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11-05-2008, 02:11 PM #1
Ten Things McCain Should Have Done Differently
As one of the most outspoken McCain opponents around, I thought it might be fruitful to share some insight into why I thought McCain failed and what specifically turned me off about his campaign. So, in David Letterman style, here is the top ten list of things he should have done differently:
10. Chosen a better "everyman" than Joe the Plumber
McCain basically picked this guy who looks like an even angrier version of Michael Chiklis and said to the American middle class, "This is you, all you decent, hard-working, patriotic Americans out there. Obama will screw him, and you, over." Yet this is a guy who supposedly makes $250K a year, when the average American income is only around $35K a year. On top of that, he doesn't even have a license and had a history of tax evasion. Translation: McCain thinks tax-evading rich people are "average Americans."
9. Stood up to the Christian Right
McCain was once the most respected Republican among Democratic voters (if you don't count Jim Jeffords), because of how he did exactly this and went against party dogma. But he sold out his values for a shot at the presidency, and that meant accepting the Christian Right he had once reviled as his lords and masters. People who ran lie-filled, religion-based attack ad after lie-filled, religion-based attack ad against Obama on his behalf. This basically lost him all the respect he once had on the other side of the aisle.
8. Played up the divide between Hillary Democrats and Obama Democrats
The divide was definitely hurting the Democrats and making Republicans look good, during the primaries. McCain should have taken advantage of that by saying, "Look how they can't make up their minds! I've already got my game plan going!" But instead he tried to let the problem get worse on its own, and that didn't happen. He should have gone on the offensive just as Hillary began to lose her lead and her followers started getting insecure.
7. Campaigned more in Ohio and Florida
There are states that will always vote Democratic and states that will always vote Republican. Why do you think the candidates spend little time in those states? Because they know they don't have to do anything to get those states. Ohio and Florida were the two critical states in both of Bush's victories, and McCain must have known how vital they would be in this one. He should have just parked his "Straight Talk Express" on the I-4 corridor and stayed there.
6. Done more to distance himself from Bush
Bush was smart enough to realize that showing his face at any point in the campaign would have been like a shiv in McCain's guts. But him just staying out of the picture obviously wasn't enough. McCain should have actively criticized Bush and his policies. "The last four years haven't worked very well, have they?" = FAIL. You can do better than that, Mac. He should have pointed to specific things Bush did and said why they were the wrong choice, what should have been done, and what he was going to do to fix the problems.
5. Made the economy the primary focus of his campaign
Bush was able to win in 2004 by making terrorism the focus of his campaign. And for all he says about not listening to polls, he made a good choice because the polls indicated that people were more concerned about terrorism than the economy four years ago. The opposite was true this year. Yet the vast majority of McCain's ads seemed to focus on terrorism. Even up until election day, in Florida he was running ads that said Obama wanted to pardon all illegal immigrants and let as many in as wanted to come, complete with a graphic of a Florida driver's license with Mohammed Atta's picture on it. His little stunt about suspending his campaign to focus on the economy probably happened because he realized what people's priorities were, but all it did was make him look unorganized and desperate.
4. Taken a proactive stance against racism and mob mentality at his rallies
I can't tell you how many people I saw get disgusted and turned-off with all the hate speech and violent rumblings at McCain rallies. "Do we want to be on the same side as THESE people? Do we want a leader who works for THESE people?" To be fair, McCain did do some things to counter this stuff, but not nearly enough. He should have smacked those people like the unruly dissidents they were, every time this stuff reared its head. And sabotaging him was the fact that Palin did everything she could to nurture this mentality and nothing at all to combat it, and the fact that he didn't call her out on it.
3. Run a more positive campaign with fewer attack ads
Obama: "Have hope for America! Vote for change! Yes we can!"
McCain: "GRRRR, THAT ONE HANGS AROUND WITH TERRORISTS! HE'S A SOCIALIST! GRRRR!"
I used to think Americans had no limit to the negative campaigning and mudslinging they could handle. Turns out they do after all. Everyone runs attack ads, we'll never get away from that. But in the months leading up to the elections, McCain's ads were 100% negative. People have been feeling pretty negative about the government and the economy for a long time now, and McCain wasn't helping. Here comes Obama, tossing rainbows, lollipops and unicorns around, and what does McCain do? Peek his head out of the nearest mud puddle and burble more negativity.
2. Chosen someone other than Palin for his VP
I already made my thoughts clear about why McCain picked Palin in a previous post. But for those who didn't read it, here they are: first, to try to sway Hillary supporters; second, to motivate young evangelical Christians to vote; third, to get her national exposure so she can run against Obama in 2012. The first reason failed because Hillary supporters knew that Obama was more in line with their views and values than either McCain or Palin, and realized he was just playing the gender card. The second reason backfired because once the excitement of Palin wore off, all the scandals dug up on her and her true personality began to have an opposite effect...plus, he also motivated young Democrats even MORE, because they realized what would happen if McCain won and then died in office. The third reason, well, it didn't help anyone that people were already producing "Palin 2012" merchandise a month before election day. McCain started saying he would bring change, too, way too late and after he'd already chosen someone who exemplified everything voters hated about Bush to be his VP. Everyone expected him to pick Mitt Romney, and for a good reason...that would have been a SMART choice. Probably not enough to win the election all by itself, but it would have been a big help. Even McCain himself has to realize that.
1. Not run in 2008
The sad truth for him is that he had almost no chance regardless. Bush ruined the party for Republicans.
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11-05-2008, 03:02 PM #2
I couldn't agree more...a couple friends & I sat around last night watching the returns, and we all pretty much agreed that McCain was getting blown out because of Bush. There was some poll on CNN last night that basically showed the main reason people weren't voting for McCain was because of the Bush & Cheney stench...in reality, McCain never had a chance, and Palin gave him even less of one. Funny thing is, I've already seen a guy on Fox this morning talking about Palin 2012...lol, fat chance!
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11-05-2008, 03:09 PM #3
You may say not a chance now, but what will 2012 bring. Who could of predicted we would have a black president elected in 2008???
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11-05-2008, 03:12 PM #4
Good rundown, and I think Romney would have been the best choice for the Republican party. Not only did he not get the VP nod, though - but people apparently are still too uptight about him being a mainstream Mormon for him to have a chance with many conservatives, and even more moderate Republicans.
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11-05-2008, 03:20 PM #5
yeah, i actually had this debate with some people at my last church. They were all refusing to support a mormon because he isn't a christian. My stance was, IMO, half the candidates only claim a religion because it is politically expedient. I would much rather have a candidate committed to a moral based life, then someone who claims to be a christian but doesn't live it in any way. I supported romney right behind fred thompson
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11-05-2008, 03:26 PM #6
Agreed. And Fred Thompson was another interesting candidate, but some people probably didn't take him seriously enough because he was an actor. I know Reagan was too, but he was much more nationally known, and having people more familiar with you and your stances can help candidates a lot.
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11-05-2008, 04:09 PM #7
Palin/Romney 2012....
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11-05-2008, 04:11 PM #8
Palin/Romney 2012....
IMO, Palin would be a horrible mistake for the Republicans. I think we will see some one new win the GOP nomination.
By "new", I mean none of the guys who ran for it this year (Romney, Guliani, Thompson, etc).
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11-05-2008, 07:08 PM #9
I have a feeling that either Charlie Crist or Bobby Jindal will run for the Republicans in 2012. Palin will want to, but the party elites will probably try to keep her as far away as possible. And I fear a Crist candidacy for three reasons: he's pretty young, he has great hair, and his name sounds like Christ.
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11-05-2008, 07:29 PM #10
I wouldnt mind Charlie Christ, but id like to see Romney or THompson
Can anyone say we want JEB BUSH
Too bad Georeg W didnt have a son.
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Originally Posted by gatorboymike 
