Say what you will about Republicans making a muddle of governing, but they sure know how to campaign. The turn of events that John McCain and his team have engineered in recent weeks is one of the most significant events of the campaign and now poses a serious threat of an upset this fall.
In just a few short weeks, they have not only thrown Barack Obama on the defensive and made him seem smaller but they have also made McCain seem larger and more commanding. And it has not just been one event but a string of them that they have tied together to propel McCain upward — from the ads (which most of us in the media didn’t like) to the way McCain seized upon the drilling and Russian issues to his winsome performance at Saddleback. The capacity to create issues and momentum practically out of the ether is the sign of a strong campaign. Both McCain and his team are impressing voters.
First David, for the record, the republicans still don't know how to campaign and/or govern. McCain shouldn't take Obama's downturn as a sign that he's doing something right. The GOP had a big ole softball handed to them this summer in the form of high gas prices. McCain still has a lot of conservative wounds to salve.
If he thinks that he can nominate someone like Joe Lieberman as his VP he can watch this poll improvements reverse like a Nastia Liukin pirouette.
These high gas prices just got people's attention. When Obama's response was to these high gas prices was to institute tax increases on oil companies, people understood that he was yet just another garden variety Jimma Carter liberal.
This race will always be about Obama. If the American public sees him as a true leader, he'll be our next president. If not, John McCain will reside at 1600.
Second, historically, liberals are like the trashy girl down the street. It's a nice flirtation to have when no one's looking but when prom time comes you go with old reliable.
Just look at the historical record. Liberals always start the race like the hare and republicans are more the tortoise. The electorate doesn't pay attention in July so liberals do well. The closer it comes to election day, the more people look at our cities and states and say, I don't think I want our country to look like Detroit.
Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Democrats keep wanting to believe that it's always their messenger that fails. It's actually the message. Obama will be no different. That's the message the McCain camp need to hammer.
4 comments:
I would say that things are a little less accidental than you make out, but not by much. Even the media seem to be getting a little tired of Obama with his self presumption and arrogance. McCain has dealt a few blows, mainly due to circumstance such as high gas prices, but Obama has been slipping up as usual and the media can only ignore so much. McCain should be out there every day asking for one on one town hall debates and suggesting Obama can't hold his own (which he obviously can't since he turns into a stuttering Johnny).
I'm predicting that the next month or so will be all about the next cold war with Russia and I don't think Obama will come off well suggesting we just go talk to the Russians. Americans have a weird obsession with the Ruskies.
I'm still leaving the door open for Hillary taking the nomination though.
Andy
Good point
Steve Schmidt, Goldfarb, & Rogers, team McCain is actually doing some good work bringing the arugula loving Messiah down to size.
When I read last week about a possible Obama-Kerry ticket, I about had an orgasm.
Can you imagine.... "The Arugula Brothers".
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