John McCain’s inability to remember the number of houses he owns is all over the news today. This isn’t a surprise. He makes blunder on a daily basis, and the last thing McCain needs is more attention.
The McCain campaign is desperate to make the campaign about Obama because McCain is a sure loser if the spotlight is on him.
I think Josh has been getting a little too worried about the tightening of the race, but he makes a great point in this post.
Don’t ever demand someone stop attacking you. Doesn’t work. Don’t do it. Sounds weak. Sounds pathetic. And a lot else.
He’s right. Obama went after McCain today for attacking his patriotism, but he’s doing it the wrong way. He should be mocking McCain, the way he mocked Hillary in the primary campaign. He should be mocking McCain’s desperation – it’s sad to see a man of McCain’s starure and reputation sinking so low.
This is what Biden can bring to the campaign.
Obama will figure it out.
The Obama campaign is starting to ratchet up attacks on John McCain, taking on a presumed strength in his foreign policy experience.
John McCain likes to talk tough, but talking tough is not always the best approach. Also, the country is wearly of war, and McCain’s willingness to think of military options first may not sit well with some voters.
The Obama camapign has plenty of ammunition here. McCain was itching for a fight with Iraq, as he made clear in the late 90’s and again immediately following 9/11, even before the Bush administration started speaking publicly about that option. He has taken a bellicose approach towards Iran as well.
Bottom line – can the Obama camapign paint McCain as an angry warmonger? Based on today’s comments, it looks like they’re heading in this direction.
In an apparent effort to regain the offensive, the Obama campaign launched a broad attack on McCain today, portraying him as reckless on foreign policy, a hot-head who’s too willing to use force and not willing enough to apprise himself of facts on the ground before urging military action.
On a conference call with reporters just now, senior Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice argued that there is “a pattern here of recklessness” when it comes to McCain’s approach to various national security issues. She pointed out that McCain reacted too quickly with “aggressive and bellicose” rhetoric on the Russia-Georgia crisis, and contrasted that with Obama’s measured response to the dust-up.
Richard Clarke was also on the call.
Clarke joins in on slamming “quick draw McCain,” calling him “reckless,” “trigger-happy” and “discredited.”
Obama also has some cover here, as a recent poll shows voters believe that John McCain is running a negative camapign by a 6-1 margin.
Jim Geraghty has a long list of comments made by Joe Biden over the years about John McCain, Barack Obama and the Iraq War.
The comments about McCain are not a problem. In fact, they give Biden more credibility when he levies the harsh attack that McCain has sold out all his old principles for the purpose of trying to get elected. He can say things like: “I don’t recognize this John McCain.” It will be effective because McCain has in fact turned his back on many of the positions that made him a “maverick” in the past.
As for the statements about Obama, none of those are very bad, and Biden can easily brush those off.
The toughest ones involve Iraq. He was behind the war, and he was against pulling out. He will have to explain those statements. Now, he’s come a long way, and he knows so much about the situation in IIrag and Afghanistan that he can turn any conversation to the mess the Bush administration made, but this will be the toughest area for him in light of Obama’s hard position against the war.
That said, his overall experience should help Obama with voters who worry about Obama’s lack of experience, and he’s the perfect attack dog against the ongoing attacks from the McCain camp. He would be a good choice.
Rudy Giuliani is the genius who compared George W. Bush to Winston Churchill at the 2004.
If there’s one reason I’d like to see Joe Biden as Obama’s VP choice, it’s to watch him ridicule guys like Giuliani and of course John McCain for some of the ridiculous things these guys say about national security. After his performance in 2004, and in the primaries this year, Giuliani ought to be too embarassed to speak in public. Of course, none of the networks will call him on these comments. All of the news anchors are still in awe of Giuliani.
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