October 13, 2008 8:59:40 AM CDT
(Newser) – Think all politicians are self-justifying hypocrites? You're probably right, John Tierney writes in the New York Times. As a recent psychological study demonstrates, all of us, given enough time and mental wiggle room, will succumb to the "self-halo effect," justifying in ourselves and our allies moral lapses we readily condemn in anyone of an opposing group.
Whether the issue is John McCain's reversal on taxes, Barack Obama's about-face on campaign finance, or a guy with the same wristband as you selecting for himself an easier job in a psychological experiment, "anyone who is on 'our team' is excused for moral transgressions," one researcher says.
Source New York Times
Aug 8, 08 4:08 PM CDT Barack Obama departed for Hawaii today to kick off a week-long vacation with his family, Reuters reports. He’ll take part in a welcoming rally and fundraiser there, but will otherwise rest from campaign rigors. John McCain attacked his rival’s “beach vacation” in light of the hardships facing ordinary Americans. But Obama defended the trip as an important opportunity to see his grandmother. More »
May 16, 08 1:55 PM CDT John McCain’s effort to link Barack Obama and Hamas—waxing astonished the Democrat could sit down with the violent Palestinian group—is “Nixon-style dirty campaign tactics,” and the “height of hypocrisy,” James Rubin writes in the Washington Post. In a 2006 interview, McCain said the US would “have to deal with” Hamas—and that Palestinians had chosen the extremists for “a decent life and decent future.” More »
Mar 14, 08 11:59 AM CDT In the latest campaign preacher flap, TV networks are airing clips from sermons in which the former pastor of Barack Obama's church condemns "racist" US society and compares the candidate's experiences to Jesus' struggles, the Guardian reports. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human," said the fiery pastor who presided over Obama's marriage, baptized his kids, and provided the title of his biography. He also once described the 9/11 attacks as "America's chickens coming home to roost." More »
Apr 5, 07 8:19 AM CDT Democratic presidential hopefuls have outperformed their GOP rivals at raising primary cash for the first time since 1976. In the first quarter the score was $79 mil to $51 mil, which seems portentous: Bob Dole's campaign manager confesses to the Times that the Dems "seem to have a lot more hunger for the White House right now than we do." More »
Mar 30, 07 9:32 AM CDT The smart money says the 2008 election is the Democrats' to lose, but a surprising Time poll has the Democratic front runners narrowly losing to the Repubican front runners in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups. Hillary Clinton loses to John McCain 42%-48%, and to Rudy Giuliani 41%-50%. Obama, behind Clinton in the polls, fares better: 43%-45% to McCain, 44%-45% to Giuliani. More »
Barack Obama • John McCain • politics • psychology • hypocrisy • morality
