GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
In 1993, or perhaps it was 1994, my grandfather used to take some time out of his otherwise uneventful day to drive me to and from high school. On the way home, he would often have the car radio tuned to Rush Limbaugh, with whom my grandfather didn’t always agree but with whom he had more in common culturally than the good folks at National Public Radio. In any case, I still remember his reaction to Rush when the pundit spent several days railing against the Clintons over Whitewater. In his typical fashion — not really caring if I was listening or not — my grandfather said aloud as Rush continued to rant, “So they made a little money. So what? Who cares?”
Over the course of his eight years in office, President Bill Clinton was caught in bed with everyone and everything under the sun, and yet he left the presidency to the sound of thunderous applause. Conservatives did everything they could to tarnish the man personally. They brought up his affairs, his business associates, and his wife. And yet no outrage could be found on the part of the average American.
Similarly, many Americans on the Left still can’t understand where the outrage is over President Bush and his decision to go to war in Iraq. Leftists just can’t understand why Americans aren’t demanding that Bush be tried for war crimes in The Hague. They can’t comprehend why demonstrations and riots and impeachment aren’t the order of the day. After all, this guy got the intel wrong and because of that American troops and Iraqi civilians are dead, say the leftists. Isn’t that worth just a tad of outrage?
This is an example of another one of those disconnects between ideologues and everybody else. Ideologues, by their very nature, have a heightened sense of morality. It just comes with the territory. Some ideologues believe it is simply immoral to confiscate another’s property via taxation. Other ideologues believe it is criminal for any American to go without completely subsidized health care. Still other ideologues believe that the taking of a human life for any reason, from the moment of conception, is an inexcusable act. And so on. You have ideologues that would melt down every gun in America and ideologues who would sacrifice thousands of lives if it meant global democracy. That’s what ideologues do. That defined sense of morality is what makes them ideologues.
But most people aren’t ideologues. Most people have a more complicated view of life and morality. Just turn on daytime TV for evidence of that. Most people think that a little skimming off the top here or an affair when no one’s looking there isn’t the most serious thing in the world. Most people think there is a moral difference between killing in self-defense, killing during war, killing in the womb, and killing someone in a dark alley. If most people didn’t feel that way, those four acts wouldn’t be treated so differently under the law. Most people don’t agree with the ideologues, because most people just don’t think that ideology works in the real world.
All of this is to demonstrate that a “where’s the outrage?!” campaign against Barack Obama will go nowhere fast. Barack Obama can’t be taken down via personal traits or associates. That’s been tried already. Neither Michelle Obama nor Rev. Wright nor anyone else is toxic enough to hurt Obama in the polls for more than a few days. He always bounces back, because Americans don’t elect saints. They elect presidents. Otherwise, Dan Quayle would’ve had a term in office and Jimmy Carter would’ve had two.
If Obama is defeated, it will be because of issues. Americans haven’t elected a leftist president since 1964. They got one in 1976, but only because the leftist Jimmy Carter ran as a centrist that year. And he still only won by a few thousand votes in a few states. Had Jimmy Carter been exposed as a leftist beforehand, Gerald Ford would almost certainly have gotten a full term as president.
Conservatives often lament that Americans don’t seem to be bothered by Obama’s leftism. I submit to you that the problem is one of education. Most Americans don’t start paying attention to position papers until the conventions and the debates. It’s time for Republicans to start making Americans aware of Obama’s leftist positions.
Republicans shouldn’t just attack Obama for being a liberal. It’s been a long time since Americans have had a liberal president. Many have never lived though a liberal Administration. Most Americans probably think Bill Clinton is a liberal. They probably think Breyer and Ginsberg are liberal Justices. They ain’t seen nothin’ yet. They don’t realize what true liberalism is. Republicans need to explain to Americans what Obama’s liberalism actually consists of and why it’s bad for America.
Team McCain needs to sever the connection between mainstream America and Barack Obama by exposing his leftism on the issues. In so doing, McCain will remind Americans why they liked him in 2000: because he’s not only of the mainstream, he is the mainstream. Like Gerald Ford in 1976, John McCain is a lot closer to the political center of gravity in this country than Barack Obama. And like Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama has been able to hide this fact behind the novelty of his candidacy. McCain needs to expose Obama in a way that Ford couldn’t expose Carter before it was too late.
Here are some questions McCain can address to Obama in order to alert Americans to his true positions:
1) Most Americans want the government to spend less. Does Barack Obama?
2) Most Americans want abortion to be generally unavailable during the third trimester of pregnancy. Does Barack Obama?
3) Most Americans don’t want judges to be superlegislators. Does Barack Obama?
4) Most Americans don’t want taxes to go up. Does Barack Obama?
5) Most Americans want to drill for oil. Does Barack Obama?
6) Most Americans think individuals should be able to own guns. Does Barack Obama?
7) Most Americans want Osama bin Laden to be put to death. Does Barack Obama?
Whenever Obama answers any of these questions in a centrist manner, Team McCain needs to respond with Obama’s previous votes and quotes on these subjects, showing Obama to be a flip-flopper, a liar, a hypocrite, and, ultimately, a leftist. McCain should also use Obama’s Religious Left goopiness as an opportunity to highlight the McCain from 2000 who won New Hampshire running on a religion-and-politics-don’t-mix campaign. McCain needs to direct the same righteous indignation that he once reserved for Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell towards Barack Obama, arguing that Obama is trying to politicize religion, something that will hurt both religion and politics. This won McCain millions of Northeastern votes in 2000 from people who historically, culturally, and traditionally despise the conflation of religion and politics.
Make no mistake, Obama can be beaten. It is issues that will destroy Barack Obama.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Well said.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
DaveG For Congress In 2012!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Okay, Dave, let’s get down to brass tacks: The McCain needs to hire you as a full time strategy consultant. You could take leave from your Law job, right?
This is excellent, your observations are right on the mark.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Sounds exactly like what Mike Huckabee has been saying..
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
The McCain needs to hire you as a full time strategy consultant. You could take leave from your Law job, right?
I’m ready when they are!
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It has been reported that Steve Schmidt is likely to bring on a national field director and a political director for the campaign. That’s you–the political director
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
off topic but any one watching hannitty and columbs on fox news just heard vp announcement could come as early as next week should we belive it? I saw mike steele sitting in for hannitty i hope he gets the vp call!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I’m not sure that you can really make the leftist moniker stick to Obama. One, calling somebody a leftist, or a socialist or a communist is as you pointed out, the kind of thing ideologues do. Regular people don’t go around talking like that. I think the list of questions does help to sharpen the distinctions between the two men, but some not as much as you would think. The other thing here is that even if you accept the premise that Obama is politically a leftist, its also becoming clear that he isn’t a committed leftist. Case in point: FISA. That is Olympic level compromise and caving. He’s a very shrewd politician willing to dump leftist ideas when his pragmatic instincts signal there is insufficient upside AND he leaves wiggle room for the artful dodge. McCain calling him a leftist makes him sound like an old, last century guy (to me at least).
McCain has an angle of attack on the issues, but I think you have to cut those issues in a fresh way. You’re gonna cut taxes? Well, any republican off the street should be down with that, so why should I be impressed? That is a minimum requirement. You want to get me excited, tell me you are going to radically cut taxes for working class people, go flat tax, or fair tax or something that is really game changing and gets the IRS off my middle class ass. Give me some exciting, cutting edge republican ideas on education for example. You’re going to champion school voucher and choice expansion? Big deal. That is not a new idea. You want to get me excited, tell me you are going to VASTLY expand charter school implementation nation wide to create true competition and innovation in publicly funded education. He can try to run on the issues, but to me, part of McCain’s problem is that his candidacy is mired in the safe, and I just don’t think that will catch fire.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Greg whitmire,
VP for GOP party?
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Here is the problem with your strategy. You pose 7 (cultural) questions and not one is about the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, which are McCain’s top two reasons for running for president. Your seventh question is about Bin Laden, but it only reminds voters that he is still free. A campaign as you describe will please the 28% that approve of Bush, but not many more.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
no they said they have info that both could announce vp as early as next week I heard on fox news. I hope STEELE he is doing at great job tonight filling in for sean hannitty he’s asking the democratic guests on the show hard questions!
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Conservatives often lament that Americans don’t seem to be bothered by Obama’s leftism. I submit to you that the problem is one of education. Most Americans don’t start paying attention to position papers until the conventions and the debates. It’s time for Republicans to start making Americans aware of Obama’s leftist positions.
Republicans shouldn’t just attack Obama for being a liberal. It’s been a long time since Americans have had a liberal president. Many have never lived though a liberal Administration. Most Americans probably think Bill Clinton is a liberal. They probably think Breyer and Ginsberg are liberal Justices. They ain’t seen nothin’ yet. They don’t realize what true liberalism is. Republicans need to explain to Americans what Obama’s liberalism actually consists of and why it’s bad for America.
Team McCain needs to sever the connection between mainstream America and Barack Obama by exposing his leftism on the issues. In so doing, McCain will remind Americans why they liked him in 2000: because he’s not only of the mainstream, he is the mainstream. Like Gerald Ford in 1976, John McCain is a lot closer to the political center of gravity in this country than Barack Obama. And like Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama has been able to hide this fact behind the novelty of his candidacy. McCain needs to expose Obama in a way that Ford couldn’t expose Carter before it was too late.
Dave,
I’d like to see McCain take a page from Ross Perot and educate Americans will eye-opening charts like these (the top one being most relevant).
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Dave, you are so astute. You really get it. I can only hope the McCain campaign gets it in time……I still have faith but I’m scared.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Not only was Barack Obama the most liberal senator last year, according to National Journal, but OnTheIssues.org grades Barack Obama as a Hard-Core Liberal. (Scroll to the bottom to view the chart). By comparison, McCain earns the more palatable moniker of Populist-Leaning Conservative.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Greg whitmire,
This was Michael S’s prediction? On the VP?
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 pm
no that my prediction on who mccains vp will be he was very impressive on fox news tonight!
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Suzie VA,
How are fiscal or energy policies cultural (questions 4 and 5)? Iraq is improving, and Afghanistan is not a divisive issue. The economy, energy, and the web that they weave together is the pressing issue of the day. McCain needs to draw a line in the sand between himself and Obama on these issues. Hard line progressives would be happy to let the economy suffer if it meant green energy policy-and that has real consequences to MILLIONS of real Americans. That is a big deal.
The other questions (especially 3rd tri abortions) are simply meant to “prove” that Obama is an out of touch leftist, as opposed to simply making the empty gesture of calling him a leftist.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Suzie VA,
Who did you support during the primary?
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Bob Dole’s former manager says he expects McCain to name his VP on the Friday after the Dem convention. Scott Reed: “It would be a good way to quash Obama’s bounce.”
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
This isn’t a criticism of DaveG.
When I think about McCain attempting this sort of attack, I cringe. I just don’t see the subtly and nimbleness to win these kinds of exchanges.
Perhaps McCain and his campaign will step up and surprise me.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Waiting until the Friday after the Democratic convention is not a viable option, as the Dems wrap things up right before the start of Labor Day weekend, when most Americans will not be in front of their TV sets. And, the GOP convention begins that Monday, on Labor Day.
What better way for Mr. McCain to squash whatever lift he’d receive from announcing his running mate than to broadcast his choice just as Americans are headed to beaches and barbecues and family reunions to close out summer.
To maximize media exposure, and undercut the hype surrounding the upcoming Democratic convention, McCain’s optimal target date for announcing his VP selection would be Thursday morning, August 21, at his ranch in Sedona — two business days and a Sunday morning before the Dems get underway in Denver.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 pm
why would he wait till the friday after the dem comvention to announce vp he need one sooner then that!
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 pm
why would he wait till the friday after the dem comvention to announce vp he need one sooner then that! I would announce before OBAMA
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Aron,
Do you think you might have told us earlier who McCain will pick as his VP? I wonder if Lindsay let the cat out of the bag?
“Aron Goldman Says:
July 2nd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Lindsey Graham finds path to nomination — sink John McCain’s boat”
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
“I could get the nomination if you sink that boat.”
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Agreed Doug. I find some of this post persuasive, but I’m utterly unconvinced that McCain is capable of winning on “the issues”. McCain hasn’t won on issues since pretty much the dawn of his political. He doesn’t win on substance or on style. Romney eradicated him in both areas in the primaries, and those debate dials showed voters agreed. Where McCain wins is character. That’s why the left is now going hard after his military record. Because, while people may not be ideologues (this part I agree with), they’re not rational, “whatever makes the trains run on time” types either. They’re fickle and overly emotional, prone to fads and quasi-hysterical narratives. This what allowed voters, even some who weren’t primarily concerned about electability, to vote for McCain in the primaries even though, by almost any conventional measure, Romney, Rudy, Fred, and Huckabee were more impressive figures.
Because at the end of the day it meant something to people that John McCain suffered for this country, and refused to betray it, at great cost to himself. And it means something to them that he was willing to end his political career to fight for a surge he believed in or immigration reform he believed in. It leaves a little trace of awe that you can’t quite shake. I remember turning to my friend in absolute bewilderment in late 2006 as I heard McCain call for an additional 30k troops in Iraq. I said to him “this guy must have a death wish. He’s through.” I said something similar in mid 2007 as he fought for amnesty. I was shocked but I was impressed. Enough so that even after seeing Romney routinely shellack McCain in debates, I had an uneasy feeling that I was on the “wrong side”. This is where McCain will win, if he does. If he tries to fight “on the issues”, with his horrible speaking style, his utter lack of political nuance, and his older then God demeanor, he loses. And badly.
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
People have mixed feelings about Graham, but he is one of McCain’s best surrogates. But I wonder if he could withstand the vetting.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
hhhmmm, I wonder if Graham did let the cat out of the bag? Interesting…I was reading Graham’s voting record. He is actually very similar to Sanford, almost identical in fact in politics and other area’s (such as they are both still in the USAF reserves). I did not realize Graham had such a Conservative voting record, I guess people see him with McCain and assume?
I am not sure about the fact that he used to live with Laura Ingraham though? That is odd?
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
what about mccain announcing vp the morning of the opening of dem convention would that work?
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
bob,
Additionally he’s one of the greatest shills for amnesty and is perceived as obstructionist on conservative judges (moreso then McCain) if I recall.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
#30, He was like many in congress who supported the Immigration bill, but he did not lead the fight as a obstructionist.
Matthew E. Miller, read his voting record. It is one of the most Conservative members in the Senate. Much more so than McCain. He also had a very tragic childhood and made himself from nothing.
Try to look past immigration and his friendship with McCain. Look at the details.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Obama is running an ad in 18 states in which he says he was in favor os welfare reform that cut the rolls by 80%. First, it was signed by Bill Clinton, and he was against it and it cut the rolls by 60%. McCian needs to get his wrinkled ass out of South America and start running an ad that counters that. Foget about “Do we run an Obama negative” or “do we run a Mccain positive.” Destroy Obama’s credibiltiy and then start with the positive McCain ads. But hey, ole Johnny Mac is too busy running around the jungles to pay any attention to this. I am really beginning to think that he is senile or has alzheimers.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 pm
[...] post is a reaction to Dave’s suggestion for McCain to attack Obama as out of the mainstream. Dave thinks that non-ideological voters will respond to that sort of [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Stephen, sit on your thumb, hold your breath and try to make an intelligent point, please.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:34 pm
McCain has about a week to 10 day window of opportunity because Obama is about to move ahead in these polls even further unless Mccain can start to define Obama for who he is. Somebody told me to wait and the ads hitting Obama will come soon. BS!!!!! This is the time to start defining Obama. If McCain can answer these ads and start to ruin Obama’s credibiltiy, which he can do easily, and force Obama to answer what he will do when Iran or Al Qaeda takes over Iraq. He will say that he would go back in, and that will cause a roar on the far left, and Ralph Nader then becomes the only anit-war candidate. Forget about Bob Barr. Ralph Nader can make noise about these issues if Obama is forced to go all the way to the center, he loses all he had on the left.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Bob, what is your intelligent point, pal?
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
The intelligent point I was making was that McCain is totally unfocused. Obama is weak on the issues and instead of being here taking him apart on the lies Obama has been saying about what he has accomplished and destroying Obama’s credibility and definign Obama, Mccain is off in the jungle.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 pm
#32, McCain was in Colombia AND THE HOSTAGES WERE RESCUED! Do you see the press McCain is getting with this. In all the newspapers tommorrow morning, the words, “McCain, and “hostages rescued”, will be in the same story.
In polls, citizens see McCain as ready to lead, more qualified, including Iraq. These situations, trips are reinforcing McCain’s strengths in polls. This is great news!
(please forgive me for being to harsh in my response to you in line #34)
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
You all want to wait until September to start all of this. Well, let me give you a dose of reality. This is 2008. What makes you think that this election will be like all the others? Now is the time to define Obama for who he is and what he will do to this country. This country will be about those blue collar democarst and the independents and the center. Everybody here wants to make sure that the Fred Barnes of the party and the Bob Doles and Huckabees are in the leading roles. Well, if Mccain runs as a usual Republican he will get his ass kicked. If McCain wakes up and gets moving on these things, he can beat Obama and move ahead in the polls. If he moves ahead of Obama before he gets a chance to destroy him on substance in the debates, then McCain goes from a small chance to a very good chance of winning in November.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:43 pm
It is ok, Bob
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I agree that that is great news. I am saying that now is the time to define Obama and to take the gloves off and hit that SOB and take apart his credibilty. It can be down more easily than people think.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 pm
In #39 I meant that this election will be about the blue collar democrats and the independents and the center.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
#41, That is why Steve Schmidt is taking over. Schmidt worked for Cheney, so what do you think they are going to do to Obama? Give Schmidt a couple of weeks to get a message together. Push polling and spam email about “Hussein” Obama are going to start. He will also get the 527’s on board.
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Use your common sense. Most participants to this site agree on 1 major point, i.e. the Democrats are not the correct choice to run our government. We may take this for granted when viewing the public’s perceptions on the cadidates. Parts of the public do not have the basic political knoweledge that we have. The McCain campaign has to help educate the public and must drive simple points (2 examples):
1. Obama does not want to allow oil exploration, oil drilling, use of shale oil, use of clean coal & nuc reactors to stop the price of oil, i.e. China will soon commence off shore drilling 40 miles from Florida.
2. Obama is seeking an increase in the use of ethanol when it directly increases the price of the food supply including livestock feed, i.e. the meat and dairy departments at your local supermarket.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 am
Post #44 is a perfect example of where republicans are off track. Does no one else get the cognitive dissonance inherent in saying that parts of the public don’t possess your political understanding? You cannot throw around the term elitist at Obama and then say that with a straight face. And your statement about china drilling off the coast has been disavowed by no less a personage than Dick Cheney.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:01 am
#38 I have not seen stories that in any way link McCain and the rescue. If anything the rescue crowded out McCain. I thought that perhaps the hostages would be coming home on McCain’s plane, but that was not true so basically the story is that McCain happened to be there when this rescue occured.
But there is a risk that people will claim he went there hoping to get some credit for it. Because we know Bush knew about it. If we learn Bush told McCain about it, that will appear awfully opportunistic.
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 am
Aias, read the links dude.
http://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGIH_enCA276CA276&q=mccain+hostages+colombia
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:56 am
Aaron,
There most certainly will soon be a classic case of cognitive dissonance in play among most independents and many Democratic voters, who currently support Obama, but are, at present, unaware of his positions against drilling and nuclear power, his expressed hope for higher gas prices, his desire to double the capital gains tax rate and raise the payroll tax; policy ideas of the far left that run in direct contrast with these voters’ support for offshore drilling and their strong desire to see lower prices at the pump. With the mainstream media in the tank for Obama, it is incumbent upon McCain to respectfully educate and inform the electorate.
And, while there is no evidence that China is about to commence drilling off the coast of Florida, we do know that Brazil will soon begin exploration, as close as 45 miles from the beaches of Key West.
Petrobras studying block in deep Cuban waters
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Bummer is McCain gets destroyed on the issues too. Anyone else out there?
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
A Star on the Rise