Thursday, April 24, 2008

JOHN MCCAIN

Method to McCain's No-Negative Messages Madness

Matt Bai (author of the best book on the changes in the Democratic party in the Bush era) writes in the New York Times that John McCain is already competing for the voters in the center, while Obama and Clinton are still competing for the votes of the party's liberal wing.

An element of this strategy, by the way, includes McCain sometimes taking shots at his own party, often in ways that will make conservatives grumble. See today's criticism of Bush's handling of Katrina, or his criticism of the North Carolina GOP commercial featuring Jeremiah Wright, or his criticism of Cincinnati talk show host Bill Cunningham for calling Obama by his full name.

But day by day, a crystal-clear contrast is being drawn between McCain and Obama.

Liberal radio talk show host Ed Schultz calls John McCain a warmonger at an Obama rally, and the Obama campaign issues a terse statement that he shouldn't be called that term (and oh by the way, our candidate opposed the Iraq war from the start.

Obama's top surrogate in West Virginia, Senator Jay Rockefeller, insults all fighter pilots and suggests that McCain doesn't care about the lives of people on the ground because he dropped bombs during his wartime service. What's the response?

“Senator Obama has a deep respect for Senator McCain’s service to this country and doesn’t agree with what Senator Rockefeller said,” said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

We never see Obama denounce any of these remarks, (heaven forbid he do so in front of a camera like McCain does) or ever call anyone out as inappropriate.

The DNC chops up McCain's quote, and Obama doesn't object. A liberal group makes a web ad mocking McCain's age, and Obama doesn't object. Jimmy Carter goes overseas to hug Hamas leaders, and Obama says he doesn't approve, but he can't do anything about it.

One guy says he's going to unite the country, and is running on hope, but when his surrogates try to kneecap an opponent, we get these milquetoast disapproving statements from press aides. But when somebody on McCain's team does something that's even remotely controversial, the senator denounces it in front of the cameras.

One guy walks the walk, the other guy just talks the talk. And the frustrated independents, exhausted from nasty politics, will notice this.

04/24 04:46 PMShare