Rules are rules...
Posted on 08/28/2008 1:05:23 PM PDT by ricks_place
Many political campaigns run against the wrong candidate. The opportunity to pick on a vulnerable target is so tempting that they are lured into attacking someone who isn't running.
In 1992, the Republicans unleashed their convention barrage at Hillary Clinton and left Bill unscathed. In 1996, Dole still ran against Clinton the liberal and ignored the changes in his political positioning. Campaigns go after the flaming red cape, so glittering a target, and leave the matador alone.
That's what the Democratic convention has been doing in Denver. They are so anxious to run against Bush, their animosity is so pent up, that they persist in running against a man who is not seeking a third term. In speech after speech, the Democrats knock the Bush record and then add, lamely, that GOP candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is the same as Bush. Or they call the McCain candidacy Bush's third term. It was no accident — or Freudian slip — when vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.) spoke of John Bush instead of George in his litany of attacks.
This pattern of shooting at the decoy, not the duck, gives McCain a bold strategic opportunity. He can nullify the impact of the entire Democratic convention simply by distancing himself from Bush.
The truth is, of course, that McCain is the most unlike Bush of any of the Republican senators. (When Obama's people claim that Bush and McCain voted the same 94 percent of the time, they forget that most of the votes in the Senate are unanimous.) The fact that McCain backs commending a basketball team on its victory doesn't mean that he is in lockstep ideologically with the president.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
I agree with Dick Morris. I head it last night and then when Rush played it again this morning. Bush is done. He’s not runnning and these fools try and paint McCain as a Bush man is a mistake.
Good for Biden.
Stupid advice, Dick. No matter what McCain does, he’s going to be linked to Bush by the democrats. Throwing the president under the bus just validates the democrats’ attacks.
The whole party would be better off if they started standing up for the man, for a change.
The Dems target is “THEMSELVES!!!”
This from Dick Morris?
Well...broken clocks...twice a day...you know.
McLame can put this election away tomorrow by picking a woman conservative, or even better a black woman conservative.
But he won’t and so I will get torqued and call him McStupid again... and then I am going ot have to listen to complaints for the next 3 weeks...
what’s wrong with you people????
Disagree. Have you seen Bush’s approval numbers? He’s actually had a VERY good 2008 politically but it hasn’t done a damn thing for him publicly. He has gone past the point of no return in too many peoples minds.
If McCain throws Bush under the bus he wins by double digits IMO.
He can still win without doing that, but it’ll be much closer.
“The whole party would be better off if they started standing up for the man, for a change.”
You are so right! The republicans have done nothing for 4 years but let the demonrats have at President Bush. Cowards.
Why stand up for a man who won't stand up for himself?
Actually, IF they say they voted the same, they forget that Bush doesn't actually VOTE because he is not IN the Senate.
No kidding. And for most of the examples Morris trotted out where McCain differs from Bush, I supported and still support President Bush’s position.
If you're looking for folks wanting to divide/classify by gender and race, perhaps you should try another forum.
We’ve got a lot of people here who support affirmative action and don’t know it.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If that were the case, Dubya should have never chosen Dick Cheney. I thought then and still do think that was a wonderful selection for VP. He chose someone who was prepared to be POTUS if needed.
Right On! BTW I like your tagline.
The RNC needs to point out the economy held strong under President Bush until the democrats took over congress. Every congressional race has got to be the republican candidate vs Pelosi. The Bush administration has done quite well on th eeconomy but totally failed to communicate that. Every piece of good economic news was always reported with an exagerration of the bad. E.G. under Clinton “unmeployment is 5.1” under Bush “for the second straight quarter there has been no improvement in the unemployment numbers as they remain at 5.1”
Amen. I might not agree with some of the issues with President Bush, but my respect never waned. I've often asked liberals, just what are you going to do when he's off on his ranch in Texas? Who will you parody? How will you survive knowing that you can no longer excuse your own failings with the "Bush's fault" rhetoric?
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