I can see the hate Joe the plumber campaign has already converted you.

I did acknowledge Barack has been attacked, did you miss that? And yes, Mccain was fucked over in 2000. Mccain brought it upon himself when he attacked the religious right. Stupid move, he learned his lesson this time around. Thus the pandering to the right. There are more examples of the left doing it to the right, than the right doing it to the left. You do not see the republicans treating Pelosi like the dems treated Ginrich do you? The reps did not treat Ginsberg like the left treated Thomas. Clinton was treated poorly... but he did lie under oath... he kinda did give people a reason to kick him in the balls. Bush, the left pissed all over him before 9/11 and Iraq. Now he may deserve it, but he never got a fair shake. No one has attacked Biden (ok, someone has I am sure) as a person (maybe stupid gaffs), Palin? Don't argue that one. I could got on. I do agree that Obama is getting it too. And I said that already. But it is far from even.

No, it was one Youtube video that converted me.  The guy just looks like an ass.  He looks like the kind of guy who would go bitch to Barack about paying his taxes and then go home and beat his wife on his way back from cheating on her.

I hate smug people more than anybody else, and the guy looks smug as hell.

Character assassination is an intentional attempt to influence the portrayal or reputation of a particular person, whether living or a historical personage, in such a way as to cause others to develop an extremely negative, unethical or unappealing perception of him or her. By its nature, it involves deliberate exaggeration or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person

Ok. So Joe the Plumber asks Obama whether his tax plan will effect his attempt to buy his business that makes 250,000 a year. Joe's cause gets taken up by McCain, who cites him almost 20 times at a debate and at a Philadelphia rally shouts "Joe's the Man!" and has the crowd chant his name. 

So when the media check's up on Joe, they discover that he's an unlicensed plumber who owes back taxes and works for a company of 2 people that doesn't even make that much money... and that he votes Republican.

where exactly is the "left wing media" assassinating his character through deliberate exaggeration or manipulation of facts? Do you want them to write stories about how "Joe the Plumber" has become a national figure after the debates, but then go out of their way to keep Joe's circumstances out of the story just so it doesn't seem bad?

I see tokilamockingbrd got to it first, but I have to say this: 

I disagree with him, but COME ON.  He even MENTIONED the Swift boat stuff in his post -- what the hell more do you want?

But since I DO disagree:  the fact that you had to go all the way back to Bork just proves how wrong you are.  Not all Republicans but many have made a fucking ART out of character assassination in the past decade.  If I recall correctly they managed to make a Senator named Max Cleland, a triple amputee Vietnam vet (where he lost the limbs), lose an election by questioning his patriotism!  (2002)

Not all Republicans are participating in this -- until this election I would never have suspected it of John McCain, who called the above campaign "reprehensible". 

We all lived through the late '90s, right?  Clinton may have been fooling around, but MY GOD.  Impeachment?  Seriously.  Ken Starr, need I say more? 

You say that "04 was bad both ways".  What did Democrats do that was even REMOTELY comparable to the crap that got pulled on Kerry?  You may have something truly appalling, I don't pretend I'm an expert here.  The ony attacks I recall were stuff that turned out to be true or worse -- Iraq (runup to, abuse of prisoners in), Guantanamo/etc., warrantless wiretapping etc. (no, wait, that news got DELAYED until after the election!), and so on. 

"Both sides do it, but the right does it way more."  <-- fixed

"Palin? Don't argue that one."

PALIN? The only "attacking" that's been done is Couric asking her what newspaper she reads, and her saying "ALL OF THEM". She attacked herself. Plus Troopergate.

Plumber/Six-Pack '08!

More 527s were democratic in that campaign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/527_group#Top_Twenty_Federally_Focused_and_State-Focused_527_groups.2C_2004_election_cycle

Character Assassanation tactics in American politics existed well before the republican party even existed.  Lincoln being a prominant target of it actually.

To blame the republicans for this stuff alone is silly... as they aren't really any more to blame.  Obama has less attack adds precentage wise.  But more per volume... and a lot that contradict his own polcies.

^ More 527s =/= more despicable campaign. Plus, on the general topic of "left/right character assassination", you have to count talk radio.

Which is why i'd consider it "fair" since there are more conservatives on radio, and more liberals on TV.

Though all and all actually counting 527s and crap as part of "character assassnation" plans of the actual politicians is BS if you ask me since they don't actually have anything to do with the campaigns.

I mean if somebody kills my boss so i can get a promotion, if i don't know the person or had nothing to do with it.  I don't get charged for a crime/blamed for anything.

Where "Swiftboating" came from seemed like a refrence to 527s in general.  Or atleast negative ones.  Which had been around a LONG time.  Just that one vs Kerry was the most successful.  Partially because of the Media being way too "ratings grabbing".

Those adds wouldn't of been shit if the media didn't do big storys like "Is it true!  We haven't done any research yet but hey lets throw it out there!"

it is not charater assination to call Obama a socialist becuase he is, it is not c a to ask about his relationship with Ayres, or White, or Rezco, Acorn.

Do you think that if McCain had help his first campaign fundraiser in the home of an Abortion clinic bomber he would be running for pres?

The c a I was reffering to in relation to Obama was calling him a Muslim Terrorist and things of that nature. McCain has done none of that, but people on the far right have. When I say far right I mean even more than Limbaugh and Hannity. Those two have attacked Obama, but using legimate topics (socialism, associations, and such)