Posted on 07/10/2008 7:00:16 AM PDT by 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.
Jeff you are a bad ass ;-)))
He could try being a conservative... and stop pandering the the left and the greenies.
In other words, if you insist on minimal standards, you can’t have them?
BINGO! See my tagline
The key to victory to attack Obama as the deranged European-Style Socialist/Unqualified/Empty Suit/Racist/Former Crack Head/anti-Patriot that he is.
McLame will not do this. In fact no Republican candidate ever calls out his rat opponent for the scum they are.
There should be posters of Obama with Mugabe and Darth Vader.
Only through exposing the truth to the simple-minded/media blinded sheeple will we ever achieve a total and final victory over the left wing.
Thus must begin with right-minded media sources that reach the masses.
Some conservative billionaires need to get off their ass and start a cable news network, and a national newspaper. They must have infotainment value and appear to the working class.
BINGO!!!!
John McLains wife from the terrorist movie.
Drink your Kool-Aid and shutup! slap.... You might need to put some ice on that.
He has supporters?
I don't know of any. All he really has is people who will vote against his opponent.
Do you know anyone who is voting for McCain?
The sad thing his McCain will think that every vote he gets means that the voter has WILD ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT FOR everything he stands for - ankle grabbing "bipartisanship", higher taxes, no freedom of political speech right before elections, unfettered immigration, OPEC driven energy policies, McCain(Kennedy) healthcare, etc...
We can vote against an initiative or proposition. Occasionally they will even let us vote against a local judge.
But we can never vote against a politician.
We can only vote for an opponent, and that is NOT the same thing, is it?
How could McCain win?
a) Get a brain transplant?
b) Drop out in favor of a better candidate?
I agree that his recent, almost accidental, flip flop on energy—from global warming, carbon credits, and ethanol to drilling and building nuke plants—is a winner, but I don’t think it’s enough. He’s still got too much baggage to survive the press assault that is looming.
Nothing wrong with keeping the hatred - hell, probably a healthy thing. EXCEPT when it’s so moronically overwhelming that it keeps someone from doing the obvious right thing...
MORE STRAIGHT TALK: "I am for extending the tax cuts that I opposed, and that I worked with democrats to put THE time limit on, and I will extend those tax cuts as president even with a democratic supermajority”
*tosses MrPiper to my imaginary looney bin*
You seem to know a lot of imaginary places.
No place like home, I suppose...
Okay, the argument in the comments section for Sarah Palin for VP won me over. Besides, I did a search on her and her children are named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig. She’s gotta have personality.
Define your minimum standards...
1. Strong on defense - John McCain
2. Energy independence - John McCain
3. Pro life - John McCain
4. Budget hawk - John McCain
5. Pro border control - John McCain
6. Low taxes - John McCain
What other standards are you looking for?
Palin would be a brilliant choice for VP!
He does not bring to mind the words intelligent, likable, good self-control, full of energy, inspirational, a born leader...
...all completely true, and demonstrably so...and yet, somehow, I’ll pull the lever for him...my major problem with him is his age, as he certainly will not be running again should he win now, which poses uncertainty in the near future...
Lots of folks around here call him McQueeg and McCrazy and McInsane.
I prefer to call him Juan McAmnesty.
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