Focus on beating McCain...

[radfringe]

Instead of beating up on each other's candidates - focus on beating McCain

In terms of the campaign season - it's eitehr going to be Clinton vs McCain or Obama vs McCain

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=389

my mom, who up until she voted for bush twice, was/is pretty liberal. In MN primary/caucus she voted for a democrat, yesterday she told me she's going to vote for McCain in the general election

she said she felt McCain would be better for the country because he didn't engage in beating up on his opponents in the same childish manner as obama and clinton

there were other reasons, but that's the one that stands out most in her mind

[MadBadger]

1. Thats exactly what Obama has pivoted to doing since Potomac

though he does have to respond to Clinton attacks.

[terrya]

2. Yes.

I don't want a 3rd Bush term. And I don't think the country does, either.

[JorgeTheGood]

3. agree rad ...

both sides, the Clintons and the Obamas are taking McCain too lightly.

McCain will draw the indys, the areas with heavy military presence like VA, the older crowd, the veterans, the Hispanics (Here is where McCain's amnesty rhetoric pays off for him), the war hawks and the active military.

Additionally, you will see areas of CA (San Diego comes to mind for example) go more red than they usually do which might be enough for him to take that state and if he does that, the dem candidate might as well pack it in -- checkmate.

OTOH -- there are no apparent signs that the dems will take any red or purple states ... nothing other than hope that is.

All of this just may be too much for the dem candidate to overcome.

The juicy part is the possibility McCain will not finish his first term ... (health reasons, age, whatever) .... so look closely at his VP because that is probably the real next president for the next 8 years.

[billyoc]

4. McCain's not on the Democratic Primary ballot. nt

[Thrill]

5. Did you watch McCain on ABC This week......He clearly wants to face Hillary

Thats a little too scary for him.

[radfringe]

6. McCain = More of the SAME or to put it another way

Bush? McCain? no difference

this needs to be made clear NOW, not after the convention.

McCain is the presumptive nominee, the only one out there running against him is Huckabee. Romney has thrown his support behind McCain.

with the exception of a formal nomination - McCain's the GOP pick. As such, under the guise of primary/caucuses - McCain is really in the GE round of campaigning. He essentially has 4 month jump on the DEM nominee, clear playing field, doesn't have to defend himself against other GOPers attacking, he can and already has taken swipes at Obama and to a lesser extent at Clinton.

By the time the Dem convention has selected it's nominee - McCain will have honed the "message" and defined them.

Clinton and Obama and yes all of us that post, blog, work on campaigns, or just talk to other people need to define McCain NOW.

McCain - More of the Same
McCain - More WARS, Less jobs
McCain - same as bush, just older
McCain = 4 more years of the SAME

[radfringe]

7. here's nugget of an idea for a commercial

start with a bush photo, voice over and 'text crawl lists everything that bush has done that mccain wants to continue

sample text would be "Sen. McCain wants to increase corporate tax cuts and make the bush tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, while leaving the middle and working class struggling.

Sen. McCain wants our troops to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and like President Bush, he refuses to discuss withdrawal."

basically tie bush around his neck like an albatross

bush photo morphs into mccain photo


voice over - "In November you have a choice. You can vote for 4 more years of Sen. McCain following the bush policies down the wrong road or you can vote for _____________, a leader who will make the changes we need to put America back on the right road.
More of the Same or Change?

[radfringe]

8. kick