How McCain Could Win

American Thinker ^ | July 10, 2008 | Richard Baehr

[Kaslin]

Yesterday, I laid out the very favorable environment for any Democrat running for President this year. I noted that the current Obama lead of 4-5% is very modest, given the structural advantages any Democrat would have in this year's race.

But there is another way to look at the race: namely that absent some of the unique structural or environmental advantages that exist for Democrats this year, John McCain should be running away from Barack Obama.

While this may sound irrational to some, I believe the key to a McCain victory is to focus his campaign and the voting public on the two candidates themselves -- their life stories, their experiences and accomplishments, their visions for the country, and their characters. If the election is decided on these factors, McCain should win.

The Obama campaign has a simple message: you hate (or really, really don't like) the job George Bush is doing. John McCain will run things just like George Bush, and I (Obama) offer a very different and exciting change in approach. The corollaries to the Obama message are a not very subtle pitch that the voter can demonstrate his or her decency and lack of bias by voting for the first African American presidential candidate, and by the way, John McCain is too old.

McCain needs to make the case that he is a far "safer" choice to be the next occupant in the White House. This case should be not that difficult to make. In essence, who is the "untested" candidate, and who is the "riskier" choice? These are specific words, as Frank Luntz might say, that matter.

Secondarily, there are particular choices for the Vice Presidential pick who could add some energy and excitement to the McCain campaign. The Obama-McCain contest has not been a fair fight in the charisma derby. Barack Obama is very good at reading a prepared speech from a teleprompter (John McCain is really bad at this), and Obama has been wowing the media and live audiences reading prepared texts. He has frequently stumbled with off the cuff remarks, which is why his campaign pays such attention to details regarding the setting for events, and on prepared remarks.

While it is likely that McCain will be outspent, and out organized, he should have enough money to get a message across, if it is focused and he stays on script. By accepting federal campaign funding, McCain will also not have to fundraise during the fall campaign, while Obama will likely waste days if not weeks doing this. It is also the case that fund raising events tend to be very partisan, requiring a candidate to pander to activists. In a general election campaign, when a candidate is trying to move to the center to appear moderate and acceptable to more than the party's base voters (an approach Obama has clearly undertaken of late), a shriller pitch to the base can lead to problems, as it did for Obama in San Francisco a few months back.

[Kaslin]

To read the entire editorial click on the link

[XR7]

Yes.
Who is John McCain?
Voters wanna know.

[Always Right]

McCain can win this election by making it about energy, energy, and energy.

[11th Commandment]

Ann Coulter had the best strategy: McCain should leave the country and let us do the work.

[ken21]

it’s a good read.

if mccain can’t win,

then there’s something really wrong with him!

[Puppage]

The Obama campaign has a simple message: you hate

That's all the rats EVER espouse. They have no solutions, unless you count tax, tax, tax.

[jmaroneps37]

Golly gosh buddie do ya really think McCain has a chance? barack mcgoven has trouble with A)Jews B) White men C) women D) Hispanics.
Neither algore nor frenchie had trouble with Jews or women or Hispanics ( democrats ALWAYS have trouble with White men) and both of them lost. Yes I'd say McCain might win.
Even with barack mcgovern’s phony lead coming from “adults” or the new category “Americans” he only leads by a few points and not outside any genuine margin. By comparison peanuts carter led by 33 points at this point in 1980.
Yeah McCain has a chance alright.

[Kaslin]

Good point

[Jeff Head]

Drill here, drill now...oil shales, ANWR, Gulf coast, and Pacific coast.

Fix and rigourously enforce our borders, particularly the southern one. 'nuff said.

Keep after the Islamic Jihadists and give Ahmadinejihad his come upance with either a Hellfire, or the Tomohawk.

Make the Bush tax cuts permanent and expand them.

Hold the line on and push ballistic missile defense.

McCain can win this going away if he takes firm stances on these issues and takes the fight hard to Obama...who, despite his sham and shuck and jive moves of late, is a militant anti-American and an abject marxist.

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA - CHANGE YOU CAN COUNT ON, BUT DON'T WANT

[AliVeritas]

Op news:
Obama fundraiser host emphasizes:
No Money For Hillary

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Obama_fundraiser_host_emphasizes_No_Money_For_Hillary.html

[Kaslin]

Come on let your hatred of McCain go. He was not my first, second and even third choice, but he is far better then Obama

[null and void]

Come on let your hatred of McCain go. He was not my first, second and even third choice, but he is far better then Obama

Come to the Dark Side...

[angkor]

>>>>>if mccain can’t win, then there’s something really wrong with him!

Lots of folks around here call him McQueeg and McCrazy and McInsane.

I hope your syllogism doesn’t work both ways.

[Need4Truth]

Who is Cindy McClain? Voters will want to know, especially when they start reading some of her bio...

[Non-Sequitur]

In essence, who is the "untested" candidate, and who is the "riskier" choice?

Didn't work for the Democrats in 2000.

McCain will win if he can keep the number of his blunders below Obama's. He will win if he can take Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania away from the Democrats. There are any number of ways McCain can win. Doesn't mean he will.

[cla62]

One of the problems McCain and all other republicans have is that one of the rats main tools to lure voters is the free cheese. They’re giving more and more out, and the poor, especially illegals and lazy @@@@@ love it. Now the working hispanics like republicans. But the free cheese eating poor ones, have to vote rat just so they can get free health, free food, and everything else free. It’s turning into a country of entitlements and the Rats will soon bleed the middle class dry, and we all know what comes after that. Yes the S word!! God help us all. Please vote Republican for your childrens sakes!!

[null and void]

I know how McCain can sew up the election:

He needs a female VP pick who will appeal to people who don’t like Obama.

He needs a female VP pick who will both pander to the left, and make him look conservative.

He needs a female VP pick who will reach across party lines.

He needs Hillary!™...

[Disturbin]

In order for McCain to try to win, he has to try running first.

[Kitanis]

“Come on let your hatred of McCain go. He was not my first, second and even third choice, but he is far better then Obama”

Your right of course as he is better than Obama ever will be. But John McCain is trying to play both sides of the fence..

In this day and age.. most of the Conservatives are not forgiving of that.

[fightinJAG]

While this may sound irrational to some, I believe the key to a McCain victory is to focus his campaign and the voting public on the two candidates themselves -- their life stories, their experiences and accomplishments, their visions for the country, and their characters. If the election is decided on these factors, McCain should win.

It's a FOW v. a POW. End of story.

P.S. FOW = Friend of Weathermen