It is becoming increasingly clear that the McCain camp is copying from the Rove playbook by projecting his own weakness on his opponent. Another new ad today hits Obama on taxes, creating the fear spiral that Obama will raise middle class taxes through the roof.
Forget for a moment that it is not Obama's plan at all. Forget the talking points about Obama's plan that make him look like he is on the defensive when he needs to "clarify" his plan.
Let's take a look at McCain's tax record. Frankly, it ain't pretty.
According to a recently leaked campaign memo from the McCain camp, McCain's whole strategy is based upon the premise of making Obama look like a "job killing machine":
In a McCain campaign "Economic Communications Plan" that was obtained by the Huffington Post, an aide to the Senator lays out several themes, tactics and objectives to shore up the Arizona Republican's standing on the economy and paint Barack Obama as a "job killing machine."
"Our polling tells us that Americans are still not tuned into what the candidates might do to fix the economy," reads the memo. "We have an opportunity to fill in that gap."
The strategy, which was authored by Taylor Griffin -- a veteran of the Bush White House and Treasury Department who serves McCain as a senior adviser -- seems built around traditional themes. The McCain campaign will paint Obama as being "aligned with trial lawyers" and "unions (card check, trade, education reform)," and push the frame that he "raises taxes" and "will kill jobs."
The last sentence is key. McCain is pushing a frame of fear that Obama will raise taxes and kill jobs. Plain and simple, that is the McCain strategy. Trust the older experienced guy. I won't raise your taxes.
McCain's problem is his own record, and that supply side conservatives in his own party don't believe his bullshit. Campaign memos aside, that the real reason to go after Obama this hard on taxes. Shore up the base.
Because shoring up the base is the only chance he's got. I know Republicans who are conservative on social values who are going to sit this election out because McCain isn't conservative enough on social issues. I also now Republicans who are conservative on economic policy and don't give a fig about social issues (Giuliani type voters) who can't stand McCain because he isn't the McCain of 2000, and isn't conservative enough on the economy.
Why do they feel this way? Because of stuff like this.
Take Grover Norquist's group Americans for Tax Reform. Hardly a liberal bastion on tax policy. Right there, in the link above, is their critique of McCain's tax policy record. Highlighted on that page is McCain's vote summary on taxes:
Vote Summary
* McCain voted no on 6 tax cuts including the two big votes - final passage of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.
* McCain voted yes on 3 tax cuts including 2 which received near unanimous support in the Senate and were relatively non controversial.
* McCain was not present for an additional 3 tax votes, including 2 on the very important American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.
* McCain does not support permanent repeal of the estate tax, a major goal of the taxpayer movement.
* McCain has told reporters "off the record" that he would raise taxes if elected President
Clearly Grover and Gang don't like McCain a bit. The best part is they used to like him a lot:
From 1994 through 1997, McCain scored a perfect 100 in each year representing a Reagan-type approach to taxpayer issues.
BUT...
...as his ambitions for the President increased his ratings significantly dropped.
Funny, isn't it? The guy who claims Obama isn't genuine exposed by his own party as not being genuine. A flip-flopper on taxes...all because he wanted to be President.
It gets better. Just a week ago, McCain left tax hikes as a distinct possibility of his Presidency:
"I don't want tax increases. But that doesn't mean that anything is off the table" when it comes to Social Security, he said over the weekend, an open-to-interpretation remark that drew a prompt challenge from the conservative Club for Growth.
"We hope you will clarify where you stand on this important issue and reaffirm your commitment to eschew all tax increases," wrote Pat Toomey, the group's president.
So, given the challenge from the Club for Growth, McCain did "clarify" (flip-flop?), saying "No" to any new tax increases.
But as the CBS article points out...
Regardless of his answer, McCain's underlying problem is a lack of trust among economic conservatives in his own party. There's no surprise in that. Citing deficit concerns, he voted against the tax cuts the current President Bush pushed through Congress in 2001.
Now, with red ink headed into record territory, he favors a permanent extension of the same cuts he once opposed, saying anything else would be a tax increase.
Democrats call that a politically motivated flip-flop. By any name, it seems to make Toomey nervous.
And why wouldn't they be nervous? After all, the McCain of 2000 said:
There you have it. The underlying reason to go after the tax stuff on Obama?
Shore up that shaky base.
It's time to nip this sucker in the bud. Push it far and wide that you can't trust McCain on taxes. Guarantee those disaffected conservatives stay home on Election Day.
And destroy this strategy for McCain once and for all.
UPDATE: More video below from Jack Cafferty's show during the primaries back in February. Check out the mail he got on the issue on McCain's tax stance...lots of folks who don't trust McCain on the issue. Has to be repeated over and over again...don't let McCain try to steal this this frame...