Blogs For John McCain’s Victory » Novak on Team McCain Strategy

Novak on Team McCain Strategy

May 22nd, 2008 at 05:05pm Geoff

Well I’m done–finally–with my finals and can once again return to my first love: writing for Blogs for McCain’s Victory.

The dean of inside Washington reporting has a piece out today discussing the McCain campaign’s strategy for the certain general election matchup with Sen. Obama. He writes that Sen. McCain has no intention of acquiescing to Sen. Obama’s request for a unilateral disarmament.

McCain is not about to disarm. His campaign has no intention of fighting this battle on Democratic turf. During the more than five months ahead, Republicans will explore the mindset of this young man who is a stranger to most Americans. That includes his association with the Chicago leftist William Ayers, who has remained unrepentant about his violent role as a 1960s radical. This will not be popular with McCain’s erstwhile admirers in the mainstream news media, but America has not heard the last of Bill Ayers in this campaign.

Sen. Obama would like nothing more than a campaign where he gets to erroneously paint Sen. McCain as a George Bush clone while simultaneously hiding behind pretty (but nebulous) speeches read from a teleprompter. No dice. Cries of “swift-boating” or of affronted patriotism—which are common Democratic tools through which to try to invalidate and avoid criticism—will not scare Sen. McCain and his supporters from raising questions about his shady associations, marked inexperience, questionable judgment, and naive political views—legitimate questions and issues all.

No emperor likes it when they are shown to be naked, but that does not mean others are not within their rights to demonstrate as much. Sen. Obama is the Democratic nominee for President of the United States and has no place to expect to be immune from scrutiny, a scrutiny which he appropriately feels will betray him and his prospects for victory. He especially has no right to expect Sen. McCain to direct no criticism towards him whatsoever while he paints his own picture of himself and Sen. McCain free of charge.

If you’re going to win in November, Sen. Obama, than you will have to do so having run the gauntlet every presidential candidate has to. With all respect and due deference, deal with it.