Introducing the Graham campaign

It seems Graham has got himself a presidential campaign off the ground. No, not Billy or Franklin. Lindsey, ever heard of him? Not Lindsay Lohan. Sure we have, but for being the notorious sidekick to John Juan McCain. A micro-blip on a radar screen.

So he wastes no time going to the same rhetoric famous by another candidate. He’s been running now for a couple weeks and, almost in search of coverage, makes odd statements. Speaking to Chuck Todd, Graham says. See full video interview here.

At 8 minutes in, he goes deftly hypothetical, as if planned, supposing to write the Constitution today. He just happens to have it all thought out, and Todd has to ply Lindsey very little to develop his SNL caliber sketch. (who cares about Hannity & Maddow?)

Todd asks “why is the country [so] polarized?” (will they ask Hillary that question?)

Graham says, “money, and….okay write the Constitution today. I think it’d be a great SNL sketch. You got Philadelphia Hall, you got satellite trucks parked outside. You know Ben Franklin comes outside… (cluckling) I got Rachael Maddow and Sean Hannity jump all over… “don’t give in, Ben.” Just think how hard it is in today’s 24/7 news cycle, talk radio, cable television, and money. There is a group telling you to say no to about everything …and to get into politics, look how many pledges people ask you to sign…

Todd: will you sign any?
Graham: nope, nah.
Todd: you’ve signed pledges before…
Graham: I have

Todd: do you regret it?
Graham: Not so much I regret it that I just don’t want to do it this time. You know if you’re not financially independent, you have to get somebody to help you financially. I think a combination of constant media, 24 hours news cycle with money has made it pretty hard to find common ground.

Todd: so that means were doomed?
Graham: No, I think…its a good question…are we? I don’t know.
Todd: I don’t know if media is going to reform. I always say its a two-way street. Politicians play to the media polarization.

Graham: You’re trying to beat each other and you report things maybe too quickly. Let’s look at it this way, I think there is a market for a better way. When I talk to that young guy there, I said “You’re going to have to work a little longer pal. If I’m president, I’m going to ask you to work a little longer. What do people do between 65 and 67? They work two years longer….

I’m making a bet here that you can talk about problem solving in the Republican primary and still get the nomination. I’m making a bet that you can openly embrace working with Democrats and still get the nomination. I’m making a bet that in a war weary republic you can rally them to keep the fight over there before it comes here. Now, if I lose those bets it doesn’t mean America’s lost, it means that I just fell short. To a young person in politics, listen to what I am doing here, see if it makes sense to you. There is a growing desire by the public at large to stop the BS. I feel it, I sense it and I’m running on the idea if you elect me I’ll do whatever is necessary to defend the nation. I’m running not as a candidate for a single party but for a great nation.

Todd: are you thinking about going third party?
Graham: no, not at all …See at the end of the day, you’re not going to get big thigs done with moderates. There is no hall of fame for moderates. Moderates are nice people but it takes real ideologically purer people, in many ways, to solve hard problems. Did anybody doubt Tip O’Neil’s credentials as a liberal? Did anybody doubt Ronald Reagan’s credentials as a conservative?

Cut/ enough

Bet much? Besides the moderate boilerplate “let’s work together” talk, there was an admission that you cannot get great big things from moderates. You don’t say. So why demonize and attack the same people for holding fast to their principles? I get it, it’s okay when he’s standing up against the Party base. But when they don’t cooperate with him, there’s a problem.

Todd: in 2000 he (John McCain) ran against the Party a little bit harder. [really?]
Graham: Yea but I think, you know, looking back that was sort of an immature campaign. We kind of got off in the ditch a little bit. You know if you want to be the nominee of a party, there’s only so much you can do to run your party down. I love the Republican Party. I believe the conservatism…

Todd: Some conservatives are going to hear what you’re saying and say YOU are trying to run down the Party right now.
Graham: I’m not. I’m actually trying to build it up. Here’s my bet: that Hispanics, if they get over the idea that we don’t like them because we suggest that we don’t, if we could actually get immigration behind us, the Hispanic community is much more aligned with our way of doing business than our Democratic colleagues. I firmly believe that.

Todd: you believe that Hispanics are justified in thinking that the Republican Party doesn’t care about them right now?
Graham: Yes, to some extent I do because just look at the rhetoric. Don’t judge us all by what a few people say. But you have to look at the results…/end

Video

Keep developing those thoughts strategies, Lindsey. You already gave MSM ammo for weeks. None of this is nuclear science but it does show the alignment to McCain, who also is always sucking wind for face time on air. Graham knows you can only beat that party horse so far, you can’t run it into the ground. Are you hiring the same geniuses?

Let’s go back in the time warp machine.

You only have to go back to 2000 in his presidential bid for president when McCain dropped this load of manure on the Republican base calling conservatives agents of intolerance. Now his dear friend Lind-see seems to have the same campaign formula. He makes it sound like he is talking about both sides fairly, but it is directed squarely at conservatives, the intolerant ones. After all, being intolerant on the left is a compliment to them. So the comparison doesn’t work.

February 2000, McCain took to the road and the air under the guise of bashing certain politics.

I recognize and celebrate that our country is founded upon Judeo- Christian values, and I have pledged my life to defend America and all her values, the values that have made us the noblest experiment in history. But public — but political intolerance by any political party is neither a Judeo-Christian nor an American value. The political tactics of division and slander are not our values, they are… corrupting influences on religion and politics, and those who practice them in the name of religion or in the name of the Republican Party or in the name of America shame our faith, our party and our country.

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right. [CNN transcript]

While he sounded to be swinging at both sides, the main target of opportunity was the conservative right, particularly evangelicals. Everyone knew it then, and now everyone will again with sidekick Graham on the bandstand. They don’t care that in the process they are offending their base, they think that is smart politics. They don’t care about marginalizing voters and any influence that does not align with them.

Though it is very amusing how Lindsey Graham refers to McCain’s campaign as immature and “in the ditch”, doing almost exactly what John was doing. So Lindsey is going to start in the gutter and work out from there. Enter mainstream media.

So now we have to live through a replay of that intolerant, divide and conquer, playing the media fiddle type of campaigning. Right on cue, it’s media chow time which is the point. It’s McCain 2000 3.0. Graham must think we are really dumb to expect us to play along.

Holy Graham crackers, Batman!

RightRing | Bullright