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 McCain’s Losing MessagePosted on Feb 19, 2008WASHINGTON—The good news for Republicans is that they have a big head start in the Fiesta of Forced Smiles—the post-primary, pre-convention phase of the presidential campaign in which former opponents and party elders pledge their support for the presumptive nominee in a photogenic show of unity. The bad news is that the likely nominee, John McCain, intends to run on positions that most voters reject. This inconvenient fact was evident Monday in George H. W. Bush’s gracious endorsement speech. The former president called McCain a worthy standard-bearer for the party’s “conservative values”—never mind that the elder Bush’s credentials as a true “movement” conservative were often questioned—and he gently suggested it was time for Mike Huckabee, who technically remains in the race, to wake up and smell the coffee. I say that Huckabee is only technically a candidate because jetting off to the Cayman Islands to give a paid speech is not generally considered the best way to win the Wisconsin primary. This is an odd political year, but not that odd. Poppy Bush’s announcement of support for McCain at least seemed heartfelt—as opposed to Mitt Romney’s backing for his bitter rival, which was dutiful and correct. Are Republicans supposed to forget the startlingly un-Republican way the two men snarled at each other throughout the primary contests? Romney, you will recall, accused McCain of supporting higher taxes and “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants; McCain painted Romney as a chameleon who had “changed positions on literally every major issue.” In his endorsement, Romney said that “in the thick of a fight, it’s easy to lose sight of your opponent’s finer qualities.” That translates roughly as: I’m smiling through gritted teeth and doing what I have to do, because I want to be the Republican nominee next time around. George W. Bush, whose errors and failures cast a pall over McCain’s presidential bid, was much more genuine in offering support for a man with whom he has clashed repeatedly in the past. For the president, obviously, political ambition is moot. More than party unity is at stake: McCain is the last candidate standing who shares the Decider’s vision of the Iraq war as an open-ended struggle, still requiring a massive deployment of American military forces that would eventually lead to some sort of meaningful strategic “victory” for the United States. The Decider is eager to help McCain paint Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as defeatists, rather than realists (which they are) who recognize that the Iraq invasion was a historic blunder, that the military achievements of Bush’s troop surge have served only to partially mitigate the damage done to U.S. national interests by the war, and that a permanent U.S. occupation of Iraq—which is, essentially, the Bush-McCain policy—will harm our nation’s security rather than enhance it. The Democratic candidates are impolite enough to point out that the losses suffered by al-Qaida in Iraq, which Bush and McCain love to cite, are really the vanquishing of a foe that could never have existed without the U.S. invasion. The Democrats also recognize that while U.S. forces are bogged down in Iraq, al-Qaida is regrouping in Pakistan and plotting new attacks. They learned this from the Bush administration’s own intelligence estimates. The war is only one issue on which McCain, as the all-but-certain Republican nominee, is out of step with the voters. Health care is another: While Clinton and Obama have offered far-reaching proposals to make health insurance available to millions of uninsured Americans, Republicans aren’t offering so much as a bandage. Or take the economy, which at present is the biggest issue in the campaign (and which, McCain famously said, he doesn’t really understand that well). The Democrats have tapped into the widespread discomfort and insecurity that polls indicate many Americans feel, while McCain and the Republicans can only talk about more tax cuts and the eternal glory of free and unfettered markets. Message: We don’t care. Huckabee, no doubt refreshed from his sojourn in the Caymans, was back on the campaign trail in Wisconsin on Monday. He vows to continue at least through Texas on March 4, but the writing has been on the wall for some time. If I were a Republican poobah and wanted to hustle him out of the race more quickly, I’d find a billionaire to bankroll a new syndicated talk show: “Huckabee!” One thing he has proved is that he’s a master of the form, maybe even good enough to go toe-to-toe with Oprah. McCain, meanwhile, will be locked in his own battle—against history and the public mood. Eugene Robinson’s e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at)washpost.com. © 2008, Washington Post Writers Group Previous item: A 'Challenge' Worth Challenging Next item: Unconventional Wisdom Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.
By David, February 20 at 8:40 am # It was really funny (or actually scary) to hear McCain say yesterday, literally, that he will do whatever it takes to make sure people are not deceived into believing things will actually change. Can he really think this is a winning message? While I’m not naive enough to believe Obama (at whom his attack was directed) will change or overhaul the whole system in four or eight years, are there any people out there who think that the state of afairs in America are good right now???
By odlid, February 22 at 1:06 am # Re: Re:from Feb20 post by Marshall: Marshall, your computer must be playing tricks on you. After reading your post on Feb22, I looked over the policy links on Obama’s site and it is loaded with specific remedies to specific problems.
By Ba Ba Sheep, February 19 at 5:22 pm # Re: ExtremismGood Lord. I thought I went back in time reading your comment. Please pull out the Matrix-like tube from the back of your neck. You actually think they want that law imposed on us? Do you know how many live over here in the U.S.? If anyone of them wanted to come after you, me, and our families they would’ve done so by freckin now. BOO!!! You freaks crack me up.
By chabuka, February 19 at 11:22 am # Bush on SteroidsOh right...every body wants another Bush term...on war steroids..!
By Charlie Kasnick, February 19 at 9:27 am # John Mccain would be hard to beat if the real John
By steve, February 19 at 9:13 am # losing message?Mc Cain’s losing message? Elections and endorsements don’t really matter any more anyways. If the Multinational Corporations want McCain, then McCain will be “elected”. If the Multinational Corporations want Hillary, then Hillary will be “elected”. If the Multinationals decide on Barack, then Barack will be “elected”. If Barack tries to actually change anything, he will soon find himself impeached as the result of some kind of manufactured scandal.
By Grousefeather, February 19 at 8:37 am # There’s been many references to McCain’s hot temper since the beginning of the presidential campaign. Aparently, when pushed he’ll strike like a coiled snake, letting loose a barrage of expletives in a most explosive manner. However, in my view it’s not McCain’s hot temper that’s at issue, because after all, everyone has a temper. The real issue where McCain is concerned is his apparent lack of self-control. Do we really want a president/commander and chief who’s unable to control his passions.
By Sang Ze, February 19 at 5:07 am # Despite his obvious flaws, McCain will will easily. After all, no one wants to elect a plagiarist, or a candidate who thinks being the spouse of an elected official qualifies as experience. The Democrats have already given the man the presidency. Add Your Comment |
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