Last night, I missed John Sidney's acceptance speech, primarily because I was tied up at our local Democratic Central Committee meeting.
As you can imagine, the topic of discussion eventually turned to the election and McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as VP. And, as predicted, there was a lot of anger about Palin.
She's nasty! She's dangerous! She's a right-wing radical! We can't let this woman become vice president!
It was at that point that a voice of strategic reason spoke up...
That voice was Tony. Tony has been around Democratic campaigns longer than a lot of us have been alive. In fact, I'd wager Tony is a vet of more Democratic political campaigns that 99% of us. Tony started his activist career campaigning for Harry Truman. He's a Navy veteran, and he has seen his share of scraps.
When the discussion got to Palin at the end of the meeting, Tony, who has never been shy about speaking up in meetings, stood up, slammed his hand on that table, and issued this simple warning:
Don't let them hide the ball. They did it with Spiro Agnew. They did it Dan Quayle. They won both times. Remember who the real enemy is here...JOHN MCCAIN!
Indeed, as I reflected on it, Tony is spot on. Since the Palin pick, the media, and the blogs, and Democratic activists in general have been obsessed with Palin.
But let's not forget about John McCain.
The Obama campaign certainly hasn't. They have kept extreme message and discipline control over what they want this race to be about. John McCain = more of the same.
The same failed economic policies.
The same failed foreign policy.
More tax cuts for the rich.
More giveaways to big oil.
100 years of war in Iraq.
The same, the same, the same.
It seems pretty clear that the McCain campaign is going to try to say they are for change, too, but they will bring real change, no, really, seriously. Whatever you think of Sarah Palin, hey, she represents a real change, doesn't she? I'm the original maverick, I will get it done! Remember the Straight Talk Express? Well the Maverick is back, baby, and we're hitting the road!
Don't let him get away with it. DON'T LET THEM HIDE THE BALL.
Palin isn't the issue. McCain is. Deep down, we know it, and Obama sure knows it.
As a reminder, replay this:
Rinse, lather, repeat. Over and over.
Don't let them hide the ball.
Instead, put the spotlight directly on McCain, and always remember...
He's just more of the same.