Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
Advice for McCain Now that John McCain has locked up the Republican nomination, I can put on my cynical advisor hat. I’m sure that he’s gotten most of the advice below, but from someone else, who can keep a straight face.by Bob Nightingale
(libertarian)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Last night (3/4/08) John McCain won the VOTR states of Vermont, Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island, making him the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. Eight months ago his bankrupt campaign came back from the ashes and did whatever was necessary to secure his title.
Going forward, he's going to have to sell himself to the general electorate. It's all marketing.
He's going to have to go after both Barack and Hillary, until one of those two is the clear winner. It won't be too hard to take them both on for now, since their positions are very similar.
He's going to have to march right down the political center. His tightrope walk will have to include shoring up the disgruntled Republican base, while at the same time chip away at key Democratic issues. His lack of ideological Puritanism will server him well.
Keep saying "Victory in Iraq". You will be inheriting an unpopular war in the Middle East. Americans don't like to lose. Most of the Republican loyalists believe that a strong War on Terror is a good thing. But most Americans want out of Iraq. Your "surge is working" is the first step in the selling of this unpopular war. The second half is to tone down your "100-years in Iraq" statement to mean that you want to be friends with moderate Iraqi patriots, or something like that. Sell the U.S. presence there as a "stabilizing force for humanity". Oh, yeah, keep saying "my friends" every time you want to say "you suckers". It has that insincere Jimmy Carter way of saying "I want to be your friend". It worked for him--for at least for one term.
Don't pretend to know economics. By stating earlier in your campaign that the economy wasn't your strong suit, you can claim both ignorance and consistency. Get some advisors and pollsters who will feed you nice things to say. You might as well keep saying "free trade" and supporting NAFTA. It's already on the books. You might have trouble with Ohio, since they're blaming NAFTA for all their unemployment. But you're on record in Michigan saying those jobs aren't coming back anyway.
Don't worry about the deficit. Keeping the Bush tax cuts shows that you're a true conservative without having to do anything. Republicans have abandoned any facade of wanting smaller government. They're only interested in cutting Democratic-proposed programs. Global Warming, health care, energy independence, the War on Terror all cost trillions, and it's not your money anyway. Saying you're in favor of those things will get you votes that you don't have to pay for in your lifetime.
Appoint Huckabee or Romney as VP. They actually have experience as chief executives of something. They also had over 200 delegates each. They can give you street cred with the Evangelicals and fill in the gaps in your message. Depending on the state, people actually like them. If you hint to either that you will only be a one-term president, you will get a vigorous VP who might want to campaign for you. Until you do, neither one is going to say a nice thing in your direction. You need some friends.
Quit pandering to the religious right. See point #4. You got them. You don't need to make enemies with Catholics and Jews. Save your religious war for the "Islamo-Facists". They don't poll well.
Emphasize "Unity". McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, and McCain-whatever shows you're willing to compromise on just about anything. You're the best at reaching across the aisle. Push your friendships with Joe Biden and Joe Lieberman. It's who you are.
Explain your ability to Learn. I thought it was a nice touch last night, when you said that you are going on a "listening" tour. It worked for Senator Clinton when she had no idea what would sell to New Yorkers. Take notes. You've got great experience learning what works with the immigration issue. Your friends like that.
Use George Bush judiciously. He can help you raise money in the Republican Party and solidify your War-on-Terror base. But he won't get you votes from Democrats. His endorsement only comes when it's safe for him. You don't owe him any favors. He could have picked you as VP instead of Dick Cheney (twice!), but didn't. Your toughest job is to separate yourself from the negatives in the Bush record. You will have to differ with him on the details, since most of your platform is a continuation of current policies.
John McCain wasn't my first choice. Between now and November, I don't know if he is my second or third choice. As just some guy in the peanut gallery, I'm amazed he got this far.
Although he's got a lock on the Republican Party, there are a lot of Democrats who came out to vote in these primaries--at least twice as many than Republicans last night in Texas and Ohio. Obama and Clinton have raised mountains of money, and look like they can get more. Last summer, Republicans were miffed by the immigration bill that McCain sponsored, and kept their wallets to themselves. His primary coffers are dry.
He's got seven months to watch his opponents and craft a message that will sell.
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