There is a world of difference.
*Bush v. Kerry: There were two candidates of roughly the same age, neither with significant oratorical skills. There were important, even glaring policy differences between the two. Bush had a fantastic "ground game" and grass-roots organization, an energized base, and a high approval rating from Republicans.
*Reagan v. Carter: There was an age difference, made up for by Reagan's high name recognition, much superior communication skills, and high dissatisfaction with Carter. The ground game was close to equal, but there were significant differences in policies, and Carter suffered from, well, his own policies.
*McCain v. Obama: There is a significant age difference, and for the first time since RFK, you have a candidate of "the younger generation." Whether this results in the constantly harped-on "turnout of younger voters" remains to be seen---but cannot be ruled out. Despite his penchant for flubs and gaffes, Obama has developed a reputation for stirring speeches and 15-second sound bites, while McCain looks like he's a veterinarian trying to explain kidney stones in Schnauzers. In a television age, this difference is profound. On issues, there is little difference. True, McCain has gone out of his way to distance himself from Obama on energy---but this is too little, too late. Reputations are made over a lifetime, not a few convenient campaign speeches.
In short, Obama is being touted as the "messiah" without anyone reading---or if they have read, caring about---his actual policies. He has a "young" image of "new ideas" and says nothing very well.
I think McCain could easily be in for a Dem landslide.
You are right that McCain is a weak candidate. But once everything about Obama is revealed to the public, he will be unelectable. It would be surprising if he carries more than a few states.
If you expect a lib rag paper to create or announce any kind of ‘descent’ about Osama bin Obama and his b!tch Michelle, I hold you're not holding your breathe. The lib toilet papers will never talk bad about their ‘boy’. Of course their polls will never show McCain or any other Republican in the lead. Like the Nazi's did almost 70 years ago, tell a lie enough times and people will believe it, or something to the sort. As much as I hate to see a rhino, McCain, become president, at least we know the damage he will he do to the country. As far as Obama, he won't be leading us, Soros and other DMC leaders will be making the rules for us.
I think "our side" is easily in for a landslide despite the flawed candidate that was forced down our throats. The stumble-bum PC wimps running today's Stupid Party just happen to be in the right place at the right time.
We could have run a porcupine this year.
More:
“...By this means, Obama can be cornered. He does not like being cornered. As the last few months make clear, he does not take it well.
Corner him enough times, and his facade will crack, his image as a genial Starbucks and Whole Foods lefty will lie in tatters, and his adherence to the cold and crazed doctrines of the core left will be exposed for what it is. ..”
June 24, 2008
The Obama Left By J.R. Dunn
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/06/the_obama_left.html
“There is a significant age difference, and for the first time since RFK, you have a candidate of “the younger generation.”
Wasn’t Clinton the second youngest president ever elected, and younger than Obama? And, he was the candidate of the younger generation to a significant degree.
“In short, Obama is being touted as the “messiah” without anyone reading-—or if they have read, caring about-—his actual policies,”
That’s true, and I think the messiah followers will eventually be limited to the very young voters, hard core leftists, guilt ridden whites, and black voters. He’s looked very unimpressive often lately, and I expect that will continue as he must bring something to the general campaign other than his cotton candy, hope and change, change and hope mantra.
“I think McCain could easily be in for a Dem landslide. “
McCain has many faults and I can scarcely stand to watch him speak, but Obama has so many faults also that are becoming more apparent. I think these are the two worst candidates probably ever, and the big landslide could go in either direction depending on who screws up the most, or simply becomes the poorest campaigner from here until November.
To the undereducated and selfish in this country (a majority, by the way) he is CHANGE. The fact that it is just for 'Change's Sake' doesn't matter. They see change as meaning they get an even bigger slice of the pie and nasty ole whitey businessman (aka, the MAN), gets screwed like he should.
Couple this with the fact that the GOP has seemed to acquiesce and let the MSM and the NYT nominate our current candicate, you have one big GOP disaster in the making.
McCain will lose this election on a scale equivalent to the historic landslide that Reagan won.
LS, you are right that polls havent moved. But polls lag.
The leading question is:
- What is the election about? What is the decision here?
Obama wants a referendum on Bush and on Iraq. “No 3rd term for Bush”. If th election is a Bush referendum, Obama wins.
But it leaves a big and huge glaring gaping hole: What about ... OBAMA.
No a single “hope” and ‘change’ voter can honestly tout Obama’s experience - he has none. They reach when justifying his friends and associations, his history of leftwing activism, his bad judgement. And the capaign that makes him out to be centrist, that’s just a rerun of Carter ‘76, its vague BS, and the trick there is getting Obama nailed down enough to go “Aha! He’s just a liberal reselling the same-old same-old”.
And now we see his flipflips emerge and his broken promises. Obama is a real, flesh and blood politician. Get him off that pedestal and suddnely he is less appealing. Get him into specifics and he’s got a lousy agenda that is wrong where McCain is right - energy/drilling, taxes, judges, Iraq, GWOT, etc.
Obama is leftwing, McCain is centrist.
He is inexperienced, McCain has grappled with serious issues for years.
He has no leadership record, McCain has worked and accomplished things.
If the election is about Obama and he question “Who is best fit to lead the country?” .... Obama loses.
In many respects, this is an EASIER election for us, were it not for the toxic weak economy and high ‘off-track’ numbers.
The difference is leadership, which Obama overcomes much with rhetoric, but watch in debates if he can keep it up. He’s not great off teleprompter because he’s really a leftist and its hard to not slip into leftwing rhetoric (viz his “clinging to God” statement in SanFran).
This is still uphill battle for McCain and he must do things to win, but the raw material for a McCain win is there, he has to use it:
- positive reform message
- go after Obama hammer and tong
- make it a referendum on leadership and accomplishments and the future, not the past (ie Bush)
McCain needs to say: “Leadership is making change happen”
and talk about his record of reform vs Obama’s empty suit.
see also this on how he can change the game:
http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-republican-candidates-need-to-do.html
http://no-bama.blogspot.com/ - NObama, stop the Hype and Chains candidate
We have to make the high gas prices and that the demoCrats refusal to take the ban on drilling off our main subject