Strategery
The National Review offers advice to McCain on how to beat Obama. Their main idea seems to be a full frontal assault on Obama's qualifications. Not too surprising, since this is always good advice, particularly against a relative newcomer. (The public may proclaim its opposition, but negative campaigning won't stop as long as it works. Anyway, it never seems negative when you agree with it.)
But there's one part of their advice I don't get. They suggest a good idea would be "making a one-term pledge during his speech at the Republican convention: a commitment to place fixing Washington above personal or partisan interest."
I've heard the one-term pledge idea before, and I don't get it. How is promising you'll leave early, no matter how good a job you do, a positive thing. Yeah, I know, he's old--so fine, if we think he's too old in four years, we'll vote him out. And note NR isn't bringing up the age thing, but apparently saying this'll make him look selfless. And this is selfless why? What if after four years McCain hasn't solved all the problems in Washington? He should say "I gave it my best shot" and then pack it in?
posted by LAGuy @ 12:02 AM
3 Comments:
Agreed that the one-term pledge is foolish. I would hear that as him saying to me: "normally, I would do things that would make you want to vote for me again. Instead, I'll make you take your medicine and not give a crap whether you like me for it or not." Umm, no thanks.
By the way, speaking of McCain's age, Jon Stewart's funniest line yesterday was, "here's McCain appearing with H.W. Bush in a golf cart. Smart play to show up with a presidential figure who looks far older than you. Except...well, he doesn't actually look older at all. "
I don't get the one year thing. "I hereby promise to become irrelevant the day after I take office." Look at the past second terms of Presidents who weren't subject to reelection. Bush the Lesser's approval plummeted, Clinton got caught with his pants down, Reagan starting sending cakes to Iran, Nixon resigned, LBJ lost Vietnam, Truman had W-level approval numbers. I guess Ike and FDR did OK. But hubris, boredom and irrelevancy tanked the rest.
Sounds to me like John McCain is not the National Review's ideal candidate. "Win this one, but promise to go away in 4 years."
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