What Now?
March 22nd, 2008 at 02:18pm Geoff
David Shribman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an interesting piece out this morning on the confusing circumstances Sen. McCain finds himself in. He writes,
He doesn’t have a specific rival to target, so he (or, more likely, his surrogates) cannot do what presidential nominees often do to their rivals, which is to seek to define them for the electorate before they can do it themselves. Normally a candidate with superior experience in foreign policy can emphasize world affairs — George H.W. Bush is a good example — but McCain is constrained from that tactic because he is so closely identified with the war in Iraq, which is unpopular among the voters, and which is why last week’s trip to the region was such a risk.
My caveat to this would be that his conception of the public unpopularity of the Iraq War may be fading into invalidity as more Americans increasingly believe we are succeeding in Iraq and will ultimately prevail. With that said, he is correct that Sen. McCain is in a pickle. With the Democrats still fighting amongst themselves the balance of attention is accordingly focused on them. This does not mean Sen. McCain is mired in irrelevance though. There are three tasks he and his campaign can undertake that will prove beneficial to him now and through the course of campaign.
I. Build a campaign apparatus that will put Sen. McCain in a position to win in November. The campaign was a largely bare-bones affair throughout the primary season and in its immediate aftermath. It is in dire need of a substantial addition of infrastructure for it to be at all effective, along with a profuse infusion of resources.
II. Begin major policy formulation. Sen. McCain and his closest policy advisors and subordinates need to begin the process of putting together major programs and doctrines on the salient issues, i.e. the economy and foreign affairs. Once these have been devised they need to immediately be shared with and marketed to the electorate. It can only work to Sen. McCain’s advantage if he has a compelling platform in place before the Democratic nominee is even determined.
III. Share Sen. McCain’s story with Americans. Americans already know that he is an American hero and an independent voice in Washington, but more of the details behind these can be provided and reiteration never hurts. Sen. McCain needs to present himself and his story as a man and an individual, and needs to share with Americans why, at his core, he wants to be and why he should be President of the United States.
Operating without sufficient media and public attention will be tough, but by undertaking the above three tasks Sen. McCain and his campaign can begin to install the foundation requisite for a successful general election campaign.
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5 Comments
1. congressive | March 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
His platform so far is “more of the same.” This will work brilliantly if the economy turns around and Iraq becomes self-policing by November.
McCain must be careful about sharing his own personal story. Keating comes to mind, as do usvetdsp-dot-com style websites.
Funding is another issue to be determined. Public, or not? He can’t rely on 527s to counter the Obama juggernaut.
Interesting times we live in.
2. Geoff | March 23rd, 2008 at 1:18 am
“More of the same” and “Third Bush Term” is interesting spin. Whether it will fly or not will be determined.
So far, Sen. McCain’s life story is a hell of a lot more compelling and virtuous than that of his possible opponents, which are ripe with scandal and corruption and support and friendship with racist, anti-American ministers respectively.
And he won’t have to rely on 527’s if Sen. Obama fulfills his own pledge of accepting public money, which he has recently begun to hem and haw on. I don’t even know why he feels like he has privately fund in the first place, what with George Soros willing to spare no expense in purchasing an election.
Interesting times indeed.
3. congressive | March 23rd, 2008 at 1:46 am
Obama won’t take public money simply because he doesn’t have to. Pledge smedge… politics are now slash and burn, whatever it takes. Obama can’t afford to play nice. But since he hasn’t yet financially benefited from his pledge, he’s not legally on the hook.
McCain, for better or worse, might be stuck with public financing, since he had free access to states as a result of his pledge, plus the collateral issue, that makes his case substantially different than Obama. McCain might pull it out, though. He’s got friends in high places.
“Soros” is an interesting spin, as Obama gets more nickel and dime donations than any other candidate, meaning, sure he’s got big money, but he’s also got mom and pop money that so far has help him bankroll $30 million in his current coffers. Any stats on how big a hit Soros has taken in the current financial meltdown? Just curious.
McCain has to start wow-ing the public with his economic and strategic genius, regardless of whether he’s writing his own speeches or not. He’s got to keep a lid on his own shenanigans over his political and post-Vietnam military career. He’s got to stop making Iran=al Qaeda mistakes. He’s got to distance himself from racist, anti-American ministers, too, as should all politicians. Personally, I think politicians should distance themselves from even the so-called “good” ministers, but that ain’t happening anytime soon.
The still-hidden story here is that McCain, who would be the oldest first-time president ever elected and has medical issues, won’t serve out his full term. Not to be morbid, but he’s five years older than Dick Cheney. If he wins, it is tantamount to directly electing whoever gets the Republican VP nomination, which NO ONE is talking about, since ANY former Republican frontrunner, Giuliani, Romney, Huckabee or Paul (hee hee, just a joke there) would be a boat anchor on McCain’s chances at this point, as the media would quickly start the “one heartbeat away” storyline, while contrasting just how un-conservative McCain is compared to any of the other guys.
4. KMorrison | March 23rd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
The one other thing he can do besides the those three things is look presidential while the Democrats bicker. The Democrats are giving him an excellent opportunity to look like the adult in the room. He keeps making appearances with heads of state, and keeps a possitive upbeat tone while talking about substantive issues, the Democrats may just sink there own boat.
5. Geoff | March 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
You’re an interesting fellow, congressive. Whether or not Sen. Obama is legally bound to his pledge is irrelevant. That he made the pledge is public record and for him to renege on that only joins the Wright fiasco in matters which contradict his supposed candidacy of a new, post-racial, post-partisan, utopia-here-we-come candidacy.
Beyond the Keating affair in the eighties, which is an experience he has learned from, I don’t know what post-Vietnam “shenanigans” you are speaking of, unless you simply mean whatever pathetic story the New York Times will try to cook up. I’ve already provided evidence on how the Iraq=al Qaeda “mistake” evidently was not one. The minister thing is just the left’s lame attempt to create some type of equivalence between the twenty-year close personal relationship between Sen. Obama and Rev. Wright and a bigoted priest who appeared on the campaign trail with Sen. McCain.
And your ageist argument is frankly obnoxious. There is no basis for your assertion that Sen. McCain is destined to die before the end of his term and such contention is fringe fear-mongering. Sen. McCain leads an active and robust life and campaign, and there is absolutely nothing to suggest that a hooded reaper is reaching out to tap his shoulder.