Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102302081.html?nav=rss_print/outlook" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/.../outlook</a> Conservative David Frum argues that McCain's "Palinization" of the party is taking the whole GOP down with him. He argues that the only winning strategy right now is to shift all resources to senate seats, essentially concede the election to Obama, and argue that having a single party in charge is a bad idea. Frum throws in some lame cheap shots at liberals, but overall his assessment seems like a clear-eyed view of the situation.
Originally Posted By ecdc From the article: >>To fire up the Republican base, the McCain team has hit at Barack Obama as an alien, a radical and a socialist. Sure enough, the base has responded. After months and months of wan enthusiasm among Republicans, these last weeks have at last energized the core of the party. But there's a downside: The very same campaign strategy that has belatedly mobilized the Republican core has alienated and offended the great national middle, which was the only place where the 2008 election could have been won. I could pile up the poll numbers here, but frankly . . . it's too depressing. You have to go back to the Watergate era to see numbers quite so horrible for the GOP.<<
Originally Posted By gadzuux And what does that say about the "core of the republican party" - that what gets them going is demagoguery of the cheapest and stupidest kind? What does it say about a party where the leadership has to choose between pandering to ignorance or appealing to reason and rationality, and they choose ignorance because that's where their numbers are? This isn't McCain's fault - at least not much. This pattern was set in motion long ago - probably dating back forty years to Nixon's "southern strategy" after LBJ's civil rights act. It's a cynical ploy to exploit the dumbest and most gullible americans into supporting policies that benefit the wealthiest and most powerful. The GOP deserves every bit of whatever collapse they are now going through - they've brought it on themselves. McCain hasn't exactly distinguished himself in his campaign, and choosing Palin was one of the more egregious examples of pandering to the mob mentality of the christian right. Also, what we've witnessed is McCain's absolute refusal to campaign on the merits of his own record and the governing philosophy of his party. Instead, the entire strategy has been to undermine their opponent with name-calling and gutter politics. It's always worked before, but this time is different. Most importantly, the republicans are up against a candidate with relatively little "baggage". They've gamely tried to reduce this to a mud-slinging battle, but they didn't have much mud. Still, they decided that it was their best option. Especially when you consider what the alternative was - ridiculous claims of fiscal responsibility, smaller and less intrusive government, a non-interventionist foreign policy, and a greater level of integrity and honor. Now who would believe that?
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Especially when you consider what the alternative was - ridiculous claims of fiscal responsibility, smaller and less intrusive government, a non-interventionist foreign policy, and a greater level of integrity and honor. Now who would believe that? >>> Remember when Cheney said "Deficits don't matter?" It's been just in the past couple of weeks that McCain has continued to claim that not only will he be fiscally responsible, but that he'll balance the federal budget in 4 years. With the track record his party has with spending matters and his lack of specifics, does *anybody* believe that? But, at a campaign rally, the crowd went wild when he promised it.
Originally Posted By DAR Didn't the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave sort of take the party down with him first?
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Yeah true DAR. It's a little disingenious for this guy to say its all McCain's fault when it seems the downward spiral looong before McCain was running for office. I think the guy who has approval rating in the mid 20's is what the REAL problem is.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan Didn't the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave sort of take the party down with him first?<< Good point. This administration has been a disaster, courtesy of neocon ideas. The McCain of 2000 would have been leading in the polls in spite of this administration, though. Instead, he went way rights and got all negative, forgetting that moderates always had great affection for John McCain. The John McCain of 2000 was exactly what people this time around would have gone for. But he sold out, sold out just about everything he ever stood for. Launched the national career of Winkin' Sarah Palin, the most ill-advised and poorly researched decision since Milli Vanilli won a Grammy. Hopefully, the combination of all of these things will cost him the election. America deserves better.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< The John McCain of 2000 was exactly what people this time around would have gone for. >>> And I think that the results of the Republican primary showed this to be exactly the case. It's kind of ironic that he felt he needed to pander to the religious right in order to win the election, when he had just done so with them actively working against him.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>when he had just done so with them actively working against him<< Right! It isn't as if they were going to vote for Obama. At worst, they'd stay home, which wasn't likely. The McCain campaign has been the most confounding campaign I've seen since Michael Dukakis.
