At the guru's lotus feet

David Seaton's News Links
McCain may not be as inept and clueless as he seems. Strapped as he is for cash, by falling so far behind in the polls and without spending a dime he has turned Obama, not Bush, into the "incumbent" and the focus is now on Obama and not on Bush.

Did he plan this or, more likely, has he just stumbled upon it? However he managed to find it, it may be the only path he could have ever taken to victory.

The question for flat broke McCain is to keep the focus on Obama and build up doubts among the "low information voters" (LIVs) who, with the World Series finished are just tuning into the presidential campaign. And of course the essential challenge is to keep that focus on Obama with out spending any money.

The "low information voters" (LIVs) who are just now tuning into the election are only really hearing about Obama for the first time. At this point rumors about girl friends and wealth redistribution can really catch the attention of the LIVs. All this focus on Obama is a force multiplier for McCain's meager dollars.

Perhaps someone who can make a dollar go such a long way as McCain can would do well during a severe economic crisis. Certainly Obama's spending four to one and not having everything sewn by now up does smell a little bit of the classic "tax and spend" Democrat that Republicans love to portray.

Another thing bothers me quite a bit: there seem to be many stories about Obama that never get followed up in the press.

It is very striking how any trivial story about any other candidate that I can remember has always been considered legitimate news, but stories about Obama are considered off limits.

Like everyone else, I really know very little about Obama, but I am coming to know quite a lot about his supporters and I find quite a few of them frankly sinister.

Somehow, someone that has appeared literally "out of the blue" is infused with some sort of holy aura. What it most reminds me of from my dirty hippie days of yore, is of "ashrama", the hot house climate of an Indian ashram, where the guru's every nose picking becomes a cause for worship, is treasured, celebrated and collected.

I can't get a clear view of what Obama is, was, what he wants (besides power) or what he will do if elected. If after so much money has been spent over so many months and the candidate still appears all things to all men, then I don't think that this is by chance: I think that that this is the general idea, the effect desired.

What astonishes and offends me is how people are painting in the empty spaces with their own fantasies and dreams. It reminds me of previous "great awakenings" where Americans sold everything and sat in fields waiting for the second coming.

Next comes the "Great Hangover". DS