Posted on 10/11/2008 8:04:47 AM PDT by reaganaut1
McCain needs to have Sarah hammer out the Ayers/Acorn issues, but McCain himself needs to come out strong and talk about how he will tackle (or better yet, solve) the economic issues. That is the key thing right now. It is not Ayers, not Acorn, not some young lady Obama allegedly f'd, it is not Odinga (it was hilarious reading some articles where the people writing them had even used the wrong spellings), it is not Hamas/ Chavez/ Castro supporting Obama. All of those things are icing ....but the CAKE is the economy.
If McCain messes up on that, or he gives a poorly delivered version of what Obama is saying (to be honest, for the most part McCain's solutions and Obama's are so close that most voters will not note any real difference), then he will lose. FReepers need to realize that there are core issues, and that there are peripheral issues, and no matter how big the peripheral issues may be (e.g. the Acorn thing is MAJOR ....criminal all the way) that the election will be decided on the core issue (for Bush it was terrorism, this time around it is the economy).
Also people need to remember one name: Bill Clinton! Remember when there was a feeding frenzy about him, when the Lewinsky thing was burning up like a tub of hot tar on his head .....yet his approval ratings AMONG WOMEN went up!
Scandals have a funny way of wiggling left when people expect them to wiggle right! Sometimes they act like we want them to, sometimes they just decide to act the fool. At times they simply play possum ....and in this case that means coming to the fore when Obama is elected. You can be certain that if/when Obama is elected, THEN the media will jump all over the stories of Acorn and the young lass ....but only after the elections. That will be too late.
FReepers need to realize that the things that move VOTERS IN GENERAL are not the same that move FReepers. People honestly do not freaking care! That is harsh, but that is true.
Even in the Republican party that is the same thing! Case in point ....during the race for the Republican nominee, many people here had their pet horses. This guy, or that guy, or that other guy. Well, almost NO ONE had McCain as their choice. Look at the polls on FR back then. McCain was a non-entity ....yet he is NOW the candidate for the Republican party.
That says that we on FR are even at the fringe of our own party. As Conservatives we believe in a number of things (e.g. small government, fiscal responsibility, inalienable rights) that are being eroded not just out of the general consciousness but also from the party that is supposed to represent us. Which should make people think ....will something that will work for FreeRepublic necessarily work for an Independent if it is not even that effective on the average Republican?
Anyways, the ISSUE is the ECONOMY. Everything else is great and sweet, but the issue is the economy. Even if McCain hits every other note, even if he talks about Ayers and Acorn and young black women working in campaigns, even if he puts up posters on Odinga and Kenya (as if people really care about that ....two months ago a FReeper was telling me the entire continent of Africa was beetle dung), even if McCain says that Chavez/Castro like Obama .....even if McCain does all that 24/7, and does NOT delve into the ECONOMY, then he is toast! Dead in the water.
This thing will boil down on the economy, and while it is great to bring Odinga and Ayers into this, the average American will not make his decision on some African prime-minister whose supporters caused some chaos that killed a thousand AFRICANS (makes it even less likely anyone will care ...in the time it took me to write that more children than that just died of Malaria and other preventable diseases in Africa), or because the Democrat party nominee was allegedly running around his wife's back (apparently it is a badge of honor in the Dem party). Sure, it will make Conservatives (even the odd conservative with a small 'c'), and core Republicans fired up ....but it will fizzle and ebb among the general populace.
McCain needs to frame the election around himself, what he can deliver, and his very strong capabilities. He needs to frame it around what he can do to help the nation overcome its economic difficulties. He needs to frame it around his experience and amazing track record. BECAUSE (and forgive me for putting this in all caps), IF HE FRAMES IT AROUND OBAMA AND HOW OBAMA LIKES AFRICAN PRIME-MINISTERS, YOUNG WOMEN, THAT HE NEVER WROTE HIS 'MEMOIRS,' HAS NO BIRTH CERTIFICATE, ETC ETC ETC, THEN MCCAIN WILL LOSE! It is that simple. I am not saying (to reiterate) that Ayers and Acorn and Odinga are non-starters ....what I am saying is that with 3 weeks to the elections, and with the economy at the fore-front, they MAY AS WELL BE non-starters.
McCain needs to frame this around himself and his ability to bring about solutions, and then have Ms Palin be HERSELF (let her lose) as well as having her really hammer Obama on the 'icing' stuff (e.g. Acorn and Ayers). Focus is needed. There are only 3 weeks left. Even the birth-certificate spiel people are bringing up (I see yet another thread on that got locked) is just a mirage ....Obama's people can tie that whole thing up in courts for months, let alone THREE WEEKS! Same thing with Ayers, same thing with Odinga (even if people did care, which they don't outside political circles), same thing with Acorn (big potential time bomb, but can be tied up easily using legalities until the election is over). Those issues need to be hammered out, but FReepers need to realize that McCain will not win because of them. Castro could print Obama's name on all the cigars in Cuba, and the average American would not even care.
The issue is the economy. McCain should focus on that, and then let Sarah lose to be herself (no handlers ...goodness, the lady has been running a state larger than most countries in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!)
It is frustrating to see McCain lose focus, and just as frustrating to see FReepers say how McCain should go and talk about Odinga or about birth certificates when the most that will do is just take time away from McCain that he could be using to expound on the economy. Sarah is there, she is ridiculously competent (her potential is actually greater than McCain's), and she can thump Obama easy.
McCain has only 3 weeks.
McCain needs to have Sarah hammer out the Ayers/Acorn issues, but McCain himself needs to come out strong and talk about how he will tackle (or better yet, solve) the economic issues. That is the key thing right now. It is not Ayers, not Acorn, not some young lady Obama allegedly f'd, it is not Odinga (it was hilarious reading some articles where the people writing them had even used the wrong spellings), it is not Hamas/ Chavez/ Castro supporting Obama. All of those things are icing ....but the CAKE is the economy.
If McCain messes up on that, or he gives a poorly delivered version of what Obama is saying (to be honest, for the most part McCain's solutions and Obama's are so close that most voters will not note any real difference), then he will lose. FReepers need to realize that there are core issues, and that there are peripheral issues, and no matter how big the peripheral issues may be (e.g. the Acorn thing is MAJOR ....criminal all the way) that the election will be decided on the core issue (for Bush it was terrorism, this time around it is the economy).
Also people need to remember one name: Bill Clinton! Remember when there was a feeding frenzy about him, when the Lewinsky thing was burning up like a tub of hot tar on his head .....yet his approval ratings AMONG WOMEN went up!
Scandals have a funny way of wiggling left when people expect them to wiggle right! Sometimes they act like we want them to, sometimes they just decide to act the fool. At times they simply play possum ....and in this case that means coming to the fore when Obama is elected. You can be certain that if/when Obama is elected, THEN the media will jump all over the stories of Acorn and the young lass ....but only after the elections. That will be too late.
FReepers need to realize that the things that move VOTERS IN GENERAL are not the same that move FReepers. People honestly do not freaking care! That is harsh, but that is true.
Even in the Republican party that is the same thing! Case in point ....during the race for the Republican nominee, many people here had their pet horses. This guy, or that guy, or that other guy. Well, almost NO ONE had McCain as their choice. Look at the polls on FR back then. McCain was a non-entity ....yet he is NOW the candidate for the Republican party.
That says that we on FR are even at the fringe of our own party. As Conservatives we believe in a number of things (e.g. small government, fiscal responsibility, inalienable rights) that are being eroded not just out of the general consciousness but also from the party that is supposed to represent us. Which should make people think ....will something that will work for FreeRepublic necessarily work for an Independent if it is not even that effective on the average Republican?
Anyways, the ISSUE is the ECONOMY. Everything else is great and sweet, but the issue is the economy. Even if McCain hits every other note, even if he talks about Ayers and Acorn and young black women working in campaigns, even if he puts up posters on Odinga and Kenya (as if people really care about that ....two months ago a FReeper was telling me the entire continent of Africa was beetle dung), even if McCain says that Chavez/Castro like Obama .....even if McCain does all that 24/7, and does NOT delve into the ECONOMY, then he is toast! Dead in the water.
This thing will boil down on the economy, and while it is great to bring Odinga and Ayers into this, the average American will not make his decision on some African prime-minister whose supporters caused some chaos that killed a thousand AFRICANS (makes it even less likely anyone will care ...in the time it took me to write that more children than that just died of Malaria and other preventable diseases in Africa), or because the Democrat party nominee was allegedly running around his wife's back (apparently it is a badge of honor in the Dem party). Sure, it will make Conservatives (even the odd conservative with a small 'c'), and core Republicans fired up ....but it will fizzle and ebb among the general populace.
McCain needs to frame the election around himself, what he can deliver, and his very strong capabilities. He needs to frame it around what he can do to help the nation overcome its economic difficulties. He needs to frame it around his experience and amazing track record. BECAUSE (and forgive me for putting this in all caps), IF HE FRAMES IT AROUND OBAMA AND HOW OBAMA LIKES AFRICAN PRIME-MINISTERS, YOUNG WOMEN, THAT HE NEVER WROTE HIS 'MEMOIRS,' HAS NO BIRTH CERTIFICATE, ETC ETC ETC, THEN MCCAIN WILL LOSE! It is that simple. I am not saying (to reiterate) that Ayers and Acorn and Odinga are non-starters ....what I am saying is that with 3 weeks to the elections, and with the economy at the fore-front, they MAY AS WELL BE non-starters.
McCain needs to frame this around himself and his ability to bring about solutions, and then have Ms Palin be HERSELF (let her lose) as well as having her really hammer Obama on the 'icing' stuff (e.g. Acorn and Ayers). Focus is needed. There are only 3 weeks left. Even the birth-certificate spiel people are bringing up (I see yet another thread on that got locked) is just a mirage ....Obama's people can tie that whole thing up in courts for months, let alone THREE WEEKS! Same thing with Ayers, same thing with Odinga (even if people did care, which they don't outside political circles), same thing with Acorn (big potential time bomb, but can be tied up easily using legalities until the election is over). Those issues need to be hammered out, but FReepers need to realize that McCain will not win because of them. Castro could print Obama's name on all the cigars in Cuba, and the average American would not even care.
The issue is the economy. McCain should focus on that, and then let Sarah lose to be herself (no handlers ...goodness, the lady has been running a state larger than most countries in the WORLD!!!!!!!!!)
It is frustrating to see McCain lose focus, and just as frustrating to see FReepers say how McCain should go and talk about Odinga or about birth certificates when the most that will do is just take time away from McCain that he could be using to expound on the economy. Sarah is there, she is ridiculously competent (her potential is actually greater than McCain's), and she can thump Obama easy.
McCain has only 3 weeks.
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