McCain, in new tactic #47, has come up with the mantra "I've been tested." Well the Old Boy is right. Now let's look at the test results.
Given the shyte storm on our hands - economy, security, wars, environment, etc., this year each of the candidates was given a complex test. Despite McCain's mantra, "I have been tested" he seems to be ignoring the grade(s).
Unfortunately for McCain, the scores are in, they are low, the graders have amazed us, and Summer School will soon follow.
Now here are the test questions and the grades.
Question #1 Candidate McCain, how would you run your campaign? Running a campaign is a fluid and complex problem. It requires a "grand plan," forward thinking, an eye for the complex, thousands of employees and millions of dollars. Almost like running a complex nation. Can you do it well?
Graders: William Kristol, Colin Powell, George Will, & Nancy Pfotenhauer
Kristol - The McCain campaign, once merely problematic, is now close to being out-and-out dysfunctional. Its combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic.
Grade Given: F-
Powell - In endorsing Barack Obama, Colin Powell said he was disappointed and troubled by John McCain's "narrow" campaign approach and the promise of a further "rightward shift" in a McCain administration.
Grade Given: D
Will - Time was, the Baltimore Orioles manager was Earl Weaver, a short, irascible, Napoleonic figure who, when cranky, as he frequently was, would shout at an umpire, ''Are you going to get any better or is this it?'' With, mercifully, only one debate to go, that is the question about John McCain's campaign.
Grade Given: D+
Pfotenhauer - This campaign has been run so poorly that I have suggested, given the rigor mortis, that the McCain/Palin ticket go to my family's funeral home.
Grade Give: A+
Question #2 Candidate McCain, how would you handle a crisis - such as an economic melt down?
Graders: The American People, David Herbert (National Journal), Paul Krugman, George Will, & Nancy Pfotenhauer
The American People - Fifty-six percent say that Obama would do a better job than McCain on the economy, and 63 percent say he would do a better job than McCain on providing help to the middle class.
Grade - C+
Herbert - John McCain's problem isn't the economy -- it's what happens when he talks about it....His two biggest responses to the crisis -- the Sept. 24 suspension of his campaign and his proposal during Tuesday's debate that the government buy billions in failing mortgages -- rattled voter confidence in his economic leadership.
Grade Given: C-
Krugman - Then there's the frightening Mr. McCain. We've known for a long time that he doesn't know much about economics – he's said so himself, although he's also denied having said it. That wouldn't matter too much if he had good taste in advisers – but he doesn't...The real revelation of the last few weeks, however, has been just how erratic Mr. McCain's views on economics are. At any given moment, he seems to have very strong opinions – but a few days later, he goes off in a completely different direction.
Grade Given: C-
Will - I suppose the McCain campaign's hope is that when there's a big crisis, people will go for age and experience," said Will. The question is, who in this crisis looked more presidential, calm and un-flustered? It wasn't John McCain who, as usual, substituting vehemence for coherence, said 'let's fire somebody.' And picked one of the most experienced and conservative people in the administration, Chris Cox, and for no apparent reason... It was un-presidential behavior by a presidential candidate.
Grade Given: C-
Pfotenhauer - Neither Palin or McCain are equipped to run my family business, the Funeral Home. .
Grade Give: A+
Question #3 Candidate McCain, it is said the first test of a presidential candidate is who he/she chooses for his running mate - who would you pick?
Graders: Kathleen Parker, Colin Powell, David Frum, Christopher Buckley, & Nancy Pfotenhauer
Parker - As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion.
Grade Given: C-
Powell - She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired. But at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Sen. McCain made.
Grade Given: C
Frum - I think she has pretty thoroughly — and probably irretrievably — proven that she is not up to the job of being president of the United States.
Grade Given: D+
Buckley - "And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"
Grade Given: F-
Pfotenhauer - Ms. Palin has a tangible, impressive record of achievement and executive experience. She is head of the Alaska National Guard and the chairman of two multistate agencies that make energy decisions that affect all Americans. While Barack Obama spent almost all of the past two years running for president, Ms. Palin has been running a state.
Grade Given: A++++++++
FINAL GRADE BY THOSE WHO COUNT....THE VOTERS
RCP Average 10/15 - 10/21 Obama +7.0
FOX News 10/20 - 10/21 Obama +9
Rasmussen Reports 10/19 - 10/21 Obama +6
Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby 10/19 - 10/21 Obama +10
Gallup (Traditional)* 10/19 - 10/21 Obama +5
Gallup (Expanded)* 10/19 - 10/21 Obama +8
Hotline/FD 10/19 - 10/21 Obama +5
ABC News/Wash Post 10/18 - 10/21 Obama +11
IBD/TIPP 10/17 - 10/21 Obama +4
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 10/17 - 10/20 Obama +10
GWU/Battleground 10/15 - 10/21 Obama +2
Associated Press/GfK 10/16 - 10/20 Obama +1
Ipsos/McClatchy 10/16 - 10/20 Obama +8
CNN/Opinion Research 10/17 - 10/19 Obama +5
Pew Research 10/16 - 10/19 Obama +14