WJP #100 - Why McCain Never Had A Chance
Posted on Nov. 5, 2008 at 10:05 PM in Today's Entry
Libertine has an excellent post with four great points. You should click the link and read the post. Really. Then come back here for my take.
Back so soon? No, that will never do. Go back and READ the post. Ingest it.
Ooookay. Now we can jump off (you better have read it. There might be a test later...)
I agree with Lib that during John McCain's concession speech the "Maverick" had returned. It was one of the greatest political speeches of our time and trust me, it will be recognized as such years from now. All you heard about John McCain being a war hero and a servant for his country is all true. And that is partly one of the reasons he lost.
1) The disappearance of "The Maverick": When John McCain lost in 2000, it did something to him. Karl Rove and Dick Cheney used every disgusting tactic in the book and shredded this decent war hero of every dream he had. Eight years later, McCain believed those tactics is what wins elections. He never realized that the same reviled tactics that were used against him were now recognized for the heinous acts they were. And he severely underestimated the discipline of the man he was running against. The Maverick had disappeared and in his place was... George W. Bush.
2) Govenor Sarah Palin: While I understand his need to embrace the conservative base who long believed he abandoned them, he obviously didn't do his homework. The baggage Palin bought with her (and I'm not referring to her family - I'm referring to her politics and her own shady tactics) clearly didn't help. Plus her obvious inexperience was laid bare by none other than one of the softest interviewers in the business - Katie Couric. That's not a knock on Katie, it's just a fact. She has a soft way of getting to a point and one that anyone who has done their background work can clearly work with and look good doing it. Plus, let's be honest - these weren't Mike Wallace 60 Minute Pitbull questions. "What magazines do you read?" She couldn't answer that. Plus, and let's really be honest, Tina Fey absolutely buried her, dirt and all. Even laid a wreath on her at the end. Couple all of that with McCain's age and health issues and her being that close to the presidency was a dead issue that even those in the center spoke out on and those were the ones that McCain believed he could count on. On a side note - clearly the woman is insane and she likes the spotlight and has an agenda that will extend her alotted 15 minutes of fame. The conservative base of Hollywood is actually thinking she can take on Oprah. Don't believe the hype, Sarah. Go back to shooting moose, it's safer than Hollywood.
3) Poor management and contradictions: McCain's team was horrible. Almost every move they had him make was to pander to a base that did not embrace him. And really - "Joe The Plumber"? Where did he even think this was his meal ticket to the White House? Flashes of the old Maverick would emerge as in the last debate and when on the tour, people would make sick and horrible remarks about Obama and he would have to correct them. He had Fox News and Rush Limbaugh attacking him and then half-heartidly embracing him which sent conflicting messages throughout the core base. He wanted his old friend Joe Libermann to be his running mate and it was obvious how upset he was that he was told there would be a fight on the convention floor if he made that choice. He had barely any allies and was surrounded by vultures that he invited to his party. The man looked like he was drowning.
4) Barack Obama: I know some will argue but in many ways, it was race that also played a part. While McCain obviously could care less, it was clear his team believed that because he was running against an untested, young African-American male would be a simple task. Again, they didn't do their homework but what is worse is that they didn't believe their own eyes. Here was a man that clearly was not going to be baited into the age old "Angry Black Man" routine, who was vastly intelligent and was using the tools of the day. Obama used his community organizing skills and ran a campaign that embraced technology, ground work and couple that with his intelligence and fortitude showed a man that could not only lead this country but actually made people believe they counted. His campaign was inclusive to all. He would even give his opponents their just due when he believed they were in the right. He never backed down from telling the absolute truth and was embraced for it. Eight years ago, that John McCain would looked at that young man and actually acknowledge his sense of pride of running against him. Instead, he was made to pander to those who couldn't understand for the life of them what they were witnessing. And by the time McCain tried to take control of his own campaign, it was far too late.
Comments?
Back so soon? No, that will never do. Go back and READ the post. Ingest it.
Ooookay. Now we can jump off (you better have read it. There might be a test later...)
I agree with Lib that during John McCain's concession speech the "Maverick" had returned. It was one of the greatest political speeches of our time and trust me, it will be recognized as such years from now. All you heard about John McCain being a war hero and a servant for his country is all true. And that is partly one of the reasons he lost.
1) The disappearance of "The Maverick": When John McCain lost in 2000, it did something to him. Karl Rove and Dick Cheney used every disgusting tactic in the book and shredded this decent war hero of every dream he had. Eight years later, McCain believed those tactics is what wins elections. He never realized that the same reviled tactics that were used against him were now recognized for the heinous acts they were. And he severely underestimated the discipline of the man he was running against. The Maverick had disappeared and in his place was... George W. Bush.
2) Govenor Sarah Palin: While I understand his need to embrace the conservative base who long believed he abandoned them, he obviously didn't do his homework. The baggage Palin bought with her (and I'm not referring to her family - I'm referring to her politics and her own shady tactics) clearly didn't help. Plus her obvious inexperience was laid bare by none other than one of the softest interviewers in the business - Katie Couric. That's not a knock on Katie, it's just a fact. She has a soft way of getting to a point and one that anyone who has done their background work can clearly work with and look good doing it. Plus, let's be honest - these weren't Mike Wallace 60 Minute Pitbull questions. "What magazines do you read?" She couldn't answer that. Plus, and let's really be honest, Tina Fey absolutely buried her, dirt and all. Even laid a wreath on her at the end. Couple all of that with McCain's age and health issues and her being that close to the presidency was a dead issue that even those in the center spoke out on and those were the ones that McCain believed he could count on. On a side note - clearly the woman is insane and she likes the spotlight and has an agenda that will extend her alotted 15 minutes of fame. The conservative base of Hollywood is actually thinking she can take on Oprah. Don't believe the hype, Sarah. Go back to shooting moose, it's safer than Hollywood.
3) Poor management and contradictions: McCain's team was horrible. Almost every move they had him make was to pander to a base that did not embrace him. And really - "Joe The Plumber"? Where did he even think this was his meal ticket to the White House? Flashes of the old Maverick would emerge as in the last debate and when on the tour, people would make sick and horrible remarks about Obama and he would have to correct them. He had Fox News and Rush Limbaugh attacking him and then half-heartidly embracing him which sent conflicting messages throughout the core base. He wanted his old friend Joe Libermann to be his running mate and it was obvious how upset he was that he was told there would be a fight on the convention floor if he made that choice. He had barely any allies and was surrounded by vultures that he invited to his party. The man looked like he was drowning.
4) Barack Obama: I know some will argue but in many ways, it was race that also played a part. While McCain obviously could care less, it was clear his team believed that because he was running against an untested, young African-American male would be a simple task. Again, they didn't do their homework but what is worse is that they didn't believe their own eyes. Here was a man that clearly was not going to be baited into the age old "Angry Black Man" routine, who was vastly intelligent and was using the tools of the day. Obama used his community organizing skills and ran a campaign that embraced technology, ground work and couple that with his intelligence and fortitude showed a man that could not only lead this country but actually made people believe they counted. His campaign was inclusive to all. He would even give his opponents their just due when he believed they were in the right. He never backed down from telling the absolute truth and was embraced for it. Eight years ago, that John McCain would looked at that young man and actually acknowledge his sense of pride of running against him. Instead, he was made to pander to those who couldn't understand for the life of them what they were witnessing. And by the time McCain tried to take control of his own campaign, it was far too late.
Comments?
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