In an Opinion peice by By KARL ROVE in the Wall Street Journal (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411909182439021.html), he declares "Obama Hasn't Closed the Sale". Joe Lieberman announced recently that McCain has "Turned the corner". Even dim lightbulbs like Dick Morris proclaim "McCain's Shot at a Late Game Win". I am not being overly optimistic when I say that these people dont even begin to get it. Despite the polls, McCain has been done, toast, outta-here for quite some time. The reason? These folks are playing politics and watching under the OLD rules. They are folowing polls and analyzing the situation based upon historical comparisons to other candidates. Well, the flaws math begins there. There are no comparisons. For every voter who isnt convinced about Obama, and who needs to be sold, there are probably two who see it as a done deal. In fact, the voters who arent sold on Obama are just as unsold on McCain. In gact, obama has accomplished his mission. Voters are like a jury. Obama only had to create reasonable doubt about McCain, and he has done that. Otherwise, if McCain is such a jewel, why are these folks on the fence? In the privacy of the voting booth, these folks will vote Obama.
Rove goes on to declare that Obama's strategies are to do all he can to look presidential and display empathy on the economy. He also states that once voters take a long look at what he wants to do about it, they will be less impressed. Well, havent we heard and seen a glimmer of where each candidate wants to take us? Of the actions and proposals displayed by both, isnt the general consesus that McCain wants to maintain the status quo? Everey item sugested by McCain is what we are doing NOW. Giving money to rich people in hopes that the little guy might smell the money as it flies by on its way upwards. The Republicans will also use Obama's comment about "sharing the wealth" as some form of wealth redistribution. I dont have a problem with the term "sharing the wealth". Its what America is about, and has always done, looking out for the small guy. Tthe Government currently takes everyones money who is doing well, and distributes it to those doing less well. They did it in the form of welfare and other programs. What the Republicans have managed to do over 8 years is to take money from those paying taxes, and funnel it back to those already doing well. My gandfather would call that back-asswards. At least Obama's meaning of the term sends the money to the right people. The whole idea that we just had to send 700 billion dollars to these folks, and then McCain wanting to attack on taxes is silly in any case. The bailout has already raised all of our taxes, signed sealed and delivered by George Bush and supported 90% of the time by John McCain. As far as closing the deal, the economy has already done that for us.
Lets look back briefly as to what has happened. BEFORE the economic crises, Obama was already leading or even with McCain. For a tried and tested expert such as he announces himself to be, whats that say about McCain? Whats that say about Hillary Clinton for that matter? Everyone assumes that Obama is riding the economy to the White house, but the truth is that the economy was the nail in the coffin. A high percentage of the country already thought the country was going way wrong. Then Obama managed to get young people involved in the process. I firmly believe that McCain can bring out all the Joe Plumbers, racists, and old timers that he wants. In the end, there will be a ground swell of support, and it wont be for John McCain. At this point, I do not believe that even aterrorist attack could save his candidacy. Why? because we saw Bushes reaction to several catastrophic events, and didnt like them. Once McCain picked Sarah Palin, voters cannot see McCain, much less Palin being conpetent in an emergency. McCain was right on the surge, partly, but hes been wrong on many many other issues. Americans dont like those kind of odds. Old politics is dead. All hail a new generation of THINKERS!!!!Toss out the old play book espoused by these has-beens and pollsters. Mccain had to sell younger voters, and he didnt, he ignored them and turned them off. Obama motivated and energized them. The turnout of previously unengaged and young voters will overpower any diseent by those who havent been "sold'. Younger voters are interested in the issues, but the tax dodge that McCain will use against Obama effects them less than the "unsold". In fact, his promise of education, jobs, and health care are bigger concerns to younger voters. Luke Russert did interviews at several Universities. For the most part, although some students had questions about Obama's policies, they thought McCain was "SMUG". At the end of the day, they said if offered these choices, they would vote Obama, ploicies aside.
The key to Obama's future success is not his current standing in the polls, but his ground game. For once, I beleive that young people will show up to vote and make the difefrence, a big difference. Even my 18 year old son is talking to his peers about getting out to vote on election day. this is the same son who I cannot get to take out the trash. Under old thinking Obama has a lot of work to do, but under new thinking, McCain and Palin are TOAST.