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As Media Coverage Turns to Issues, McCain Falters |
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When McCain’s campaign manager said that “this election is not about issues“, that expressed the McCain campaign’s greatest hope. McCain doesn’t want to talk about the economy, health care, getting troops out of Iraq, or what Supreme Court justices he would appoint. He’s much more comfortable lying about his running mate’s record, lying about Obama’s economic plan (which would cut taxes for the middle class, McCain’s lies notwithstanding), and running ads that outrageously and falsely smear Obama.
But the media has decided, at least for this week, to stop gossiping about lipstick and start looking at what the candidates have to say about what Alan Greenspan has called a once in a century crisis. Fresh off his embarrassing appearance on The View, McCain has stumbled out of the box in trying to sound like he suddenly cares about the economy. The Obama campaign has rightly jumped all over McCain’s ludicrous suggestion that all is well, and McCain seems to be backing off his attempt to duck responsibility for actually dealing with the economic crisis by turning things over to that time-honored Washington tradition: the blue-ribbon commission. McCain’s seconds aren’t helping any–one adviser suggested that McCain invented the blackberry — that’s red meat to the media, which is putting this in an Al Gore and the internet context. With the media focused on economic questions, Carly Fiorina first said that Sarah Palin, and then John McCain, is unqualified to run a business (isn’t she supposed to be on McCain’s side?). Meanwhile, Palin is trying her best to squelch the investigation into (some of) her fishy dealings in Alaska while furiously peddling a phony story about supposedly improvising most of her speech at the Republican convention.
It’s not looking like McCain’s week, and it’s only Tuesday. I theorized recently that McCain had seen his high watermark and it is downhill from here. Polling suggests that McCain is, indeed, on the way down. As long as McCain has to try to talk about issues, he will continue to have trouble.
Nice analysis, and no, it is not going well with McAyn as he struggles to get it on actual issues - for a mind that has barely been able to handle appearances. The right wing depends on weak minds that will scramble aboard if they are sure you’re one of them - but that’s harder when the scenery is a tumbling U.S. economy. The recidivist element can be scared off, and that’s what is happening now. It isn’t quite so satisfying to vote against the libruls when they are all that stands between you and the disaster the right wing has brought on.
thanks Ruth. it is amazing to watch McCain try to tackle the issues. When he’s not stumbling, he’s incoherent, and when he’s not incoherent, he’s making a gaffe. I think the fact that economic reality has descended upon the campaign is a big problem for McCain. makes me think of the contrast between the years 1993-2000 as compared with 2001-present. The Democrats are the party of fiscal responsibility and economic growth, and the Republican party is left repeating tired, discredited theories involving unending tax cuts for the wealthy.