Time magazine’s Mark Halperin offered an interesting list today: a 16-point guide on what, in Halperin’s opinion, John McCain’s campaign can do to tear Barack Obama down. As Halperin sees it, McCain’s campaign is “staffed with savvy, experienced operatives who have closely watched the rise of Obama, and they have learned from Clinton’s failure to take down her Democratic rival.”
So, what’s the game plan? Here’s Halperin’s list, including attacks to be levied by McCain, McCain’s campaign, and attack dogs working on McCain’s behalf. Some of my favorites:
1. Play the national security card without hesitation.
That would probably be easier if McCain had an effective national security strategy — beyond “go get ‘em” — and hadn’t been wrong about Iraq in every possible way for nearly six years.
2. Talk about the Iraq War without apologies or perceived contradiction.
Too late, McCain is already contradicting himself, claiming he opposed Rumsfeld (he didn’t), opposed “stay the course” (he didn’t), called for Rumsfeld’s resignation (he hadn’t), and insisting he warned Americans from the start how difficult the war would be (he hadn’t).
3. Go at Obama unambiguously from the right.
The more McCain gives up the middle, the more independents will prefer Obama.
4. Encourage interest groups, bloggers, and right-leaning media to explore Obama’s past.
I hear those kindergarten papers are fascinating.
5. Make an issue of Obama’s acknowledged drug use.
If you say so, but if they push this too far, Cindy McCain’s record might become fair game, too.
6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.
Time magazine’s Mark Halperin seriously recommends racist attacks? What?
10. Use his sterling war record to reinforce his image of patriotism and valor – and contrast it with his opponent’s.
Maybe, if this race becomes “the future vs. the past,” heroic military service in the 1960s may prove to lack political salience now.
11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.
If and when McCain gets to the “Hussein” nonsense, we’ll know his desperation factor is awfully high.
13. Face an electorate less consumed with “change change change” (the main priority for Democratic voters) and keenly interested in “ready from day one” as an equally important ideal.
Maybe, but it’s tougher to sell “ready from day one,” when McCain has been “wrong from day one” on all the issues voters care about.
14. Link biography (experience/courage) and leadership (straight talk) to a vision animated by detail – accentuating Obama’s relative lack of specificity.
That’d be great if McCain didn’t offer fewer specifics than any major candidate in either party.
16. Confront Obama with a united, focused campaign absent of second-guessing, which hits the same themes and message every day.
Given McCain’s propensity for saying whatever pops into his head, a disciplined campaign may prove to be a tall order.
I guess we’ll find out soon enough if Halperin’s 16-step guide is what McCain needs, but I’m a little skeptical.
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Number five, I believe, is especially important, and your counter-tactic is perhaps the best way to take care of it.
I don’t think there’s anyway McCain can do to beat Obama. And I think the GOP knows it too.
Obama has youth on his side and optimism, which is highly contagious.
What’s McCain got? Fear? Iraq? People are sick of that shit!
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it’s all he’s got…actually it’s tarnished by torture vote.
They’re going to attack Michelle Obama. It will be a combination of racist attacks “she’s edgy” and to undermine his masculinity “she wears the pants in the family”. It’s just starting. Oprah will be dragged in, as well. It’s going to get very ugly. I sure hope they a plan of defense beyond “change” and “reaching across the aisle”.
I’ve got one thing to say….quoting Bill Maher from his terrible show of last week….the one shining comment….regarding Obama vs McCain…
“It will be like Youtube vs Feeding tube”
Bush=McCain…..that should be coming out of every Democratic voter’s mouth, all day, every day…. THERE ARE NO DIFFERENCES… NOT ONE.
You can ‘be a maverick’ when you’re a senator, but as soon as the GOP puts that crown on your head, you are OWNED by Big Oil, Big Pharma, the Military Industrial Complex, and are a servant of the Power Republican families….
I agree that this is all pretty pathetic, although probably an accurate rendering of the what’s coursing through all those lizard-brains at the moment. However, it’s not as if there aren’t legitimate arguments to be made against Obama which, for whatever reason, Clinton has not touched. I’m still very nervous about all of this:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/.....6725.story
At least Mr. “Keating Five” isn’t in much of a position to leverage the anti-corruption angle. Still, I don’t see what Obama could possibly do or say to dispel the appearance of impropriety in this Rezko house deal.
I love the smell of desperation in the morning. It smells like … victory.
McCain’s got nothing.
GoodGod @ 4:
Do not underestimate the power of Oprah.
If she wants to give you a car, you’re getting a car !
This list of his sounds like satire. Does he think the public wants to hear about war right now? Maybe, but only if the words “bring them home” is included. And playing the race card? What decade are we living in? Yeah sure, there is someone out in our country who has never been to war but happily cheers it on from his couch and who still believes he is of the superior race, but that guy isn’t going to get off his lazy ass and take the trouble to get out and vote.
I would be ashamed to pen my name as the author of that list.
If all else fails McCain can remind the public that he endorsed the teaching of intelligent design in American schools back in 2005. That might play well with the insane voters.
So our MSM is now giving out TIPS to McCain on how to win now?
Why can’t these “reporters” just stick to the news? If only we had more journalists giving us FACTS instead of the idiotic guess work that’s lodged in their tiny brains.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
I have a sneaking suspicion that Bush will try to pull out before the Republican Convention (just like his daddy shoulda, lole! [/cliché]) so as to close off a few votes to Obama. Everyone ought to be prepared to call bullshit on it if/when it happens.
http://www.theonion.com/conten.....ally_leaks
pissed off patricia @ 9:
I don’t know the author but I could have easily written that list. The list says that McCain has nothing solid to stand on and the author of the list recognizes that. So he’s saying if McCain wants even the slightest chance he has to manufacture fear and fake outrage and hopefully some of it will stick.
My point is I’m not sure the author is saying it’s the right thing to do. He’s just saying it’s McCain’s only chance. And me reading between the lines, it also says that chance is a risky long-shot.
Hillary has already tried the ’soft’ attack, the ‘hard’ attack, the race card, the drug card, the inexperience card, you name it. Obama just gets more popular by the hour.
Remember the Democratic trump card ….. BUSH !!
compared to him, inexperience, drug use and corruption seem silly.
you cannot stop a 50,000-ton freight train heading downhill by shooting spitballs at it.
Payback’s a bitch.
Number 10: Will McCain allow his records as a pow be made public? So far they have been sealed. If you are going to play off your war record, then we the public have the right to see those records.
So that’s how they’ll go after our VP pick. But what’s his strategy towards our Democratic presidential nominee - Hillary?
I think a potential good defense for Obama’s past drug use to ask what McCain current drug use. Seriously. Do you know any 70+ year olds that aren’t taking tons of meds? with all kinds of side effects?
Halperin is a day late and a dollar short on that one. It’s standard practice. National radio talk-tool Bill Cunningham received his memo and was repeating the “Barack MOHAMMED HUSSEIN Obama” and “madrassa” smears ten times an hour two months ago.
BTW Mark, just a tip ~ America POWs whose memories actually were being refreshed for five years near the border of Manchuria, might want to keep an arm’s length from bringing talk about any “Manchurian Candidate prisms” into the debate.
Obama will wipe the floor with McCain. The republicans will scream the whole time and bore us to death with McCain’s record as a “hero”, but at the end of the day all they have is the 2008 version of Bob Dole.
My political blog
ProudLiberal @ 14:
Yep, that pretty much jibes with what I’m expecting. (H/T)
ProudLiberal @ 14:
Too true for comfort. If the election does go off, which I personally don’t believe it will. You’ll have the rigged voting machines and vote blocking to contend with. I still wonder why in the world that the Bush gang would want to leave office. That silly little constitutional thing that says they have to? Have you checked out the constitutions health lately? Wasn’t it Bush who said it’s just a piece of paper? When all that money and power is flowing so nicely into Dick and Georges veins, just like a hit of drugs. How in the world can you wean them from it. Short of a revolution that is.
I don’t see how Obama’s dabbling in drugs can hurt him in the eyes of a growing base of pot smokers…
I don’t see how Obama can lose - after all, he can fix your computer (and more!) - See http://obamawill.com
Verdillac @ 25:
You’d be surprised. Potheads tend not to make it out to the polls that reliably.
“Vote ? Was that today?”
Senator Chis Dodd will endorse Obama today.
Thank you once again, Senator Dodd. We heart you for that.
11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama’s unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.
Yeah, because in the Manchurian Candidate, a soldier was captured during the war and subjected to torture, resulting in the brainwashing of said soldier.
This is a winning strategy because, after all, Barack was shot down over Vietnam and spent a great deal of time in the Hanoi Hilton.
I think there may be more potheads and ex-potheads out here today than there are those who never tried anything.
Brilliant strategy-that ought to keep it within 10 points. I think even the American Idol, Jack Bauer TV simpletons have caught on to the GOP’s M.O. Corporate America can only squeeze your balls for so long in the name of “national security”.
Obama can attack Mac on the age thing by publicly referring to his opposition research people as ‘historians’
Wow. Bring it! I’ve been wavering between Hilary/Obama, being in a state yet to vote. Neither are particularly progressive in my estimation. Well, I went over to Obama because of how he responded to the attacks on his patriotism: he called out the phony patriotism of the folks who didn’t give the troops what they needed and didn’t provide all that wounded servicemen and women needed when they returned. Right on!
Is this the best the right has? Bring it. I feel confident Obama can take it. And go on the offensive.
I can’t wait for the VP picks. Given the choices out there, McCain’s pick can only make him worse, Obama’s pick can only add to the tidal wave (unless it’s HRC, but come on).
This is going to be delicious.
Halperin is clearly delusional.
RePIGlicans have nothing left to offer America.
They are a dying party of old of pasty white “christian” males - each one of them with one hand in their pants, the other waving wildly, as they run around their war rooms with glazed eyes shouting - “Bomb them! - CARPET Bomb Them!! - BOMB EVERYBODY!!!”
They really don’t care who they bomb though - as long as we are bombing someone, with someone else next in line.
They have no place in the new world and should just quietly leave the stage and leave the adults to clean up their mess - if it’s not too late.
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6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama..
Mark Halperin desperately needs to get his ass kicked.
What a ****sucking ***hole.
And in TIME magazine, no less. Wow. I guess we’re “over race” in this country.
Unfortunately, all McCain needs is a very small swing, based on current polls
http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....ional.html
If Hillary was the opponent, he’d already be ahead.
The most important factor for Obama will be keeping the young, black and women voters motivated and getting them out to vote in November.
A better strategy for McCain would be to encourage apathy
If that is McCain’s strategy then its pretty poor in my opinion. Hyping Iraq and national security did not work very well in the 2006 Congressional elections and may be even worse for the GOP in 2008. Many voters see the GOP as warmongers, war criminals or just plain incompetent.
Next, the third option may backfire on McCain. If they come at Obama from the far right the voters may find (as James Dobson has pointed out) that McCain shares many of the same ideals as the Democrats. At least, that is how the far right wing see it. By doing this, they may make McCain out to be even less popular in the GOP that he already is.
Lastly, number 10 on that list did not work for Bob Dole or John Kerry against another candidate that did not serve and this may not work for McCain either. A candidates military service and/or patriotism may play with some but most Americans consider that not necessarily a needed qualification these days. Especially with the current Iraq and Afghanistan debacles. McCain’s service record did not help him in 2000 and more than likely will not help in 2008 against a very popular Obama.
How many Democratic debates have we had so far? About 10,000 it would seem, and yet for Hillary it all pretty much comes down to this one tonight. She must be feeling some serious pressure and anxiety today. I doubt either Hillary or Obama would feel that much pressure in any debate with McCain. McCain isn’t good at debates and he really shows his age with his attempt at humor. No matter who the Dem. candidate is, all they have to do is be smart and take the high road when the smear attacks come at them. So far Obama is handling this stuff perfectly and thanks to Hillary’s campaign people he’s getting a lot of practice ahead of time.
clinton, nader, and mccain are all out to force-feed me:whether it’s more war, more tax cuts, more bill, more smears, more cynicsm, more doubt, more fear… and i TELL you, i REJECT this! it’s ironic that we’ve lost manufacturing jobs in this country, we can’t MAKE the things that makes modern life functional and convenient, but can make up a whole lot of useless crap,and spend
a king’s ransom for it-damned near treat it like gold! that’s how sick and disposable our society has become! . maybe this is a movement that, surprise,surprise…will be led by the nation’s young(and “young- at-hearts”)to pull our national discourse from the dumpsters of history. it’s almost mindboggling that postmodern america,with its wonderous advancements still needs a pinch of enlightenment from so much ‘medievel’ destruction.
incunabulum @ 19:
Wow, this must have been posted early last year.
The obvious counter on this is that McCain has been unstable and volatile ever since he returned from Vietnam. His rage and anger-management problems - probably induced by head-trauma - are legend in DC.
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there is no McCain strategy that can win this for him. the only way he wins is if the democrats turn on each other. this has been in the repug playbook from years back. getting Darth Nader stick his ass in the race (AGAIN) is their first down play. we don’t need to sit around and see how many votes he will take from the democrats.
No 17: Rely on asshole reporters to help you out with your slimeball strategy.
Hi, I’m Mark Halperin! I’m am shitbag!
Maybe McCain could say that he would pick Dick Cheney for his vice president and george bush as his Secy of Defense. Think that might help?
CalGeorge @ 44:
Or a realist. When the policies you have to offer make no sense, hurt the country and support only the priviledged all there is left is a smear campaign.
left of center @ 43:
I agree. However, Nadar’s candidacy could just as easily take votes away from McCain as well. McCain is not sitting pretty in the GOP and Nadar may just find that some of those GOP voters will gravitate to him instead for a wide variety of reasons. At this point, I’m having a hard time finding any Democrats or Independents that are seriously thinking about backing McCain.