July 24, 2008
Super Bowl (John Feehery)
Barack Obama is on a roll. His speech in Berlin — before a couple hundred thousand Germans — has been largely praised by his friends in the media (I thought it was kind of flat and pretty presumptuous, but what do I know?). He successfully landed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Jordan without any serious injury, and the U.S. military provided some nice pictures to the networks.
John McCain, on the other hand, is struggling. His most memorable picture is with George Bush the First, in a golf cart, nonetheless. They looked like two guys just finishing up their gin game at the country club. Just about any story about the McCain campaign is talking about how screwed up it is. People are complaining about the lack of message, the lack of organization, the lack of good pictures, etc. The only exception was the funny commercial they put out about the blatantly obvious media bias towards Obama.
Things don’t look better for McCain on the big stage. President Bush can’t do anything to change the negative perceptions that most Americans have of him and his administration. The economy is struggling. More banks seem to failing, more people seem to be declaring personal bankruptcy, prices seem to be getting much higher for basic commodities. The Republican brand isn’t improving and probably won’t for a while, despite the fact that congressional Republicans are making some progress on the issue of gas prices.
Yep, it is all very, very bad for John McCain.
Except for one thing. Obama is just barely winning, according to the latest polls. According to a Fox poll, the game is tied. And according to a story by Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post, McCain is gaining in key battleground states like Minnesota and Colorado.
How can McCain be gaining when he has done nothing right? And how can Obama be losing steam when he seems to be doing everything right?
Perhaps St. Barack the Great is not as saintly nor as great as the pundits would have him. Sure, he has raised a lot of money, but so did Phil Gram in 1996, and look what happened to him.
Some races are won because of the technical features of the campaign. The Gore-Bush race is one example, where Bush’s superior turnout efforts barely eked out a victory. Some are just waves started by the force of personality. The Carter-Reagan race is a good example of that kind of campaign.
This race is confusing because Obama has both the electric personality and the smooth campaign. McCain is a wooden public speaker and his campaign has been in transition from the first day he announced he was running again.
And yet, McCain is still in the game.
This kind of reminds me of the last Super Bowl. The Patriots were unbeaten and seemingly unbeatable. The Giants were unorthodox, often beaten and always bruised. The media had already given the Lombardi Trophy to the Pats, figuratively if not literally.
But they played the game anyway, and we know who won.
Same thing could happen here. McCain has no chance of winning, except for the fact that he will probably win, infuriating the left and disappointing a couple hundred thousand Germans who today pulled themselves out of their favorite Biergartens in time to hear Obama give a flat yet seemingly popular speech.
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Keep dreaming, hack.
Comment by PR — July 24, 2008 @ 11:58 pm
Heeeeeeeeerrres JOHnnnnnny the haaardest working man in punditry!!!!
sorry had to do it..lol
I am not sure I would give much credence to a fox news poll.
Bush v Gore is not a good example…we all know what happened in FLA.
Reagan v Carter is much better, and I will defer to your historical expertise but wasnt Reagan either behind or barely leading in July/Aug? Reagan, like Obama simply had to convince the voters that he was competent and the rest was history.
Anyone who follows politics knows that polls between now and the election will have a high degree of volatility and will fluctuate. Obama should not peak now, he needs to reserve the bounce after the DNC convention.
Besides, wait until polls come back next week.
Lastly, Riddle me this: how do u poll someone without a landline?
Comment by Theard — July 25, 2008 @ 1:35 am
Barack's speech is such a different message and vision than the one we have had for the last 8 years built on greed, fear and war. It is the complete opposite. It was a message for the 21st Century and for the survival of the Planet — of Earth. A world where we celebrate each other based on the fact that we are all on this planet together. And that as a species of planet earth, we will not survivie if we continue to war with each other, especially with the atomic and nuclear weapons available to us today!
Barack's message and vision (for without a vision, a man/nation/world perishes) is based on the oneness of Humanity and our shared and common goals — that we are, all of earth's people, in this together and that we live in a Global Society. And, it was based on the dynamic and healing energy of love and goodwill toward each other; that we are not alone and without hope for a better world in this country and araound the world. And, it was based on the premise that there should be a freedom from fear and want everywhere in the world and that only united and understanding of one another can we build a better world for all.
What a great vision for us a people to aspire too, especially for the young teenagers and adults and the children of the world. Gives them something to look forward to other than endless years of war and hate based on geological differences, color or religious affiliation and because no matter what the outward color, inwardly, the blood of each of us, is all One Color, red! The large crowd in Germany signifies to the fact that people hunger for truth and for a message of hope and inspiration, for inspirational leaders!
Barack has shown again that he is indeed inspirational, a great healer/teacher/leader! Is it not great that we are talking about peace and unity for a change? Our common humanity? That speaks a lot in itself.
It is unintelligent to think that we are not interdependent and that what goes on in one part of the world, effects us All! Barack generated a lot of powerful and healing energy throughout the world. We must not loose it because critics say he is not yet President. However, as a man of God, he is a servant of the world, and because he loves America and Peace, these things had to be said to stimulate the vision that we can have peace here, right here on earth!
Comment by Angellight — July 25, 2008 @ 7:34 am
McCain needs a simple message. Energy and jobs. He needs to point out that building up the nuclear infrastructure will create hundreds of thousands of jobs. The same with drilling and oil rigs. When someone points out that it will take 4 to 7 years to bring the oil to the pump, McCain needs to point out that the infrastructure needs a build out to support faster refining. It's a simple issue. Is he simple enough to get it?
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — July 25, 2008 @ 9:02 am
I had a converation with several 30-year old professionals last evening. Though they respect McCain, they admitted that his age is in the way of their seeing him as the most viable. Some actually question if he will be alive in 4-years. Several suggested they will decide after the know who the VP will be. They were bothered by his moments of confusion w/ the Sunni/Shiite conversations, however they bearly noticed the significant verbal errors of Obama's in his many recent speeches and interviews,a earlier debates w/ Hillary Clinton.
Agism, sexisn and racism, are the worst reasons to vote for a candidate, yet the madia muddles with those tricks to draw phony characterizations of the candidates that oppososite Obama. We saw this with Hillary, the awful sexist remarks and the unfounded accusations of racism on Bill clinton, and now they belittle and practically dismiss of McCain's campaing.
The focus by the media on McCains errors is terrible, when they let Obama slide. So the media has becoming a living lie on to itself. Like a low-class gossipy neighbor that most people islike. But because the median is on TV, or newspapers, most people don't know how abusive and unreliable and unworthy they are as they enter our livingrooms each night.
I think if the young voters could adopt an attitude adjustment of the older generation, and see them as beacons of light, experience, care, thoughtfulness, accomplishments, and wisdom, they will be reassured that the country will be in safe hands with John McCain.
For the media to be so biased is unfortunate and affords the youth a missed opportunity to vote based on fair and equal characterization of both candidates.
The power of the main stream media is immeasurable. THEY decide what we citizens can see and read. They intend to create believers of what or who they like. That's is not journalism - it is brainwashing of the masses.
To counter the imbalanced coverage by the media, I suggest showing lots more images of John McCain when he was a young soldier, middle-aged civilian, and yes, show us all his wrinkles, his scars, it is okay, he earned every one of them. Yes, tell his story over and over again as a politician, talk about his voting record and his history as a politician, and his belief system, and explain to the people when he changed position on important matters, on what grounds he changed his mind. The young people and some of the older people as well want truth not fantacy.
McCain needs much more exposure in order to catch a second look by the young people.
I like McCain's statement that he is "seeking a VP that will SHARE HIS VALUES!" What a great reason to select a VP. No - it was not part of a long "lala-speech", it was just a comment. But it stuck to me. It came fron his core - the words were not scripted. They were natural and simple and come with the content of his character.
The media states VP's are and should be picked based on the states they can render in on election day. How shallow.
Comment by JFK-HRC — July 25, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
Obama is barely winning despite all the efforts by media who dropped all pretenses of objectivity. May be Americans don't want Farrakhan chanting "allah akbar" in the Lincoln Bedroom, may be they despise militant Michelle, or may be their most important concern is energy/security and in that sector McCain can actually overcome Osama.
Comment by Metamucil — July 25, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Right, Feehery … what do you know? I think Angelight's comment (#3) is right on. It's about vision, and Obama has a vision for America and for the world that is inspiring.
By contrast, McCain seems to have a very limited vision for the US and for the world. It's time for the the guy that can hit a 3-pointer under pressure, not an old duffer.
Comment by smilinjack — July 25, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
John, that was some pure rhetorical babble. You sound pretty doom and gloom these days. Your misery is to the country's benefit. Try putting country before politics and you may discover creativity.
Comment by Lester — July 27, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
JFK…Mccain should pick Bobby "the exorcist" Jindal..LOL forget Pawlenty and Romney..
Comment by Theard — July 28, 2008 @ 5:06 pm