McCain Refines Plan for General Election

McCain came out late Friday stating how he would run his campaign for the general election. According to the AP, he said he would “run as a candidate who is a steadfast protector of the U.S. in the face of terrorism and a crusader against big government. He is treading in a mine field, especially on the last one, since he has been in Congress for 20-plus years and is part of the big-spending government.

On being strong on Iraq, he is again in the middle of a mine field, since most of the American people are tired of this war and want someone who will show a vision as to how to end it. The only thing going in his favor on this subject is the fact that Hillary voted for the war as well and has said she would do whatever is necessary in Iraq. What she says and what she does may be two different things. Obama, of course, is the anti-war candidate who says he was against it from the beginning, even though he was not in Congress at the time. He again put forth the rhetoric of being the one to pull out the troops and bring them home, but he is in danger here since circumstances can change, and if he goes against the tide and places this country in danger, his days in the WH will be over at the end of his first term. The American people don’t forget things like this. Remember Carter? He blew it during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and it cost him re-election.

McCain needs not to make Iraq the cornerstone of his platform. Instead, he needs to make his statement and assure that the people understand that Hillary has no room to talk since she voted for the war the same as he. She has voted for funding, and he has voted against it. Enough said. Let Hillary defend her stand on this and not accept John Kerry’s analogy, “I was against it before I was for it, but now I am against it” … because it will garner me some votes. This is were McCain nails Hillary on that subject. She will have to retreat and no longer use such an argument as her minders are currently doing. Obama can continue his anti-war, bring-them-home-now, all he wants. Remember McGovern and Eugene McCarthy who preached the same message?

McCain needs to pull out the main differences, such as spending, as he did Friday afternoon when he addressed the earmark issue and said, not one earmark, zero dollars for pork. At the same time, he pointed out Hillary’s useless expenditure for a Woodstock memorial — a monument to the biggest pot-fest and love-in in history. He needs to attack on the cost of Hillary’s health care program and her statement that coercion could be needed to make folks buy her insurance. Make her defend that statement and defend the cost of her plan. Her plan has changed little since the disastrous plan she put forth in the early 90s, and even the Democrats of her husbands Party turned it down as a bankrupting plan. How will she pay for her plan ... raise taxes? Again, attack on that. Most people don’t like folks who raise taxes. Remember George Bush, Sr.

Since McCain has seen the light on the immigration issue, he needs to pound his NEW idea and make Hillary and Obama defend their open border concept and defend the cost associated with it.

McCain needs to be the one always on the attack on the issues, not the individual, and stay away from being on the defense. He does not do well in that role and allows his temper to override his brain, which causes him to say things that cost him dearly. He is not one who apologizes well. He is an attack dog, not a junkyard dog sitting under a tree ready to defend the junk that is not worth defending. He needs to take the attack on the issues that concern Mr. and Mrs. Smith of the USA if he hopes to have any chances of winning. Of course, I don’t see him listening to what those in very powerful positions are saying on this issue either, and it will be costly if he doesn’t.