Ever since this campaign started 2 years ago, Dems have been licking their teeth waiting to tell America about how George "26%" Bush has caused so many problems, and how badly his administration has governed.
And everyone would agree.
So back in 07 the Dems decided they would simply refer to any republican presidential candidate as "a continuation of George Bush's policies"
And everyone would vote Dem, because who wants another four years of Bush, right?
So McCain gets the nomination, and the Dems say it over and over, every day: "John McCain is just like George Bush!"
So...
Why is the race tied?
Why aren't most Americans buying this argument?
Why aren't Americans afraid of McCain?
It's because the framing is all wrong.
By continually blaming the past eight years on Bush, the Dems are letting all the other Republicans off the hook. Even the republicans are blaming Bush - Hell, the republicans LIKE it when Dems blame Bush, because the republicans can easily agree with them!
What Democrats SHOULD be saying is this:
"The past eight years have been a REPUBLICAN disaster."
Not a "Bush Administration" disaster...
A REPUBLICAN disaster
over and over
A Republican disaster
Dems: PLEEEZE forget about Bush...Don't even bring him up anymore; blame ALL Republicans.
This race should be about the Republican method of mis-government, and Dems MUST steer the discussion in this direction if they hope to win this year.
The tired tactic of trying to scare undecideds by saying McCain "is the same as Bush" ISN'T WORKING.
Why?
Most swing voters remember that McCain squabbled with Bush over various issues over the past few years. They think McCain disagreed with Bush a few times, so maybe McCain won't be as bad as Bush. Trying to beat them over their heads with this won't work - it hasn't worked very much at all. If it did, Obama would be doing better.
Now McCain is attacking Obama from the left on 'reform' and 'regulation', because O and the Dems have been too afraid to take on the GOP on as a party and a philosophical ideology.
But linking the incompetence of the past 8 years with ALL republicans puts McCain (and ALL republicans) on much shakier defensive ground. He CAN'T say "I'm not a Republican".
The republican brand was sinking, but Dems failed to fully torpedo the GOP brand because they spent too much rhetorical ammo blaming Bush alone instead of the GOP as a whole. McCain has recently injected some enthusiasm into his campaign, Bush has been almost completely forgotten by everyone, and it's about time the Dems started focusing on GOP failures of the past 8 (hell, 30) years, and go after them philosophically.
Dems who bring up "Bush" again and again sound like broken records. Shift the discussion to failed REPUBLICAN policies, not "Bush" policies.