes and appeal to the lowest emotion, fear. Nothing about McCain, except for maybe a uniform, compares to the same ideology of what Goldwater stood for as a politician. The McCain/Palin plan is to appear diverse and inclusive, using women and minorities to push an agenda that makes us all financially vulnerable, fearful, and less safe.

When you see the candidate's in political ads, you can't help but be reminded of the 1964 presidential campaign of Johnson/Goldwater, the 'origin of spin', that twists the truth and obscures what really matters. Nothing about the Republican ticket offers the hope America needs to regain it's standing in the world, that's why we're going to support Barack Obama. I think that Obama has shown his ability and integrity.

After the last eight years, there's a lot of clean up do. Roll up your sleeves, Senators Obama and Biden, and we Goldwaters will roll ours up with you.

'Nuff said.