Dirtier campaign? Bush '04, or McCain '08?

[Curtland1015]

It's very hard for me to say anything is as terrible as the swiftboating they used against Kerry. But I gotta say, McLame is coming pretty damned close with all this "Barack is a scary unknown *COUGH*BLACK*COUGH*TERRORIST* guy" crap.

Do you think this is worse than what Kerry went through four years ago?

[Bicoastal]

1. McCain--because he's losing and DESPERATE.

[TornadoTN]

2. McCain 08 by far - this puts Bush and Rove to shame

And we have three weeks to go!!!

[iceman66]

3. McCain '08 without a doubt.

Last time, most of the nasty lies came from 527's. this time it is the candidates directly making the attacks.

Also, unlike Bush, McCain's ads are 100% negative and barely address issues.

Not to defend Bush, but McCain's campaign is possibly the most dishonorable in the history of politics.

[texasleo]

4. Never thought I'd see a campaign dirtier than 2004. I was wrong.

[Demi_Babe]

5. McCain '08

[blm]

6. The difference is Bush was at its most powerful then...and 90% of corpmedia was protecting him.

Now, BushInc and the GOP are at their weakest point in 15 years, and only 70% of the corpmedia is protecting them. If the media COULD get away with the full on protection of Mccain the way they did with Bush, they'd do it....but, the public hasn't been buying it as much post Katrina, post IraqCivilWar, post RecordHomeForeclosures, are they?

[politicasista]

38. Yes, it's backfiring and we the people aren't buying it anymore

I am glad McRude and the GOP are going down in flames. 8 years too late.

[gravity]

7. They are trying their hardest to find something that sticks

Nothing has worked, so they will just try to go lower and lower

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. '00 was reallly bad. '04 was bad too. But '08 has people whipped up in to a hate frenzy

[napi21]

9. I think both are virtually the same, just different smears. They called

Kerry a coward and a traitor, because Kerry was pushing his war record as proof of his dedication to his Country. They're calling Obama a terrorist at least partly because he's pushing diplomacy first instead of war first.

With Kerry, the Swiftboating was working just fine for them, so they stuck pretty much with that. With Obama, they tried the pastor, his birth place, his associations, the flag pin, and a 1,000 other things...but nothing seemed to stick, so now they're just throwing everything they can find or make up in hopes that SOMETHING will work for them!

[Sewsojm]

10. McLame , Shrub knew he was going to Steal the election.

[Yukari Yakumo]

11. McCain by a mile

Bush let his subordinates do te dirty work. McCain can't even afford subordinates (unless he wants to tap into his own fortune).

[GoesTo11]

12. The Ayers ad might be the worst ever in a general election.

It's absolutely shameful. How can this man live with himself. How can that party live with itself.

[democracy1st]

13. are you freakin kidding this is by far more corrupt

[nannycee]

14. Never would have believed it but undeniably McCain 08! n/t

[StrongBad]

15. I'm actually surprised most people said McCain

My initial thought was Bush because he successfully maligned a war hero's record. This year everything McCain does just look so desperate and absurd that people (aside from the right-wing wacko crowd) aren't buying what they're selling.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. McCain easily

Never thought I would say that.

[blueclown]

17. The worst was Bush '88. This is close, though. n/t

[andym]

33. Bush 88, Nixon 72 were pretty bad

Bush 88, Nixon 72 were pretty bad (although Nixon more worked "behind the scenes").
I think in the end this will go pretty far, who knows what comes after Ayers?

[blueclown]

43. I forgot about the Nixon campaign.

Don't forget about LBJ's campaign in 1964. Although he was on our side, he did run a very dirty campaign. He all but accused Goldwater of being a member of the KKK.

[gemlake]

18. 2000 and 2004 were equally bad

I can't believe people are forgetting how corrupt and dirty the last 2 elections were.

[ReadTomPaine]

19. It's a dirty campaign certainly, but the word that fits best is "bizzare"...

This has been one strange political season, and McCain's candidacy is is the jewel in the middle of that crown.

[freestyle]

20. Dirtier, because the McCain campaign is doing it themselves.

In 2004, even though there were Bush fingerprints all over it, the worst attacks were from nominally outside groups. The McCain campaign is slinging the slime themselves.

[Fired Up Democrat]

21. mccain for sure because this time the attacks are coming

directly from the candidate and are intentionally trying to incite hate and racism.

[Occam Bandage]

22. I don't recall people shouting "KILL HIM" at Bush rallies.

[skipos]

23. McCain

Did anyone ever yell "kill him" "off with his head" or "sit down, boy" at a Bush rally?

[Drunken Irishman]

24. I don't ever remember Bush being this bad.

[ObamaKerryDem]

27. I've said it before and I'll say it again..

McCain is an even worse candidate than Bush. Yeah, Bush remains the worst POTUS of all time, but McCain as a candidate isn't even trying not to be transparent in terms of slime and ineptitude. And McCain pulling this kind of shit in a way is even worse because he should fucking KNOW BETTER after what they did to him in 2000. Plus he's a damn hypocrite for preaching about a "clean, civilized" campaign only months ago, then turning around and doing what he's doing...

Bush/Rove were despicable as well, but fortunately for us, the mud isn't sticking now as it apparently did then..*crosses fingers*

Plus Bush and the huge cloud he's cast over the entire GOP has just made our job easier. :D LOL..

[No Passaran]

25. Bush didn't directly use swiftboat and talked about it on TV

McCain is worse.

[politicasista]

40. The racism has been nasty, if not ugly

I don't know how Barack and Michelle put up with it, but it shows they have stronger skin being from the South side of Chi town and all. :)

[FloridaGrl]

26. McCain 08

This is a man I once liked.

[WeDidIt]

28. McCain is making Bush and Rove seem nice

Sorry, but it's true.

[ShortnFiery]

29. McCain and his vile hyena mate (Palin) ... by a country mile.

[KingFlorez]

30. McCain 08

I never thought we'd see a campaign go lower than Bush's did, but it happened.

[piglatinlover]

31. Bush '04. By a mile.

McCain is running a worse, ineffective campaign, but Bush ran a dirtier one.

Bush's were backed up by Vietnam veterans basically lying and being taken as credible, and he essentially exploited the best of America to destroy Kerry. McCain's just throwing things around. His accusations are mostly discredited, weak, and desperate.

Plus, while there certainly is a lot of bigotry coming out, the whole "sanctity of marriage" ploy to get people to the polls in '04 was a slimy tactic that McCain's campaign doesn't appear to be doing.

Not to mention the bullshit in Ohio. 2004 was one of the worst presidential elections ever, because Kerry was so close to winning, may have even actually won, and it was stolen because of appealing to America's worst while exploiting America's best.

Granted, if Obama "loses" this election which he is clearly winning (if polls are true), that could certainly paint what's going on in a different light.

[Alter Ego]

32. Tough call, but right now I'd give it to McCain

because what he's doing is going to intensify if he continues to sink in the polls.

[BlueStater]

34. McCain.

As bad as Bush was, I don't think he went as far as to say that Kerry was actually friends with terrorists.

[KathieG]

35. I never thought I'd say this, but I think...

McCain has topped Bush in the dirty department, and it's both sad and scary. With the addition of Palin to the ticket, the republican base has become rabid...the hate has come to the surface and bubbled over and it's UGLY.

[musicblind]

36. Bush 04. Sorry. I think people are forgetting HOW bad Bush was in 04.

McCain is bad, but not as bad as I expected. Bush in 04 was HORRIBLE. I still feel ill just thinking about it.

[Eyes_wide_ open]

37. McCain '08 easily

There was nothing in '04 that even compares with the attempt to incite mob violence.

[invictus]

39. The McCain campaign is the filthiest in my lifetime!

nt

[TheDonkey]

41. Bush 04. McTroll is trying to run the same campaign thought but is more inept

and the "scare" angle just isn't there

[blue_onyx]

42. It's hard to tell for me

The swiftboating of Kerry was so horrible. McCain's campaign is pretty bad too. I think what makes this campaign seem so bad is we expected a dirty campaign from Bush. For McCain, who was swiftboated himself, to now be running such a nasty campaign is a little more unexpected.