Mark Halperin Doesn't "Cover" the Freak Show. Mark Halperin Is the Head Freak

Atrios informs me of Mark Halperin, saying:

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME: Things McCain can do when running against Obama that Clinton has been unable to do well or at all.... 6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.... 8. Play dirty.... 11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama's unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.... Perhaps an ad such as this will run in Ohio:

So, what do you really know about Barack Obama? Did you know he supports meeting with the head of xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx? Do you know he wants to get rid of your right xx xxx x xxxxxxx? Do you know he is calling for the repeal of the law preventing xxx xxxxxxxx? Do you know he is for a xxxxxxxx-xxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxx? Xxxx xx xxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxxx Barack Obama?

I have a question for Mark Halperin: Wouldn't it be even better if John McCain did not have to pay for that ad but could get some corrupt, complaisant, ethics-free freak of a "journalist" to put that ad in the pages of Time?

Oh. That's what you just did. So that's what you ment when you said: "McCain could..." You meant "I, Mark Halperin, will--and boy will McCain be grateful."

Halperin hasn't made a prediction of immoral and unethical things McCain might do. Halperin has gone and done it.

That is the problem with performative utterances.

Mark Halperin doesn't "cover" the freak show. Mark Halperin is the freak show.

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UPDATE: Mark Kleiman writes:

The Reality-Based Community: Mark Halperin, enabler of bigotry: Mark Halperin would say that he's merely describing tactics the McCain campaign might use... not advocating them. But when a reporter for a mainstream publication suggests that a candidate for President appeal to racism... and religious bigotry... it's time for someone to call the meeting to order.

Referring to how McCain should treat Michelle Obama's gaffes, Halperin calls for "unrestricted censure."

Sauce. Goose. Gander.

It would be good for the country if Mark Halperin lost his job in the next 24 hours. Just sayin'.

Comments

[Charlie]

Brad,
I love your stuff (really I do, especially the podcasts of your lectures-I'm in econ grad school now), but I think you are way off base here.

First of all, reading this list isn't going to change anybody's opinions about Obama, and it is far from telling McCain to do these things. Many things on the list are immoral and underhanded akin to swiftboating, and the fact that the author didn't bother to euphemize the list gives credence to the fact that he is certainly not advocating for McCain or saying that McCain should do this. I mean he says McCain can "play dirty." Is he saying that McCain should play dirty? That playing dirty is the right thing to do?

The example of the ad is clearly meant to show what kinds of misleading statements and half-truths could be put an vicious attack ad. The fact that he says McCain would get a right wing hatchet group to run the ad rather than do it himself clearly shows that the author thinks doing so is morally questionable or at least implies that the public would consider that immoral (is immoral too strong a word for politics? if I say dirty or underhanded would that be different).

And many parts of his column are quite accurate. One of Obama's biggest weaknesses (especially in my informal conversations with likely voters) is lack of experience, and McCain's experience advantage is much stronger than Hillary's. Hillary got clobbered by Democrats for what I thought were completely innocuous comments from Bill Clinton. I don't know how similar comments would be received by the general public as a whole, but it will be much different than in the primary. And he is right, in that, regardless of whose elected there will be a big debate about the war in the general election. I think his insight that McCain will have an advantage in that he has been consistent and has military qualifications, will it overcome the big disadvantage that most people disagree with him? I don't know.

Most importantly, this article brought up a lot of things that I hadn't thought about before. I am an Obama supporter, but this article had insights into a portion of the electorate that I don't. I think this gave pretty good insights into the potential "swift boating" or "Al Gore said he invented the internet" of Obama in '08. I don't think people that read political blogs are the ones convinced by such campaigns, and I think the author knows that. And I like and respect McCain, and I'm not sure he would stoop to that sort of smearing. But for whatever reason, Democrats don't seem to do well against that kind of crap. So this article has definetely given me something to think about.

[Carolyn Kay]

Yes, and there's even more to worry about, according to Gene Lyons (Fools for Scandal, The Hunting of the President)
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Editorial/217354/

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

[PSP]

Time was a right wing rag long before there was a vast right wing conspiracy.

[CN]

That's just one of the generic right-wing attack ad texts. Just fill in the blanks for whatever candidate is running against you, Mr Republican candidate. Stick with this script, Mr. Republican candidate, because if you ever speak about policies, or what you stand for, you haven't got a chance.

[Harald K]

HA! I figured what was starred out:

So, what do you really know about Barack Obama? Did you know he supports meeting with the head of Ukrainian forces?
Do you know he wants to get rid of your right to own a Mexican?
Do you know that he is calling for repeal of the law preventing sex scandals?
Do you know he is for a Canadian-Indian tea exchange?
What do the chicks digg about Barack Obama?

[save_the_rustbelt]

Just a guess, but with Obama's momemtum I think any such attacks will likely backfire, except among the dittoheads who are going to vote GOP or stay home and pout in any case.

I quit reading Time a long time ago, but this column says little that isn't being said and thought lots of places every day. Perhaps Halperin is saying what lots of people are thinking, including Obama's staff (and I have to believe Obama's advisors are already preparing defenses and counterattacks).

I don't McCain will need any enablers.

[Karl Bilawski]

But is it paralipsis?

[anatol]

Sure it would be nice if Mark Halperins of the world lost their jobs by tomorrow, but we know that this is not going to happen, and this is what HRC keeps saying, apparently to little effect. This is why the optimism of Obama's supporters about his chances against McCain seems laughable to me. My sense is that the Dems will once again succeed to chose a weak nominee, and will lose in a landslide.

I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt Brad's assertion in the post where he endorsed Obama that running an efficient and winning campaign is a good predictor of good governance. If that was so, Karl Rove would be running one of the best Administrations in American history.

I, for one, am quite apprehensive about Obama's chances against McCain, and about his ultimate success as a President, should he win in November.

Just MHO.

[bob h]

My guess is that the Republicans will try to peel off some Jews by emphasizing Obama's Farrakhan-admiring pastor. I am surprised Halperin overlooked this.

[John Gordon]

I think this falls into the same category as the "turban photo". That is -- love taps.

The GOP is going to put stuff in play that we can't even imagine -- because we're not evil minded enough. Halperin is an amateur, the pros will soon be at work.

Expect a completely vicious campaign.

This stuff is merely handy warmup. If Obama can't handle it with aplomb his cause is hopeless.

[chris]

Michelle Obama hasn't made any gaffes. She speaks and our American media creates Halperisms. St McCain's concubine and his Paris Hilton daughter so far are off limits to media lynchings; they're white and right.

I haven't touched Time, should be titled Weak, for decades, why should you? One of the confirming anecdotes to myself of how badly we have sunk was seeing Karl Rove wrote an article for that rag on what Teddy Roosevelt means for government as if there was some confluence between Bush, the felon Rove, and the Original Roosevelt. O R, Original Roosevelt, left the Republican party early; leaving the party early, leaving the bar still thirsty, selling too soon are ways to create stature. Otherwise you're like that Citigrope banker saying while there are still nickels to collect you have to keep dancing.

[chris]

No one runs around the media saying Hackabee by mistake, why is that?

McCain's experience and consistency, good grief, Charlie, you've eaten a plate of worms. McCain's experience is pandering to high political contributors, honest graft, and the consistency is whining when his hand gets caught in the till. I'd like to hear about his experience in chasing hot blonds, unfortunately I'm not a flyboy, do you need to be one to do it? Flyboy suddenly sounds like a term for a hustler.