Blunt statements from Sentor Biden is the reason why I just can’t dislike him. For better or for worse, if he thinks it he says it. The AP reports, “Barack Obama’s running mate says a campaign ad that mocked Republican presidential candidate John McCain as an out-of-touch, out-of-date computer illiterate was “terrible” and would not have been done had he known about it.” The biggest problem with the ad is that it criticizes Senator McCain for not using a computer when his war injuries prevent him from being able to type. As others have noted, a five minute search could have provided the Obama campaign with that information, and prevented this clumsy and pointless attack.
Senator Biden did come back later to say that the ad was appropriate, particularly since the McCain campaign ran an ad about Senator Obama’s support for a bill that would have expanded the reach of sex education to kindergarteners. However, while Senator Biden’s first comments are not often what the campaign wants him to say they do reflect what Senator Biden actually thinks. For instance, when he stated that Hillary Clinton would have made a better VP choice than him, he stated what a lot of people were thinking. He certainly isn’t a moderate, but he is what he is and as a McCain supporter I’m sure glad Senator Obama picked him.
The ad was not criticizing him for being a disabled veteran. It was criticizing him for wanting to be president of a 21st century country with an information age economy, and being completely clueless on how any of these systems work. The ad was saying he is clueless about the internet, and has never made any effort to learn it.
But I agree with Biden, the ad was terrible and made their point in a clumsy, inappropriate way. Although, I have found many of the republican ads to be equally as offensive, I expect a higher from the democrats.
By: Chris on September 23, 2008
at 12:10 pm
Further more…
Soldiers are coming back from Iraq with missing limbs and still using the internet. Blind and deaf people have software and tools to be computer literate. There are so many advancements, that there is no excuse for not being computer literate in this day in age.
Many elderly people cannot use the internet, it is difficult to learn and extremely new to people who did not grow up with it. I cannot blame McCain, but he is not just some ordinary older gentleman, he is running for president! There is no excuse for not having a grasp of the information age when we are faced with the crisis at hand.
To try to skew this as though the democrats were making fun of a disabled veteran is pathetic. They are making a valid point that McCain has been living in a bubble for the last 25 years and out of touch. He is not ready to lead our economy.
By: Chris on September 23, 2008
at 12:19 pm
McCain help pass the Safe Act legislation (online Child Predator legislation), and has advanced knowlege on technology issues. He simply doesn’t use a computer because he can’t type. Saying he doesn’t know understand technology is just the Obama camp not doing their homework again.
By: kmorrison33 on September 23, 2008
at 12:23 pm
It is quite sad that the Obama supporters have allowed themselves to be brainwashed. If they still had control of thier own thought processes then they would be able to understand that the complaint has always been that the Obama camp failed to do it’s homework and comes across as sounding callus. Perhaps it is the yes we can chant that has addled their minds, but I do recognize methods of mind control when I see them. Get a clue, the democratic party has never and will never run a clean political campaign, neither will the republican party. This is one of those little things that have been carried over from our roots in England and other countries. The one thing that has become clear is that this year more of the social dressing has come off because of the fact that racial and sexual lines long held have been breeched. Does Chris really think that the dems are playing fair by threatening race riots if Obama is not elected? Sorry, but that is an exremely immature attitude from the leaders of the party. They need to face facts, there is a large part of the country and indeed the democratic party that do not like the extreme liberal branch of the party. This is what once again will be getting rejected. A more moderate candidate might have just walked to victory. Unfortunately none was allowed to finish the race, and I do not allude to just Clinton.
By: cookiegramma on September 23, 2008
at 1:09 pm
It’s funny how we attack Obama on one ad he did on McCain after being attack with numerous ads by McCain.
I think the ad was stupid not because of what it said, but how it was lead out. They should of have the his non-use of the internet at the end after all the other stuff he is out of touch with the American people on.
Also I am not to glad that Joe Biden is Obama’s VP because it seems like he doesn’t want to be his VP. It’s seems like Obama is really campaign by himself. Because the only time we hear about Biden is when he says something stupid or something against Obama.
And people say the media is all in love with Obama.
By: j on September 23, 2008
at 1:28 pm