Home

Mockery. It's What John McCain's Got.

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 3:39pm.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman

John McCain is so far out-classed in this electoral contest that he no longer knows where to go with his campaign. He doesn't have a leg to stand on in terms of most policy arguments. He can't compete on rhetorical skills or personal charisma. Voters are uneasy with "experience" since experience seems to have got us into the messes we find ourselves in as a country today.

But he's still got ridicule.

When McCain first secured the GOP nomination, his early ads and messages emphasized his personal history. Vietnam POW, strong on defense and so on. Only a few brave souls dared to challenge him on the military/patriot/hero narrative, but that alone hasn't been enough. Maybe that message veered towards pomposity, or just failed to be in synch with the times. Meanwhile, John McCain's many gaffes and the fact of his age haven't helped, either.

New guys have stepped in to shape the McCain message, and they are focused on turning Obama's strengths against him. Karl Rove famously used this strategy before, though he hardly invented it. War hero and highly experienced Senator John Kerry? In campaign messaging terms, that made him an anti-war traitor as well as a weak-kneed flip-flopper on policy. Go figure.

Now that Barack Obama has demonstrated leadership ability on the world stage, great popular appeal at home, and a cool head and clear intelligence as a campaigner and in formulating policy -- "despite" his ethnic heritage -- he, of course, must be portrayed as a Jesus wannabe, an airhead celebrity or as simply too "uppity" and elite.

Mockery. It's all John McCain's got left, besides overt racism, which right-wing supporters will gleefully exploit in McCain's name.

Mockery worked for Papa Bush against Michael Dukakis. And for Junior against Kerry. But will voters buy it again this time?

Not likely, but also not impossible. Barack Obama, more than his predecessors, is a good fit with the times and the national mood. McCain is not.

* * *

Also see, McCain manages to insult Obama and religion in one 60-second ad.

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Bookmark/Search this post with:
buzzflash buzzflash | delicious delicious | digg digg | technorati technorati
Technorati Tags:

» login or register to post comments | printer friendly version

25 years of keeping a Senate seat warm

Submitted by ernieson on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 7:00am.
What has the "experienced" John McCain accomplished in 25 years in the Senate? He has kept a seat warm, used profanities against colleagues, been involved in the Keating 5, missed every committee hearing on Afghanistan, and tried to establish a maverick reputation. The McCain-Feingold campaign reform legislation is the only claim to success in 25 years of McCain taking taxpayers' money for keeping a seat warm. Combine this with a past of being the "Songbird" and "Skunk" of Vietnam POW camps according to fellow POWs, betrayl of 1st wife by being an adulterer with current wife, USS Forrestal disaster hot dog pilot who wet-started his jet causing the fire that killed 186 sailors, and pilot who was responsible for the loss of FIVE planes. Being shot down while bombing civilians and being a POW does not a hero make. This son-of-an-admiral sure did not put country or loyalty first. Now this hollow suit has only attacks on Obama, created by the Bush Smearhead Steve Schmidt, to offer the people of the US. We want to hear McCain talk truthfully about what he has done for this country. It would be a short speech if it came directly from him and not his spinmeisters. The Obama campaign has taken the high road thus far and needs to fight fire with fire and bring up McCain's real "experience" in his years of being on the taxpayers' payroll for his entire life. Getting paid to occupy a seat for 25 years is NOT experience and does NOT qualify a person to be POTUS.
» login or register to post comments

John McCain.

Submitted by KYJurisDoctor on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 5:53pm.
It is OBVIOUS that John McCain needs a NEW set of advisers! OsiSpeaks.com
» login or register to post comments

Who is the audience?

Submitted by Raggae on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 4:31pm.
The McCain campaign is fully aware who their target audience is for the latest attacks against Barack Obama. Having watched Hillary Clinton's campaign engage their kitchen sink strategy and how that strategy accomplished it's goal of distracting voters from substantive issues, McCain's team has simply ratcheted up things. When confronted by the toxic equation that blends together an economy in shambles, a president with one of the lowest job approval ratings in history, a populace that overwhelmingly feels that the country is on the wrong track with McCain's 95% voting record in support of the policies of the Bush regime, it becomes completely illogical to favor John McCain. This is McCain's very last run, he knows full well that a confrontation based on the merits of policy differences, voting records, and ties to special interests groups is not in his best interest. What John McCain also knows firsthand is what happens to political candidates who are viciously attacked, he knows the power of whisper campaigns and the use of race ( McCain was falsely accused of having a black love-child ). John McCain is a lot like those who participated in the Milgram experiments, but for someone of his background it makes the whole spectacle that much more bizzare.
» login or register to post comments

Still Blaming Hillary?

Submitted by Yman on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 7:24pm.
"The McCain campaign is fully aware who their target audience is for the latest attacks against Barack Obama. Having watched Hillary Clinton's campaign engage their kitchen sink strategy and how that strategy accomplished it's goal of distracting voters from substantive issues, McCain's team has simply ratcheted up things."

Still whining about the "kitchen sink"? Not even close to what's coming from McCain and the 527s. "Distracting from substantive issues"? That wasn't the Clinton campaign ........ that was the MSM. And they'll continue to do it right through the GE, just as they do every election.

But, hey ........... if it makes you feel better, keep it up. As a large number of posters on BF have said about disaffected Dems, "Who needs em! ..... Good riddens! ..... There's only a few of them!", etc.

With all the factors favoring Dems ("wrong track" numbers, failing economy, record low Presidential-approval numbers, strong dissatisfaction with the Iraq War, McCain's gaffes, etc.), it makes sense right? Obama's gonna destroy McCain. I mean, it's not like the latest couple of polls show Obama's only up by 1 point, or tied with McCain.

Yeah ............ that's a great strategy ................

.......................................... if you like the sound of "President McCain."

» login or register to post comments

And, Like a WWII Japanese Soldier Dug Into an Island Cave

Submitted by drprodny on Fri, 08/01/2008 - 11:01pm.
six YEARS after The War ended, Yman keeps waiting for his "Special Signal From the Empress" to rise up w/his rusty Type 38 bolt-action rifle to Do or Die for the Clinton Empire!

...probably die, when his hopelessly-outdated weapon explodes in his face the first time he actually fires the blasted thing....

BANZAI!
» login or register to post comments

Between us,Doc, you're the only one who's voted for her.

Submitted by Yman on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 10:44am.
How many times was it? You never seem to want to fess up. Guess that blew up in your face, huh "Doc"? Still angry about that, huh? I'm curious, though. How long before you turn on Obama (In the minds of some here, you already have, I guess)? I'm guessing 1 year after the election ....... anybody want to start a pool?

What will it be that finally forces you out of your cave (or, more appropriately, out from under your bus)?

FISA and telecom immunity? (I know that pissed you off)

expanding Bush's "Faith-Based Initiative" and courting the "Christian" right

the Wayne LaPierre gift (2nd Amendment right to bear arms applies to individuals)?

Limiting mental health exception to abortion restrictions?

Public campaign financing (at least, when it's beneficial)?

Expanding the war in Afghanistan?

or the latest - support for offshore drilling?

When (in your mind) will Obama morph into that which you claim to so despise - a triangulating, centrist, Repug-lite pol? Presumably, not until after the election (he's better than McCain on the issues, right?).

Oh .......... almost forgot. You "true progressives" are gonna "hold his feet to the fire", right? Exactly how are you going to do that, again? Threaten to withhold support? Threaten to vote for someone else? Threaten to stay home? I saw your (and others') attempts to pressure him to oppose the FISA "compromise". How'd that work out for you? Not so good, huh? ......... shocker. It's a shame Obama's not an "empress," 'cause she opposed the FISA compromise from the begining, and actually followed through.

Guess you just add another notch to your bedpost every time you're duped?

Just how many beds do you go through?

» login or register to post comments

Hillary's Y(es)man

Submitted by Norm on Tue, 08/05/2008 - 4:35pm.
Y(es)man, I give credit where credit is due and I appreciate that Hillary voted against the new FISA law. There is very little else I can appreciate Hillary for.
» login or register to post comments

"Very little else ....."

Submitted by Yman on Mon, 08/11/2008 - 10:14am.

".... I can appreciate Hillary for?" Really, Norm?

..................... am I supposed to care?

» login or register to post comments