The election is about to turn really ugly... and Minh Le is afraid that they've painted Barack Obama into a corner... this is how he'd like to see him respond, who knows if it would help:
I am the Democratic candidate for president... I am not perfect. I do not claim to be. Anyone is bound to have some mis-steps under the intense scrutiny of the campaign trail. Regarding the "lipstick on a pig" comment, if you look at it in the full context of the point that I was making, I think you'll see that I was referring to the McCain-Palin policies, not any individual. However, if my use of a common phrase accidentally offended anyone, then I sincerely apologize. Even the perception of sexism is a very serious matter and it should be treated as such. But please believe me when I say that, despite the spin from the McCain camp, my comment was not referring to Sarah Palin who has proven herself to be a formidable opponent.
While I will apologize for any inadvertent offenses, I will not stand idly by while the election spirals out of control and makes a mockery out of our cherished democratic process. In the midst of the circus that is the election season, I am honestly trying my best to keep us talking about the issues that matter and focused on the facts that affect your everyday lives. Meanwhile, the McCain campaign has turned to spouting outright lies and making unfounded or distorted accusations, anything to grab a headline. This may be politics as usual, and I will not deny that some of my supporters have done some unfortunate things as well, but things took a particularly ugly turn this past week. The despicable Sex-Ed ad, approved by John McCain, turned a bill that was designed to protect young children from sexual predators into a distorted and misleading personal attack on me that had no basis in reality. The ad is inexcusable in its subversion of the truth, its tasteless undertones, and its disregard for legislation meant to for the welfare of children. In their desperate attempt climb up the polls, the McCain campaign has devolved into a glorified version of the National Enquirer, minus the integrity. They are attempting to distract us as a nation from the important issues of the day and the even more important decision facing us in November.
They've even been so bold as to come right out and say that this election "isn't about the issues", that "facts" don't matter... and I guess it's true, they don't matter to those in desperation mode, to those who've resigned themselves to blindly punching below the belt, to those who boldly contradict themselves on a daily basis, and to those who shamelessly go from city to city brazenly repeating the same lies. I guess when you're desperate and will do whatever it takes to win, little things like "issues" and "facts" don''t matter. But the more the McCain campaign gets wrapped up in their perverse fantasy world of lies and distortion, the less they are going to matter. Because in the real world, where there is accountability, where there are jobs to do and bills to pay, the issues do matter, the facts do matter.
Now, I know there are questions about my experience and readiness to be president. Contrary to what you might think, I don't mind these questions. I don't mind because they are based on legitimate concerns and they are the kinds of questions that the American public should be asking. However, I would maintain that it is impossible to truly know if anyone, regardless of age or experience, is actually fit to be president. If you'll indulge me with a sports analogy: You can practice jumpshots every day and play basketball your whole life... but you'll never know if you have what it takes to sink that game winning shot until you actually take it. Now don't get me wrong, I can and will do everything in my power to demonstrate that I have the temperment, experience, vision, judgement, and character necessary to be a capable commander in chief, but I won't be able to prove it to you until the game is on the line. No one can.
Which is why I ask you to take a closer look at the campaign that John McCain is running right now. Because while no one can truly prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are fit to be president, by the very nature of his unpredictable, negative, out-of-touch, and dishonest campaign, John McCain is proving to us on a daily basis that he is unfit to be president. This is not the direction that the country wants to go in, and this is not the kind of leadership America needs or deserves. We are a better country than this.
As the McCain campaign has recently realized, this is indeed a change election. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we are going to repair the damage done by 8 years of the Bush administration. It won't be easy and it will take a lot of hard work, so we don't have time for the kinds of ugly distractions and shameless distortions that have been emanating from the McCain camp.
Now I am going to speak to John McCain directly: You once promised the American people that you would run an honorable campaign. Given the gravity and seriousness of our nation's situation, I am asking you to be true to your word so we can get this election back on track and focus on the issues and the facts. It is the only honorable thing to do.
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