From the Washington Post comes a look at one of the problems plaguing the McCain campaign: the message problem. By this point in the campaign you'd think that the focus would be on getting the candidate's message out, not defining the candidate and the message; but according to the Post story you'd be wrong:
Allies complain that the campaign has offered myriad confusing themes that lurch between pitching McCain as a committed conservative one day and an independent-minded reformer the next, while displaying little of the discipline and focus that characterized President Bush's successful campaigns.Several Republican supporters of the presumptive nominee said they were puzzled by a series of easily avoidable mistakes, including sloppy political stagecraft and poorly timed comments that undercut McCain's reputation as a maverick.
The grumbling intensified last week when McCain launched a television commercial declaring that he had "stood up" to Bush on global warming, on the same day he traveled to Houston to call for lifting the federal ban on offshore drilling.
Critics said the ad's message about the differences between McCain and Bush was lost when Bush endorsed the same coastal drilling proposal the next day.
"I'm baffled that the McCain guys have somehow managed to take a guy who practically had 'reform' tattooed to his forehead and turned him into the bastion of the status quo," said one Republican strategist, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Some of the conservatives I know insist that the reason to vote for McCain is "the courts," meaning, of course, the Supreme Court and the likelihood that several justices will be retiring in the very near future. But McCain hasn't made the notion that he will back strict-constructionist justices a noticeable part of the campaign; and if this Robert Novak op-ed from some time ago is correct, conservatives may want to stop banking on McCain's likely court appointees:
I found what McCain could not remember: a private, informal chat with conservative Republican lawyers shortly after he announced his candidacy in April 2007. I talked to two lawyers who were present whom I have known for years and who have never misled me. One is neutral in the presidential race, and the other recently endorsed Mitt Romney. Both said they were not Fund's source, and neither knew I was talking to the other. They gave me nearly identical accounts, as follows:"Wouldn't it be great if you get a chance to name somebody like Roberts and Alito?" one lawyer commented. McCain replied, "Well, certainly Roberts." Jaws were described as dropping. My sources cannot remember exactly what McCain said next, but their recollection is that he described Alito as too conservative.
So without a clear message as to what McCain stands for and what he hopes to accomplish, and with little confidence that his SCOTUS appointees will be anything but a succession of Harriet Miers-esque candidates, tell me again why I should be voting for McCain?
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
"This will not be over quickly, and you will not enjoy it."
~Queen Gorgo
"Here it comes."
~James Kirk
"Oh you did it, now your going to get it."
~Shortridge High School Cheerleaders, 1969
"That's it. Game over man."
~Pvt. Hudson
"As long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it."
~Clayton Williams
Yeah, I'm sure that Widget Corp, in order to get around the law, has written thousands of $199 checks to Obama.
There's only one other problem with that. Can it happen? Certainly. However..
1. They'd have to think Obama is going to do something for them that's worth that much effort. That'd mean, despite all the hand wringing and angst and prophecies of doom from Wall Street, you secretly think Obama is just as much pro-big business as any Republican candidate.
2. Corps donate money to gain influence. Even with candidates they think have a natural affinity for policies that benefit them. They may not want the electorate to know who they are paying, but they want the one being PAID to know. So, how does Widget Corp let Obama know which of the millions of under 200 checks come from them, as opposed to from individual voters, so he knows that their tally is, say, 10000 (which would be 50 checks, after all) or above..? (You're surely not proposing ALL of them are.. this IS the Democratic candidate, after all, and even McCain is likely getting SOME money from individuals...)
Suggested for publication in the Onion:
(AP) Washington -- In a surprise move that analysts predict will have a major impact on product advertising, Senator John McCain's campaign today announced that his campaign will no longer attempt to "craft the message." "From now on," campaign spokespersons said to press members on the understanding that they must remain anonymous, "we will let Sen. McCain do all of his own talking, making up his statements in advance or on the spot as he sees fit."
Analysts speculate that while campaign workers' motivation for this shift is based on their not being paid enough or at all for their research and background checking work, they are attempting to put a positive spin on what they expect will be daily gaffs and mistakes of fact.
"Candidates should be permitted to speak from their hearts," one spokesperson said. "The people have a right to see and hear the candidate in the most natural setting. After all, when was the last time you went to a party and found that people had anticipated the topics of conversation and had prepared themselves with that in mind?"
Staff members of the Obama campaign expressed some amusement. "Sen. Obama has been doing that since day one," one quipped. "We find it rather funny that Sen. McCain feels the need to cover up his lack of general knowledge on certain topics."
There is a lot of talk and angst about McCain and the Judges he might put up.
I think he has a good record. The real question is and should be if McCain puts up a Conservative judge like ALito or ROberts shallwe Conservatives go to the mat to him and raise hell to get them confirmed
Or we he can not get them through shall we be like everyone else and just blame McCain and wash our hands of it and talk about how we are true conservatives.
LOL, Franklin!
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.