Posted on 10/03/2008 8:24:16 PM PDT by markomalley
First, knock it off with the "corporations are evil" bit. Stop it. Just stop it. That stuff is for Progressives and Populists like Bill O'Reilly. I don't know if you really believe it, or if you think it plays up to the middle, but it's not helping the situation. Wall Street could not - would not - have done what it did if Congress had not first pursued bad policies and ideas that made the problem possible, then made it promising. Knock it off with the bipartisan foolishness. Congress is the prime mover here. It created this mess. The Media has been lying to you all these years. They don't care about you, and they only care about bipartisanship when it gives Progressives cover for stupid policies. Nobody cares. You care, maybe. But absolutely nobody else. Moreover, your base - which you desperately need - is not amenable to hearing you trash Capitalism. Not at all. If I wanted to hear a bunch of Mini-Me Communists rant about the evils of corporations, I'd go back to being a Progressive and I'd sign up for one of Bill Ayer's classes. Too many of us left that swamp too long ago for us to want to wade through an acre of the decaying filth of discredited ideas to come vote for you on the other side. So quit it. ++ Now, I just read this article from U.S. News. If this is the case, and you're doing it because it's what your strategy team advises, keep them on board, hire new people and listen to the new ones. Because your old ones are wrong. If this is your idea and it's why James Pethokoukis says it is, get a coach to fix it. Because you are going to lose. The article states that Every single one of these ideas is a mistake, and wrong to boot. Let's start from the top. The people will be informed one way or the other. They can be lied to - which is the intention of your opponent and his Mainstream Media arm - or they can be told the truth. But you're going to have to do it. The truth does not win out unless you make it win out. So, here it is; internalize it: THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM IN 5 EASY STEPS That's it. That's the whole story in a nutshell. I wrote that in 3 minutes off the top of my head. You can memorize it in 15. It's the structural framework of everything. Everything else is just a detail. Try it. Find a detail and you can almost always find a place in that structure to hang it on. And you can tell the American public to go online and look it up for themselves. They don't know. They don't even know to look because the Media is concealing it as best it can, and your opponent is flat-out, bald-faced lying about it. And I don't use the word "lie" lightly. Lesson: the problem wasn't deregulation, it was the wrong kind of regulation. The Democrats in their role of Philosopher Kings - built this golem. They nurtured it and coddled it and now that it's gone loose all over the countryside, they want to blame it on the rest of us. No. Do not let them do this or you will lose. And you will deserve to lose.
You want a military analogy? Here: Island-hop. Don't fight battles you can't win. Go right around them and starve them for resources. The simple fact: this is not about race, it's about fooling the poor into over-extending themselves, then taking pay-offs in Congress in political support and actual currency to keep the whole putrid affair running. Congress let them down, and it doesn't help anyone to pretend otherwise. If Obama wants to call this a race issue, call him on making it one - loudly and clearly, so that everyone else can hear it - and get back to the fact that it hurts poor people of every stripe: Caucasians, Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Women... Everyone. YOU THINK IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT TAXES, ENERGY AND HEALTHCARE No. It's not. Because if the economy goes south, the rest of this doesn't matter. If we let a Democrat control the White House and the Democrats control Congress, America will be on a spending Bacchanalia the likes of which it has never seen. The institutional problems at the heart of our economic unrest will not be fixed and this will happen again, likely as not when the bill for Social Security comes due, another foolish Progressive pyramid scheme nobody has the guts to face.
Now, if you think the economic crisis is hard to explain, then you haven't looked at the tax code lately. Moreover, if Obama and you go back and forth on his, nobody will know the difference. Nobody knows all the differences. Taxing, tariffs and the economic effects of bad legislation are such byzantine issues you cannot inform anyone of anything. They think the only taxes are income and corporate taxes. They don't realize that shifting interest rates and costs from one group of people to another or increasing inflation are also taxes. And you aren't going to educate them. Here are your talking points on taxes. "As a rule, the Republican party has always been for reduced taxes and reduced spending. We lost our way under Bush. But the thing to remember is that this is the Democrat's way. They love to take money out of people's purses and spend it. It's what they do. Traditionally, they were tax-and-spend. Even if you can believe that net balance of all taxes under Obama will fall - not just income taxes as he is trying to lead you to believe, but the net balance of all your taxes - Democrats will only have changed to less-tax-and-more-spend. Their complaints about Bush are that we are in a deficit. They have no complaints about the taxing or spending other than that we're not doing enough of it. That's not the Change America has been Hoping for or needs." That's it. That's all you need to say about taxes. If you want to provide details, send them to the website or give up a detail. Stick to the narrative and move on to more important problems. ++ Here are your talking points on energy. "Let's face it. Like all Progressives, Barack Obama has an ideological dislike for the Petroleum Industry. (Did you get that? Petroleum Industry. NOT oil.) He even said once that he has no problem with the kind of high gas prices that disproportionately hurt the poor and working Americans. He'd rather have China, Russia and other less-than-ideal partners supply us with oil than have America produce more. And that's dangerous. I, John McCain, am all for alternative energies, and my plan supports them. All of them. Oil, gas, coal, hydroelectric, solar, wind, tide, nuclear. But unlike my opponent, I want to make sure that we don't crowd out new technologies. Government isn't as smart as my opponent thinks he and it is. So we want to make sure that innovations we haven't thought about have room to grow." Learn it. ++ On healthcare. The simple fact is that you cannot out socialize Barack Obama. He's to the left of Congress' only Socialist. So if they zig, you're going to need to zag. You need to differentiate in the public's mind, and counter with a proposition that sells to both their worries and their values. Here are your talking points on healthcare. "The biggest cause of the economic meltdown wasn't the market. It was the government. Now they want to take control of your health. The free market brought us tens of thousands of new drugs that save lives. It brought us the MRI. It brought so many innovations that the rest of the world - including Europe and Canada relies on us to do most of it's R + D. Right now people from Canada and Europe flock to America for treatments. Socializing healthcare - which is what the Democrats and Mr. Obama want - will ensure that the system stagnates. Again, the problems we have aren't from deregulation. They're from bad regulation. You all know that government rarely solves one problem without creating at least one new one. Our problems are mostly financial. Our solutions should deal with finding smart market solutions to rising costs for Americans today, while keeping innovation alive in America so that our children don't just have healthcare, they have better healthcare than we could have imagined at lower cost. That's what America does. And that's why the world depends on us to make healthcare and healthcare innovations available to it." Attack. Attack, attack, attack. But do us all a favor. Point the gun at them, not us. We're tired of friendly fire, Mr. McCain. We're sick of having our own party shoot us in the foot.
THERE IS A RACIAL COMPONENT TO THIS ISSUE
Who cares? There's a racial component to this entire election. And you are not going to fix it, change it or alter it. It's there and you can do nothing about it. Nothing. You lost that hill the moment the Democrats went from Hillary to Hopey-Changiness. Go right around it. Americans are already being called racists for not supporting a man who chose race for himself, so there is no tangible evidence you will lose anything by telling the truth. The people who were already preferring race over substance and the facts already cast their vote months ago. You are not ever going to get them back. Ever.
++
Wrong. The liberalized loans at Fannie/Freddie were done by Bill Clinton and Robert Rubin, not congress.
How A Clinton-Era Rule Rewrite Made Subprime Crisis Inevitable
He does not understand how the business world works and doesn’t really care. He admits economics is his weak area, which is why the Dems are pressing it so hard. They know he won’t say things he doesn’t believe, and since he does not understand conservative economic policies he won’t espouse them.
Look at his positions on taxes. I haven’t heard one thing about simplifying the code. Instead he talks about adding more ‘tax credits’ and ‘tax incentives’. He plans to support the free market by adding more blocks to the 1040.
I came to the United States 25 years ago like many others who came before and after me. We came penniless and still made a good life for ourselves. We came barely speaking English, but never for a minute thought that we needed to change America to suit our taste.
Our idea about America was to come and make it happen — and the basic underlying principle has been personal responsibility. Personal responsibility to respect America and its laws and the opportunities will arise for you.
Whoever has broken the laws, CEO's, congressman, rich or poor, including ACORN needs to face the law.
But most of all Mr. McCain, hope you have seen the ads and the talk of the Democrats that you are old, that you with your health related issues may not survive this election etc.
I know that people who support you hate this talk, but it is time that you take this argument of age and turn it to teach America some valuable life lessons.
Tell them that you might be gone but rest of the America will suffer greatly for a long time if we so not confront the challenges in logical ways. Give them the STRAIGHT TALK that they can remember forever and pass it along to future generations. Talking about RACE is one of the top issue Mr. McCain.
Please tell America, for social peace in this country, English is the nations language and religion is founding father's religion. And the country is for citizens who love and respect it in all legal ways.
You can fight for America.
Believe me, I have no doubt that he is NOT unaware of many/all of these well-deserved points. That is the sad part.
McCain really wants to be so much the 'anti-politician' that he becomes so 'politically tone-deaf' (campaign finance, immigration) that he actually comes full-circle and winds up being what he doesn't want to be.
He's trying to campaign for president as if he were trying to get a senate bill passed (talking 'bipartisanship' while the other side is trying to cut his skull in two).
The problem with having been a "Maverick" in the Senate and trying to be one on the Presidential trail, is that he could count on Democrats supporting his "Maverickness" in the Senate. Something not quite the same on the campaign trail.
That's bull$hit - Standing up for your principles is what's hard. Compromising them to be "bipartisan" is easy and spineless, and only benefits the other side.
If anyone else suggests a timeline for withdrawal, the correct response is: I never think it's a good idea to let the enemy know exactly when you intend to give up. (courtesy Christopher Hitchens)
Please senator McCain, stop treating the opposition like they are as gentile as yourself and Cindy. They are pond scum and you must respond accordingly.
I hope McCain surprises me very soon but I’m thinking his handlers are plants from team 0bama.
This is so frustrating.
McCain, between reaching out to the other side, praising Democrats and his abysmal communications people will never hear a word of this excellent advice. And even if they did they’d attack it or ignore it.
McCain says he’s for the average American, and I believe he believes this. But he, like almost all national politicians, it TOTALLY out of touch with average Americans.
I’d wager cash that neither he nor anyone on his staff has ever heard of FreeRpublic.com.
Average, responsible, tax paying Americans are invisible today. The only people that matter are minorities, environmentalists and lobbyists and PACs that pony up cash in Washington. If you don’t belong to one of those groups you are only useful as a money source.
Quit being a wuss and a lemming, Sen. McCain. By supporting this abomination of a bail-out you have broken faith with those of us who supported you. This went past "crap sandwich" to "socialistic six course crap meal." You voted for this without any real hearings. You let Paulson ram this down our throats. You left us exposed to foreign investors who want a bail out. Didn't plug that loophole, did you? Look how Wall Street reacted. Sir, you let down the American people and you owe us an apology. Be honest and we will recognize sincere repentance and give you an opportunity to defeat Obama. If you don't stand up for us, you, sir, do not deserve our votes.
I’m a Canadian. But I have a vital stake in the USA because I have family, friends, and business associates south of the border - and I’m a frequent visitor.
So I sent an email to the McCain campaign site and asked them to pass on the information to either Senator McCain or Governor Palin, knowing that it might not get passed on. But what if they received a flood of requests - at least they would sit up and take notice, wouldn’t they?
And what if every Republican candidate or incumbent (House and Senate) received an invitation to read it? Someone would certainly take notice. Someone would also be certain to pass it on up the line, and it would have to be read at some point by McCain and/or Palin. John might even give Sarah permission to run with it — and what a run that would be !!! Or — would some of the House and Senate members decide to use it to get elected/re-elected?
I used to work for our Ontario Ministry of Health, and believe me - when the people started to “blitz” our office with phone calls, or written messages - my bosses went into instant panic mode. One phone call was hardly noticed, but ten were and a hundred were cause to run up the red flags, because they calculated that for everyone who took the time to phone, that represented at least ten others who felt the same way — but for every piece of written correspondence - it was representative of a hundred or more.
I am also actively working for the Conservative Party here in Canada, and believe me, the same principles work. They listen when enough people take the time to send their thoughts along.
But for sure — no one will listen if no one sends their message forward. Talking to each other here won’t get the message to John McCain.
(I guess you could say I’m passionate about the power of the written word, perhaps because I am a writer.)
I am not presuming to tell anyone to do this, - but — what if it worked? You could be instrumental in turning around the vote in favour of McCain-Palin.
Nailed it...now say you will deport all illegals and win by 15%.
This is the best overall set of guidelines I’ve seen so far. A lot of it is getting the major points out there. In a rational discussion, the ‘Rats will lose almost every time. But not if McCain shrinks from bringing the points up in the first place. Then he’s just conceding the field.
Remember when President Bush was going to change the tone in Washington? He had a great history of working with democrats in Texas and he would do the same on the federal level. He invited the Kennedys over for movie night. He let Ted write the education bill.
Oh, the tone changed alright. Senator McCain should know better.
Why, oh why can’t he see the democrats for what they are? They are an anti-american terrorist state and should be dealt with accordingly. We should negotiate with them the same way we negotiated with Germany and Japan in 1945. Offer their leaders a fair trial after their unconditional surrender.
Okay - I tentatively accept your opinion that he knows many/all of the well deserved points, but there is a lot of stuff out there. Who filters all info and decides what is important. How much of their own agenda and program is reflected in their choice? I really wish he would just realize that the election is nearing the point that he has nothing to lose and start kicking ass and naming names - including and starting with politicians in Wasington. IMO he will never be able to “cross the aisle” or even marshall his own troops to push his agenda through even if the both the House and Senate become Republican. Just thoughts and sharing of my frustration. Sarah is trying to help, we’re trying to help, he needs to step up.
I just went to my email program and copied every email address from all the correspondence I've received from the McCain team and emailed them all a copy of this article. Maybe it'll get to someone who can make a difference.
I also sent it to Gary Bauer who is asking for comments which he is going to take directly to John McCain and his campaign when he meets with them shortly. See this thread for info. His email is info@cwfpac.com.
“How do you get it to him?” Bless you. I have tried to send Gary Bauer three emails and received responses back on all that mailbox was full. I’m sure lots have ideas but the best ones have to come from you all.
Excellent article and advice.
But of course McCain won’t take this advice. Not because his handlers are keeping it from him, but because he doesn’t agree with much of it.
In one important respect, McCain and Obama are alike... they both believe in government as the solution to every problem. Of course, small government conservatives know that government is the cause of many. But McCain is a big government conservative who believes that if we just put the right people in charge (eg “smart” people like him) then government will work.
It’s this belief that is at the core of John McCain’s political philosophy, and it’s the reason he has little support from many conservatives, and it’s the reason he will lose - probably quite badly - to Obama next month.
And you know what? Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
The economy is going to be in the gutter for awhile, and as bad as an Obama presidency is going to be, especially with a dem controlled congress, the mess they will make over the next two years just might PO people enough to bring us a small government conservative house in two years. And a small government conservative president in four.
Of course we’ll have trouble unwinding Obama’s mess... but we can take solace in the fact that McCain’s mess would have been nearly as bad anyway.
I didn’t hear that McCAIN fully supported the bailout bill but accepted it like an emergency solution before going forward to the causes with investigation...
Maybe it’s the best 2 times strategy IN THAT ELECTORAL TIMES when people who have been fooled are justifiably anxious for their future...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.