Is it true that in 2000 election, W claimd McCain's adopted child was really McCain's black illegitimate child

Question

thereby playing the race card in the critical South Carolina primary. This was the race that broke McCain's momentum and thereby secured the nomination for Bush. I read that Bush smeared McCain this way, but it is hard to believe that such an educated, refined, and holy man as Bush could stoop this low.

Answer 1

Yes, in an offhand way. Bush's campaigners did something that is called "Push Polling". They would call a voter, saying this was just a political "Poll", then they would ask a question like "If you knew that John McCain had an illegitimate black child would you be more or less likely to vote for him?" although they never "actually" said he did, this would plant a seed of doubt in the voters head about John McCain, and it worked. A rather low tactic if you ask me.

Answer 2

Having run Senator John McCain's campaign for president, I can recount a textbook example of a smear made against McCain in South Carolina during the 2000 presidential primary. We had just swept into the state from New Hampshire, where we had racked up a shocking, 19-point win over the heavily favored George W. Bush. What followed was a primary campaign that would make history for its negativity.

In South Carolina, Bush Republicans were facing an opponent who was popular for his straight talk and Vietnam war record. They knew that if McCain won in South Carolina, he would likely win the nomination. With few substantive differences between Bush and McCain, the campaign was bound to turn personal. The situation was ripe for a smear.

It didn't take much research to turn up a seemingly innocuous fact about the McCains: John and his wife, Cindy, have an adopted daughter named Bridget. Cindy found Bridget at Mother Theresa's orphanage in Bangladesh, brought her to the United States for medical treatment, and the family ultimately adopted her. Bridget has dark skin.

Anonymous opponents used "push polling" to suggest that McCain's Bangladeshi born daughter was his own, illegitimate black child. In push polling, a voter gets a call, ostensibly from a polling company, asking which candidate the voter supports. In this case, if the "pollster" determined that the person was a McCain supporter, he made statements designed to create doubt about the senator.Thus, the "pollsters" asked McCain supporters if they would be more or less likely to vote for McCain if they knew he had fathered an illegitimate child who was black. In the conservative, race-conscious South, that's not a minor charge. We had no idea who made the phone calls, who paid for them, or how many calls were made. Effective and anonymous: the perfect smear campaign.

Some aspects of this smear were hardly so subtle. Bob Jones University professor Richard Hand sent an e-mail to "fellow South Carolinians" stating that McCain had "chosen to sire children without marriage." It didn't take long for mainstream media to carry the charge. CNN interviewed Hand and put him on the spot: "Professor, you say that this man had children out of wedlock. He did not have children out of wedlock." Hand replied, "Wait a minute, that's a universal negative. Can you prove that there aren't any?"

Answer 3

All the Bush machine did with the helpful buffer of Karl Rove did the usual slime tactics in South Carolina during the primaries in 2000. This was to appear above the fray as if he had absolutely no knowledge of what was being done. Butter could not melt in his mouth. Stinking hypocrite and he loves to call himself a Christian

Answer 4

Yes. Callers from an "anonymous" group called registered Republicans to say MCCain's adopted Bangledeshi daughter was black and from from an extra-marital affair, and his wife was bravely helping raise her. A typical "Rovian" tactic.

And McCain still gets on his knees for Dubya!

Answer 5

Well Bush didnt stoop that low, the Rove attack machine did.

Answer 6

He puts his faith in his lord, Karl Rove.

Bush is so despicable it isn't funny.

Answer 7

This is the 1st time I have heard this claim. Do you have anything to support it? Of course not.