GOP is Trying to Save Downticket Races...They Know McCain is Finished

[alcibiades_mystery]

All the hoopla and silliness over the last week is simply sideshow for the uninformed. Anybody with a brain knows that Obama has run away with the thing. So, why all the sound and fury. The GOP thinks they can limit losses in the House and Senate by getting their base out in key areas. In Pennsylvania, specifically, they think perhaps Murtha is now vulnerable, and certainly Paul Kanjorski. That's why all the Pennsylvania business. It has nothing to do with McCain winning the state, which is an absurdity at this point. It has everything to do with getting a fired up base out to try to save or pick up GOP seats in the House. The same is true everywhere. They are simply too close to the edge of stunning, Party-crippling minority status to demoralize their base now.

Obama has led this race by convincing numbers since fucking JULY. The only blip on the screen was a rather extended convention bump for the GOP, based largely on Palin. Once it became clear that Palin was as retrograde as the other GOPers, the race assumed its familiar contours once again. Obama is over 50% in nearly all polls, and is contesting unheard of states for a Democrat.

Some may be confused by McCain's rhetoric, which is pure red meat for the base. Nobody in modern history has won an election this way. Even Bush had to pretend to push toward the middle with some conviction. So this would seem like a great mystery...if you assume that Mccain is arguing for the presdiency. But he is not. They are attempting to save downticket, and have been the entire time. McCain can't win Pennsylvania, but the dumbfuck mayor of Hazelton CAN win Paul Kanjorsky's seat. That's what this is all about.

ON COMPLACENCY: The DU Worry Brigade will often bring up the problem of complacency in order to justify their constant wrong-headed posts. there is no complacency this year. The enthusiasm numbers are through the fucking roof for this election, and all on our side. Indeed, that is the VERY problem that the GOP is seeking to counter through their fake Presidential campaign. It's a fake campaign. It's a campaign for House districts masquerading as a Presidential campaign. There's no there there. So buck up. get out the vote, sure, but buck the fuck up.

[elocs]

1. Despite the constant hand wringing, I have seen absolutely no sign of complacency. None.

I have seen no posts suggesting that we should take it easy and just coast and party the rest of the way.

[drm604]

2. I've been thinking exactly the same thing.

I think that the Palin selection may, in fact, have been a concession of the presidential race in order to help the down ticket in certain areas.

Even though we apparently have the presidential race in the bag, we still need to do everything we can to get out the vote for the sake of the down ticket.

[zipplewrath]

5. Hail mary

McCain's entire campaign has been one huge hail mary pass down field. They've never tried to actually build a candidate, how could they, it'd be exactly what Obama has always said, just a dusted off GW. What they've been doing is looking to heave the ball down field and hope for a miracle. Palin was just one of many. They gained some yards but never crossed mid field. Since then they've been losing yards on every play.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. That is incorrect

If we assume McCain is trying to win, we'd see it as a hail mary. If we assume, instead, that McCain is trying to save downticket seats, then the strategy makes perfect sense and has nothing to do with a hail mary.

[Occam Bandage]

3. Very insightful. I'm happy to recommend this.

[DrToast]

4. Agree. The bigger the Obama win, the worse it looks for the GOP

McCain is hoping to narrow the gap. I don't think he believes he can win.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. He knows he can't

Probably has known it for quite some time.