How can Dems shake the phony "moderate" image from McCain?

[Armstead]

John "Get Off My Lawn" McCain is perceived as a "moderate. Sure he's pro-war, but that's the only issue -- so far -- in which he is really associated with the hard-right form of conservatism that has driven the United States into a ditch for the last 35 years.

Setting aside the war, McCain really is Bush 3....Actially, in terms of economics and regulation, he might actually be Bush On Steriods, in terms of being a "free market, gut-the-government" conservative.

No matter who wins the Democratic nomination, that's going to be the real stakes in this election. Wanna castrate the unions? Wanna get a bunch of conservative judges and a Justice department that will give the final knife to most civil rights? Wanna hand the rest of the keys to Corporate America?

Then Vote McCain.

Somehow, the democrats have to stop eating ourselves up, and -- just as important --- Stand for Something and get the terms of the upcoming election where they should be. Somehow we have to get people to realize that a Vote for McCain is NOT a vote for a moderate Republican.

[The Magistrate]

1. Well Said, Sir!

[denem]

20. Suggestion : McCain, a man too MODERATE to meet the 21st Century

Attack as the best defense to nebulous marketing.

He's a good man

an authentic (Vietman) War Hero

but he lacks the Vision (Obama), the stamina (Hillary), and imaginative solutions needed to deal with the new challenges of the 21st Century - (Hillary and Obama)

McCain may have been a good 20th Century politician, but

* He has been Moderate in opposing the worse Bush/Cheney policies;
* Repeatedly buckled under pressure - Torture / Fiscal disciple, you name it.
* Offered tired compromises instead of new initiatives.
* McCain of 2000 who stood up again big money corruption, simply grew tired of the fight.

The Democratic party can be the party of tomorrow, offering, bold, solutions, with the vision and stamina essential to confronting the our challenges without mortgaging core American ideals. Meanwhile, clueless Republicans retreat to their moribund ideology.

McCain is not clueless, but has moderated almost most of his policies back down to the Rupublican base and the bankrupt, discredited polices of Bush I and II.

So yes, McCain can be a Moderate
A Moderate of: -

Soft thinking;
Capitulation to the powers that be;
Policies bereft of a vision, imagination and intelligence, (let alone appeal)

Time to start working on a popular meme: A Republican Moderate can be a dirty word (even to the Republicans Base) . These 'Moderates' - are compromised, spineless, tired, no-where-men, with no where left to go. but down.

[redqueen]

2. Well... they could stop CALLING HIM A MODERATE, for one thing.

:P

He's much further to the right than Bush... and MORE hawkish.

[DangerDave921]

3. But . . . .

Is there any Repub whom you would agree is a Moderate? I can't think of any really. McCain has had some bi-partisan legislation, which I think is where the MSM gets the moderate tag from.

[redqueen]

6. Real moderates: Lincoln, Chafee, Snowe

The M$M calls him a moderate because they are either idiots or liars.

[loveangelc]

4. call him out on his views on abortion, birth control, the economy, war...basically the issues...

[zalinda]

5. They can't, and that's the problem

I have said all along that McCain will come off as someone that is not Bush, and not scary. And, the media backs him, all the way.

Obama will come off as a Chicago "politician", or Muslim, and he also has that black thing going for him.

Clinton will come off as shrill, is a woman, oh and they've branded her a liar. The only thing she has going for her is Bill, he's still popular.

Among those 3 people, the advantage will go to McCain. Remember people, at least 75% of the people voting don't really educate themselves on who the candidates are. They will go with who is the most popular in the MSM or the party their parents always voted for.

zalinda

[redqueen]

7. Well hey let's all just give up then!

:eyes:

[zalinda]

9. I already have

None of those candidates will do anything to help those that really need help in this country. They will only help those who are NOT hurting, you know the ones who stop at Starbucks everyday and don't think anything about it. They all have a disconnect on how 75% of the population live, you know, the real everyday working person that watches how every dime is spent.

zalinda

[redqueen]

10. Would you please kindly consider keeping your defeatist opinions to yourself?

At least for the next 7 months?

I see the point in what you're saying... but I also see that discussing all the pitfalls and obstacles we face isn't helping anything, when it's framed as a good reason to just stay home in November.

If you frame it as a reason to vote for the best available candidate, and to work hard now and after the election, that'd be different.

[zalinda]

21. Sorry, but I was told that everything would be better

in 2006 and worked to get a majority in the house and senate.......what has changed? Absolutely nothing, nothing has gotten better, but it sure has gotten worse. Face it, we've got two sucky candidates who only care about people who can give them money. All the hope crap was used up in 2006. And, to think, I used to make excuses for them. I now know better. People are led around by their noses by the media, and we are screwed once again.

I gave up hope that anything would change after Edwards left the race. Neither candidate has talked about any issue since then, it's all been mud slinging. Elizabeth has been the only person to bring an issue into the media in 2 months, and SHE'S NOT RUNNING. Both dem candidates left are only about THEIR egos, neither care about me or 75% of the rest of the country. Yeah, Obama.......we are bitter!

zalinda

[mrreowwr_kittty]

8. Giant billboards featuring "the embrace"

Plus non-stop ads and placement in news feeds. Let the image of McCains face buried in Chimpy's bosom be etched in the minds of voters. They should be inseparable in people's minds. McSameasBush McSameasBush McSameasBush...

[Armstead]

13. Ewwwwwww....

Mccain's face buried in Chimpy's bosom....

I'm glad I haven't eaten yet.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

14. Sometimes you just gotta be brutal like that. nt

[Metta]

11. Talk about his rotten record.

And keep talking.

[madfloridian]

12. Did you read about the press conference Dean and DNC pollsters had yesterday?

No, I did not think so. The media is not covering it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3142742&mesg_id=3142742

[uponit7771]

15. Just outline his view, they're not moderate depnding on who he stands in front of

[Bensthename]

16. He was a moderate.. Now a 3rd term Bush flip flopper,,

[denem]

17. (deleted)

[stillcool]

18. Torture, tax cuts, and war.

what's not to like?

[NJSecularist]

19. In the 107th Congress, he staked out a moderate image through his voting record

Since then, he has pretty much voted lockstep with President Bush. We need to emphasize his flip-flop in regards to Bush's tax cuts.

[last_texas_dem]

22. If the Democrats can play this right

I think they can definitely have some effect on McCain's standing by painting him as flip-flopper. He has sold out his former beliefs on a number of issues from 2000 to the last few years, in trying to appeal to the con base. Some well-produced ads that call those sorts of actions into question could, I believe, make a difference. Flip-flopping charges can be pretty effective- they hurt Kerry in '04 and I think they had quite a bit to do with the failure of Romney's campaign this year (although Romney's generally slick appearance/demeanor didn't help on that front.) Finding out that McCain is a right-winger won't necessarily hurt him with the public (hell, the general public likely still has a positive opinion of Reagan), but if they think "straight talk express" boy is a flip-flopper who will say anything to get elected (look at how that Repug frame hurt Gore) that could really damage him. The toughest hurdle will be getting the media to actually look into McCain's flip-flops; could be difficult because it would involve them removing their lips from his butt for a few seconds...

[helderheid]

23. Moderate is nothing to shake. If anything, make him more liberal. That is the nail in the coffin.

[Neshanic]

24. Sadly with the crew we have, he's Eisenhower. Our gang is just minus "Spanky".