CNN: "Four things McCain needs to accomplish this week" (POW, I'm Not Bush, Palin, Attack Obama)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Analysis: Four things McCain needs to accomplish this week



http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/rnc.analysis/index.html

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- The opening session of the 39th Republican National Convention -- largely overshadowed by Hurricane Gustav -- was officially gaveled to order on Monday afternoon in the midst of what may be the most inhospitable climate for the GOP since the Great Depression.

First, reintroduce the public to war hero John McCain.

Democratic strategists want voters to think of McCain as an out-of-touch beltway insider who doesn't know how many houses he owns.

Republican strategists want voters to think of McCain as the fighter pilot who spent more than five years in one house: the Hanoi Hilton.

The spotlight was initially going to shine most brightly on McCain's military record on Monday, a day convention organizers planned to focus on the theme of national service. Expect that to now be pushed back to Tuesday or later.

Second, McCain needs to make it clear that his first term will not be Bush's third term.

After watching the Democratic Convention last week, a casual political observer could be excused for confusing McCain with Dick Cheney. Speaker after speaker referred to an endless litany of failed "Bush-McCain" policies, a simple but potentially devastating strategy in a year in which most voters are hungry for change.

According to the August 23-24 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 50 percent of voters believe McCain's policy positions and Bush's policy positions are indistinguishable; 49 percent believe they are different. McCain will have an exceedingly hard time finding 270 electoral votes in November if half of the electorate thinks he's the next Bush.

Third, the McCain campaign can't afford to bungle Palin's rollout. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Just ask Dan Quayle.

The fourth and final item on McCain's convention agenda: attack.

If the election of 2008 is indeed about the need for change, the easiest and most obvious option for voters is to change the party in the White House.

It's up to McCain to convince enough voters that Obama is too liberal, too inexperienced and too risky to sit in the Oval Office. McCain needs to use the convention to chip away at the public's largely positive image of the Democratic nominee. It will be awkward to do so right after asking Americans to put aside partisanship in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.

[niceypoo]

1. Well, he has royally screwed up the second and third 'needs'

He has done absolutely nothing to separate himself from Bush and the Palin pick exacerbates that problem. The Dan Quayle 'roll-out' went like a magic carpet ride compared to Jiggles roll-out.

About all he has is brag about being a POW and attack, and he has blown the attacking into a farce (Paris Hilton, anyone?).

[carpediem]

2. I think it could be argued they're failing on point 3 n/t

[Alter Ego]

3. Let's take this point by point.

1. "Reintroduce the public to war hero John McCain".

It's not bad enough that even fucking Jay Leno is calling McCain out for overusing the POW card to explain every single one of his faults away--no sirree, the solution is to have him flog that particular dead horse MORE?

2. "McCain needs to make it clear that his first term will not be Bush's third term".

He has expressed support for even the most extreme Bush policies (after FUCKING DENOUNCING THEM THE FIRST TIME) and is perhaps the only person in the United States who opposes an Iraq withdrawal timetable--even though Maliki himself is now endorsing it. Way to separate yourself from the stubborn-as-a-mule neocons, there, Gramps--that "I've agreed with President Bush on most major decisions he's made during his Presidency" line must taste awful bitter.

3. "The McCain campaign can't afford to bungle Palin's rollout. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Just ask Dan Quayle."

Too fucking late. Sarah Palin is eyeball-deep in shit in her own state for corruption charges, and the fact that the vetting process for her consisted of a hasty Google search is pretty indicative of McCain's judgment (or lack thereof). She has come across as nothing more than a vapid airhead who was chosen for few reasons apart from the fact that she has two X chromosomes. Maybe she'll surprise--but I wouldn't bet on it if the first few days are any indication.

4. "Attack".

By all means, Mr. McCain! Fire with both barrels!

Obama is inexperienced, you say? Oh, but you're 900 fucking years old, in bad health, and your VP is a former beauty queen who likes to eat mooseburgers with no fucking foreign policy know-how whatsoever. So much for that argument--if you croak, we'd be better off leaving the country in the hands of a two-year-old.

Obama's a rock star, you say? Then why is Sarah Palin qualified to be President? Because she was a former beauty queen? Because her husband is a champion SNOWMOBILE RACER? So much for that.

Without those two lines of attack, what exactly do you have left, Mr. McCain? Obama's too liberal? Well, I think after having ultraconservatism jammed down our collective throats for the last eight FUCKING YEARS, we're due for a dose of liberalism that might just right this goddamn train.

Face it, Johnny boy--you torped your campaign last Friday.