-
- DickMorris.com |
- Archives |
- PBP Archives |
- FAQ |
- Contact |
- Register
Many political campaigns run against the wrong candidate. The opportunity to pick on a vulnerable target is so tempting that they are lured into attacking someone who isn’t running. In 1992, the Republicans unleashed their convention barrage at Hillary and left Bill unscathed. In 1996, Dole still ran against Clinton the liberal and ignored the changes in his political positioning. Campaigns go after the flaming red cape, so glittering a target, and leave the matador alone.
That’s what the Democratic convention has been doing in Denver. They are so anxious to run against Bush, their animosity is so pent up, that they persist in running against a man who is not seeking a third term. In speech after speech, the Democrats knock the Bush record and then add, lamely, that McCain is the same as Bush. Or they call the McCain candidacy Bush’s third term. It was no accident — or Freudian slip — when Joe Biden spoke of John Bush instead of George in his litany of attacks.
This pattern of shooting at the decoy, not the duck, gives McCain a bold strategic opportunity. He can nullify the impact of the entire Democratic convention simply by distancing himself from Bush.
The truth is, of course, that McCain is the most unlike Bush of any of the Republican senator. (When Obama’s people claim that Bush and McCain voted the same 94 percent of the time, they forget that most of the votes in the Senate are unanimous.) The fact that McCain backs commending a basketball team on its victory doesn’t mean that he is in lockstep ideologically with the president.
The issues on which McCain and Bush differ are legion:
* McCain fought for campaign finance reform — McCain-Feingold — that Bush resisted and ultimately signed because he had no choice.
* McCain led the battle to restrict interrogation techniques of terror suspects and to ban torture.
* McCain went with Joe Lieberman on a tough measure to curb climate change, something Bush denies is going on.
* McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts when they passed.
* McCain urged the Iraq surge, a posture Bush rejected for years before conceding its wisdom.
* McCain favors FDA regulation of tobacco and sponsored legislation to that effect, a position all but a handful of Republican senators oppose.
* McCain’s energy bill, also with Lieberman, is a virtual blueprint for energy independence and development of alternate sources.
* After the Enron scandal, McCain introduced sweeping reforms in corporate governance and legislation to guarantee pensions and prohibit golden parachutes for executives. Bush opposed McCain’s changes and the watered-down Sarbanes-Oxley bill eventuated.
* McCain has been harshly critical of congressional overspending, particularly of budgetary earmarks, a position Bush only lately adopted (after the Democrats took over Congress).
Remember that McCain ran against Bush in 2000.
McCain’s Republican advisers need to realize that they won the primary and that they do not need to cotton to the delegates at their convention or to appease the Bush White House. The more they respond to Obama’s and Biden’s attacks on Bush by saying, “It ain’t me, babe,” the more he will moot the entire purpose of the Democratic convention.
It is a rare opportunity to nullify the entire Democratic line of attack, and McCain should seize on it.
 |
Comments
Only subscribers to Dick Morris' '08 Play-By-Play may post comments. You must be logged in to post a comment.
McCain is tied to the Bush and his Administration by default. Although you mentioned the pros of why McCain is unlike Bush in many facuets, the preceived image of McCain by the average American voter is completely opposite…the cons. In fact, most voters don’t even know who McCain is, much less Obama. I read an interesting statistic yesterday; 50% of Americans have never read a newspaper; and 50% of Americans don’t vote. That is representative of a troubled society…and most of the voters depend on the press corps and media magnets to get information about political servants and candidates. My only hope is that it is the same 50%……
I agree McCain has an opportunity to neutralize the Democratic line of attack, but they McCain’s campaign is side-stepping the real issues of this country and pre-occupied in countering Obama’s ads. Even a lion has to defend himself against the flies; but he can’t ignore the elephant behind him. McCain is surround by inept individuals, that when the see the light at the end of the tunnel…..well they just extend the tunnel. Sometimes we look for the answers, when all the time it is in front of our noses….and we extend the tunnel when all it would have taken was to pick our nose.
My only hope is that these fools who are surrounded by liars and incompetents, won’t do what they say they are going to do.
God keeps a squad of angels on hand to look out for drunks, fools, and American foreign policy. Maybe GWB should have taken up drinking again to benefit from this… But it sounds like Obama, McCain, and our foreign policy are solidly eligible for protection.
Both McCain and Obamah seemed to have gamed the game.
Neither took the direct approach to the nomination. Obamah had a smart strategist who concentrated on getting the delegate votes where Hillary may not have thought they were important and McCain is more interested in appealing to everyone but the traditional Republican. The theme seems to be lets see who can swap the most players and still win the contest.
I will vote for McCain only because I am afraid of the (Socialist)Democratic alternative. I am a local Republican Party Vice Chair and I am so disheartened at how the conservatives and Christians have been swept aside I really feel like just giving up on the Party.
Great call, Dick.
John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin shows that he’s eager for change.
Barrack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden shows that he’s eager for more of the same.
Ready for change?
Looks like Barrack Obama isn’t.
Unless it’s to change his mind.