Comparison with George W. Bush is also a touchy issue. After all, despite all differences, it’s still the same party. And lobbyists from the GOP-related big business, like oil companies, are likely to maintain some contact with the current Republican candidate. This is the basis of reasoning done by the Campaign to Defend America, another grassroots organization of dissatisfied citizens. Their ad equals McCain with Bush suggesting the former is in favor of subsidizing oil industry which was endorsed by the latter in the Energy Policy Act in 2005. In reality, McCain, unlike Barack Obama, voted against the bill, asserting privileges created for the big business as unacceptable. Still, the unavoidable comparisons with the current president, although repelled by McCain with all his might, probably remain an important matter in this campaign.
The republican challenger also fell under the attack of eco-activists. In February, executive director of the Sierra Club sent a letter to the supporters of the organization in which he condemned McCain as an enemy of environment and an ally of big polluters. As a proof, list of 15 most important environmental votes in the Senate in 2007 was presented. McCain did not participate in any of them. But what the Sierra activist forgets to mention is a fact that McCain was busy in his campaign for nomination (environmental ranking of Obama and Clinton also dropped sharply) and his previous voting record is one of the most eco-friendly among the Republicans.
So, the smears against McCain do not have the same energy and are not totally discreditating as the ones directed against Obama. The factor of experience may be in play here – the Republican candidate with his long congressional record has many things that can be criticized, while the Democratic challenger is a freshman in politics. While the factual assertion of Obama's political views is impossible, because of his short time spent at national policymaking level and lack of specific solutions in his agenda, the only feasible way of attacking him is to go personal. McCain has the advantage he cannot be harmed in a brutal way, but some cunningly assorted collection of his quotes, taken a little out of context could be sufficient to nail him down.
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