Cross-Posted at Marry in Massachusetts.
In Rove's dizzying spin, only Obama's money edge decided the election. It was “the Obama/DNC juggernaut” that “buried Mr. McCain on TV.” Rove picked his stats carefully, as in by the state (Indiana) that McCain ceded and where Obama outspent him the most (nearly 7 to 1 by Rove's estimation). He also left off the many millions of hidden, soft Republican funds spent around McCain to elect the ticket. That would in fact severely undercut the money argument.
Regardless, the amusing aspect is that Obama likely did have a larger ad budget. He certainly organized and had organized for him a much bigger, better, wider and deeper volunteer organization. Put another way, this is yet more celebrity proof when more people wanted to give their time as well as money to elect that other guy.
For decades. Republicans have been the money party. The rich white folk in Congress and the Administration look out for the rich white folk in the nation. The most political money went to keep that huge and dirty machine working. The GOP had the money and won the Presidency and control of Congress the most.
It wouldn't be Rove without hypocrisy and irony, of course. He ends his WSJ piece with, “Mr. Obama's victory may show the enduring truth of the old Chicago Golden Rule: He who has the gold rules.” This from the man who has a history of buying elections and undercutting democracy by any means is sweet.
Life was fair when Republicans get the most money. Life's not fair when they don't. I don't think I have the time or energy to feel sorry for McCain and Rove.
WTF.
What is up with that contempt business?
Obama spent $593.1 million from the beginning of his primary campaign through 4 November, compared to $273.5 million for McCain. He ran about 370,000 television advertisements in the general election, compared to around 250,000 by McCain. The Republican National Committee spent $36 million for an additional approximately 71,000 spots. The differential still was substantial.
Add in the concepts. Dems asked the hardest thing that Americans seem to have the toughest time with — something new, a truly different approach. That’s scary, very scary to most.
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p>Plus, there was the culture shock of a mixed race candidate. He also had a confusing mixed upbringing very unlike most voters’. No one could predict how that would play.
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p>Pile on the dirty politics of rumors, implying terrorism, socialism, radical Muslims, blah blah.
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p>Now bring in the reality of more folk giving more money to Obama, who spent it. Then put all these on the scale before even getting to the platforms and proposals of the candidates.
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p>Rove’s dumbed down apology (in the classic sense) of his party’s failure should not stand.
obama was much better at god talk than mccain, and slathered it all over everything he said. i think it had an impact. just like people believed al queda was in iraq because bush said so a million times, people believed obama was more godly than mccain because obama invoked sky daddy incessantly.
… cursory examination of their personal histories with religion shows a disparity in each’s concern for faith. Obama’s history in this matter is so obvious that attacking it depended on outright distorting it. Talking it up or not, notwithstanding.