As of today,the voters are focused on five issues in descending order... the economy, energy prices, Iraq, healthcare, and terrorism, according to most polling information. Most of the well known polling company surveys show Senator McCain is mired in Bush conservatism and he is therefore fatally associated with President "W"orthless Bush like a twin brother. McCain has a major problem... with the (possible) exception of terrorism, Americans seem to judge McCain as less able to deal with the major issues and problems that concern them.... they see Obama as a better fit for these troubled times.
McCain is desperate, and his ads and surrogates are out there showing their desperation to gain traction. Ninety-six days before the national election, McCain and his advisors have decided that his only chance to win is to go negative, to attack his opponent at every opportunity, using the kitchen sink strategy. These assaults are now occuring in McCain speeches, campaign ads and by surrogate representation on various cable shows. Broadly speaking, these commercials have had three themes: Obama is a flip-flopper, Obama is just an ordinary celebrity, and Obama is determined to "lose" the war in Iraq to further his political ambitions.
See what's missing here? What issues, exactly, is McCain (for), that would stimulate people to vote for him? Why isn't McCain talking about his issues rather than highlighting what he wants people to believe about Obama's positions? The answer is simple. The public doesn't like what McCain has to talk about. Not Democrats. Not Republicans. So, McCain's best chance to win is to anhilate Obama personally.
Luckily, this election, we have a candidate who is not willing to lay back and ignore the attacks. Obama has been swatting McCain right back after each attack, and the Obama defense will only get stronger as we get closer to the election and Obama will return the same favors to McCain as the election nears, when McCain will be most vulnerable, when he will have less cash on hand and when people really start paying attention to the election.
McCain's attack ads began running in late July, the first sponsored by "Let Freedom Ring," a group founded by Dr Jack Templeton. "LFR" has other projects on tap. One is a documentary about the faith of George W. Bush, Sen. Rick Santorum and Sen. Zell Miller. "LFR" President Colin Hanna believes this will help get a vote out of the four million evangelical Christians who did not vote in 2000, apparently due to disillusionment. It's similar to a McCain web ad, "words", that focuses on Obama's apparent reversal on public financing for his campaign. The "Let Freedom Ring" ad also accuses Obama of reversing his position on Iraq and handguns.
These ads fully misstate Obama's position on public financing, handguns, and Iraq and accuse Obama of wanting to raise electric bill rates. Of course, these ads obfuscate the real truth... it's Senator McCain who has made the largest number of policy flip/flop reversals. It's McCain who deserves our wrath for changing his position to further his political fortunes. This link shows a past diary of mine outlining all of McCain's flip/flops to date:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
So, it's clear that with 96 days before the presidential election, McCain has come to understand that he holds a losing hand. He's not even attempting to use a poker face here. Carrying President Bush as a millstone around his neck, and with flip/floping policy positions that are out of step with the desires and wishes of most Americans, McCain has grown desperate and made yet another flip-flop: he has abandoned his pledge to wage a positive campaign.
So are ya ready for the ride of your lives? Hop aboard the "Trash Talk Express" before it heads back to Arizona for it's final voyage!
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