October 17, 2008

McCain Now Using Robocalls He Once Condemned

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As John McCain robocalls sweep the country, accusing Barack Obama of literally murdering newborns and associating with a group that “killed Americans,” keep in mind that when John McCain was a victim of Bush robocalls in the 2000 Republican primary he had a very different view of the tactic. Back then, he slammed slimy robocalls as “hate calls.”

Evidently, he is willing to use “hate calls” in the service of his campaign. But who knows? As I’ve postulated before, the image of McCain as a saintly campaigner that emerged out of 2000 might have been very different if he had won the primary and went on to a bruising general election. If McCain were losing by 10 points in October 2000, whose to say he wouldn’t be acting the same way he is now?

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Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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