November On Our Mind
April 9th, 2008 at 04:26pm Mark Noonan
Well, really, on the McCain peoples’ mind - from Reid Wilson over at Real Clear Politics:
McCain’s team is pleased, they maintain, that the map appears to be more open than in any other recent years. “Bush-Kerry, Bush-Gore, I mean they had like ten states that were in play, maybe twelve, that the entire campaign was waged in. I mean we’re talking more than twenty,” he said, pointing to Democratic-leaning states from Wisconsin and Minnesota, which hasn’t voted Republican since 1952, to “everything west of the Mississippi Valley” as a targeted state.
“The big question marks are the West Coast. I mean, is California going to be in play? And obviously, Washington and Oregon have been swing states,” he added. Democrats would disagree that any of the three states would be in serious jeopardy, especially as John Kerry had virtually no trouble keeping each in the Democratic fold in 2004.
While in New Mexico, Davis and his staff held one-hour meetings with about twenty of those targeted states, listening to state officials’ pitches for help and assessments of local conditions and the campaign’s chances. Davis’ staff has also worked in recent weeks to integrate campaign operations with the RNC itself, as well as its fundraising arm, the Victory Committee, run by McCain ally and former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina.
Beyond planning for states to target in November, Davis is beginning to consider how to frame the contrast with Barack Obama, and how to beat back attacks from national Democrats. McCain can make the claim that he is the more experienced candidate, Davis said, because his is an experience of bringing change, offering the best of both worlds. “We’re not going to concede change to a guy who’s not changed anything in his career. John McCain’s been the change agent in the United States Senate for 20 years. Nobody’s fought for more change in the place, nobody’s spent more political blood than he has to get things to happen differently,” Davis said. “Barack wants to talk about the future, let’s prove it by looking at who’s actually made change in the present.”
A long, hard road ahead, to be sure - but I concede nothing to the Democrats. Other than a few spots like San Francisco and Manhattan, I’d like to see the GOP fight it out tooth and nail over every square inch of the United States (and, for good measure, fund some goofy Commie-Green alternative in aforementioned San Francisco, etc). We’ve got the better candidate, we’ve got the better plan and we’ve also got the interests of America at heart - meanwhile, the Democrats are set to nominate one or the other grossly unprepared candidate, their plan is recycled McGovernism and their only interest is their own power and wealth. I think we can win this - and win it pretty big, if we stay on offense from now until November. And, hey, if we fight hard and end up losing, then at least we’ll have the pride of knowing that were defeated after giving it our all.
I feel in good spirits about the future and, unlike our Democrats, am not consumed neither by hatred (rather than hate the Democrats, I pity them their self-destructive folly) nor by despair (how can any Christian be other than massively positive about the long-term prospects?). Hard as it will be and as trying to the heart as it is, we will have a lot of fun over the next six months - and the payoff just might be GOP victory.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Democrats, Republicans
27 Comments
1. Magnum Serpentine | April 9th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I am a Christian and I am concerned about the future of the United States under a Obstructionist Republican government. We have already seen what the Obstructionist have done in the last 8 years of george, it worries me what they will do to the poor and sick and disabled if they are able to take the white house in November. I guess it will be the third term for george.
2. Byzantine138 | April 9th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I am also a Christian who is concerned about the future of Biblical America. As a committed corporal of Christ I am throwing my full support behind John McCain. He is best equipped to defeat the terrorists, prevent the destruction of the world’s greatest health care system, and bring the supreme court back from the brink. The icing on the cake would be Condoleezza Rice in the VP slot. She is respected throughout the world and will no doubt help forge strong friendships with all freedom loving nations.
3. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Senator McCain is certainly acquainted with change. He changes his views on things like the influence of the religious right on politics, the repeal of Roe v. Wade, torture and campaign finance reform whenever the political currents tell him it’s to his advantage to do so. Don’t believe me? Then, listen to Grover Norquist from two years ago:
Yes, the GOP is having to grit their teeth and rally behind the same kind of flip-flopping they railed against in 2004. My, how times have changed.
Pssst, Senator, don’t forget. The Iranians are followers of Shi’a Islam and al-Qaeda are followers of Sunni Islam and they don’t get along with each other. I know you keep “forgetting” that fact.
4. Dasein Libsbane | April 9th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Psst, Diana, maybe you should inform Assad and Ahmadinejad, apparently they don’t know their enemies as well.
5. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Dasein Libsbane,
Giving flip-flopping a pass, are you?
6. Dasein Libsbane | April 9th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Just confused, as a democrat you celebrate candidates with no core beliefs it’s more than a slogan; it’s your guiding principle. How about Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah?
Does Assad need to have Lieberman to remind him he’s hated the Shi’ite for centuries?
7. Dasein Libsbane | April 9th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Stupid McCain; to think Sunni and Shiite would ever cooperate. He should know they … how did you put it? don’t get along! He’s sooooonaive.
8. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Dasein Libsbane has some more of those amazing psychic powers that enables a declaration that Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have “no core beliefs”. It must be very useful to have such power when buying a new car. In any case, it serves as an entertaining diversion from saying anything about John McCain’s serial flip-flopping.
9. Rico's ghost | April 9th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Dasein: Psst, Diana, maybe you should inform Assad and Ahmadinejad, apparently they don’t know their enemies as well.
Stupid them, huh? Or maybe… stupid you.
I’ve spent some time trying to understand the dynamics between the two (not to mention the dynamics among all the players in the region). It gets really complicated, and there isn’t much by way of a general understanding. Syria is even more of a sectarian polyglot than Iraq, and Iran isn’t all that far behind. But on the simplest level (which is to say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of level), the one thing the large majority agrees on is… let the Americans bleed.
10. Dasein Libsbane | April 9th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
What Diana is trying to do is aim her polemic at the reader in a ham-handed attempt to emulate Almiranta’s brilliant writing style.
What’s funny is liberals claiming that this behavior is not presidential when democrat candidates have made it the mother’s milk of your party.
Clinton and Obama ran in 2004? Try to stick to one argument; if you can’t keep up, take notes.
11. Dasein Libsbane | April 9th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
If Iran is nearly a “sectarian polyglot” then why is it inconcievable that Shiite Iran would support Sunni al Qaeda, or Sunni Syria?
12. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
If only Dasein Libsbane could write coherently. I don’t know. Perhaps somewhere in there is a comment on flip-flopping Senator McCain, but, if so, it’s well-camouflaged. It has to be a painful reality for Republicans to live with these days. Life was so much simpler in the good old days of 2000 when “someone” associated with some Presidential campaign was claiming to South Carolina voters that John McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock.
13. Tractatus | April 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Dasein Libsbane has some more of those amazing psychic powers that enables a declaration that Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have “no core beliefs”.
Oh, it’s not just them, it’s all Democrats (and that includes people left-of-center who are not members of the Democratic party). Ol’ Dasein has them all figured out, you see–although this rather conflicts with his fellow wingnuts’ model, which holds that the core beliefs of Democrats are to Hate America and to Love Socialism. After all, our other resident psychic–’Ranty–has used her amazing powers to figure out that despite all appearances, you, Diana, are, in fact, a rabid socialist who would totally emulate Stalin if given half a chance. Those two would clean up if they took over Miss Cleo’s business!
14. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
It is an imponderable for Republicans. If they can get Senator McCain into the White House, which John McCain will they get? The only thing for sure is they’ll get the one whose ambition (likely fueled by not being an admiral like his father and grandfather) is to be President, no matter what he has to say or do.
15. bongoman | April 9th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
But, these numbers can’t be right
70% of the national debt of $9 trillion incurred under Reagan, Bush Snr and W.
16. Rich | April 9th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
“Senator McCain is certainly acquainted with change”
Tell us Diana, what had Obama changed for the better?
17. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Oh, now, Rich, you cut off what I wrote. If you would like to address the point of my comment, I’m sure that would be fascinating. However, it is very hard for Republicans to get around Senator McCain’s flip-flopping. The difficulty is quite understandable.
18. Diana Powe | April 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Hey, maybe the delegates to the GOP convention this year could do an encore for Senator McCain:
19. Kurt | April 10th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Obama says he opposes NAFTA and then sends his aide to the Canadians to say he is just kidding, then denies it, then fesses up when he gets caught. NOW THAT IS A FLIP FLOPPER
20. Diana Powe | April 10th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Kurt,
Thanks for not trying to defend Senator McCain’s serial flip-flops. There’s WAY too many.
21. Mark Noonan | April 10th, 2008 at 1:47 am
Diana,
Does the DNC pay you? I hope so - for you to mindlessly parrot talking points all the time is bad enough, I’d hate to think you were fool enough to do it for free…
22. Mark Noonan | April 10th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Magnum,
You left out the fact that we conservatives also play “kick puppy” on weekends and, of course, we do still wake up each morning and figure out which minority we’re going to screw over that day…
23. Dennis | April 10th, 2008 at 2:20 am
Mark: “I’d hate to think you were fool enough to do it for free…”
Ya know, Mark, some of us out here actually love our country enough to wallow in the ol’ Mark ‘n’ Matt sandbox once in a while, just to put up a fight for what we believe in with all our hearts.
24. FoolYouTwice | April 10th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Mark & Matt, does the RNC pay you? I would hate to think you make a fool of yourself and sell out your morals just to mindlessly parrot talking points.
Mark, maybe you could address the issue that you have been ignoring for weeks now. Is McCain a flip-flopper? This was your biggeset complaint against Kerry and now your candidate is engaging in the same behavior. Care to respond to this for once or is burying your head your preferred method now. Imagine that, Noonan with nothing to say.
25. Joe | April 10th, 2008 at 11:22 am
kurt April 10th, 2008 at 12:14 am:
Obama says he opposes NAFTA and then sends his aide to the Canadians to say he is just kidding, then denies it, then fesses up when he gets caught. NOW THAT IS A FLIP FLOPPER
Keep up with the news much? That has been debunked. Stop spewing lies.
26. Diana Powe | April 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Mark can’t address Senator McCain’s serial flip-flops so he wants to ask the fatuous question about whether or not I’m paid by the Democratic National Committee instead. When the facts aren’t on your side, engage in ad hominem attacks.
27. Joe | April 10th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Diana, How could you possibly call McCain a flip-flopper? Does he really flip-flop on things??
I thought I’d try taking a look to judge for myself………..
See… that is proof he is NOT a flip-flopper. He is just has “evolving opinions”….. ok he is a damn flip-flopper.