The Big Lie Tour continues. Palin is STILL using the “Bridge To Nowhere” line:

I kept expecting Tucker Bounds to rush onstage and clap a chloroform-soaked rag over McCain’s face.

Too funny.

“If you believe what Obama is saying then the seas will part! The sick will heal!”
Whoa. That was my favorite part. They really are scared. Amen to that.

It’s like they’re running some Kafkaesque experiment in denial. As Atwater, Rove and their many predecessors demonstrated, spin, dog whistles and innuendo peddled by surrogates can persuade people to vote contrary to their own self-interests.

But isn’t the McCain-Palin campaign is breaking new ground here? The candidates themselves are shamelessly and personally repeating discredited lies right to our faces—not just one or two distortions but several bald-faced lies that even their own media propaganda outlets have exposed. Will there be consequences?

good god ...

interviewer: why did you lie about Obama’s plan to cut taxes for the middle class?

tucker: because Obama probably won’t do what he says he’ll do with middle class tax cuts.

He didn’t even deny they’re lying.

Guess this is the McCain Doctrine: preemptive lying. If you think you’re opponent is going to lie, then lie first.

But isn’t the McCain-Palin campaign is breaking new ground here?

They’re not breaking new ground when it comes to lying, but they’re certainly setting new, ahem, “standards” by repeating those lies over and over after being widely criticized for them.  At this point they seem to be playing purely for the wild-eyed base vote and nothing more. I don’t think even Dubya went all in with them on either of his wins. Weird. It could work, but I think they’re unwittingly lighting up Dems/liberals everywhere to, at the very least, vote against these maniacs.

Aw, dang it. I hate it when that happens.

They’re not breaking new ground when it comes to lying, but they’re certainly setting new, ahem, “standards” by repeating those lies over and over after being widely criticized for them.

That’s what strikes me as unprecedented. I mean, we expect lies. But usually, the lies have at least a thin coating of plausibility that allow them to be swallowed and digested by low-info voters. Not this time.

As you said, the wild-eyed base voters won’t be put off by the non-stop lies, even now that Fox News is pointing them out. I haven’t shared the crap my wingnut, Dobsonite grandma is bombarding my inbox with ever since the Palin pick—I don’t think she’s been more enthusiastic about a candidate since George Wallace.

But it’s hard to see how this strategy won’t backfire with independents.

McCain:  “WE will never put America in this position again.”  He’s freakin admitting that he was part of what caused it.  I mean wouldn’t you say “We would never let them put America in this position again” if you honestly believed you were not part of the Washington/George Bush establishment that caused all of these problems? But he’s saying “we” did it but “just trust us - we won’t do it again.”  That statement should just be run as a continuous loop.  “McCain admits culpability in economic meltdown.”

Alas, no time to respond wickedly to this nonsense. However, I am reminded of this insight from Chauncey Gardner:

“As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.”

John McCain understands that it’s NOT how the economy is actually performing that counts, It;s how well it SHOULD be performing, in theory.

Unfortunately, the “Invisible Hand” he’s thinking of is up Sarah Palin’s skirt at the moment.

(Oh, God forgive me. I almost typed “Darragh” Palin.)