REPLIES TO THE CURRENT QUESTION

Our question last week was:

What should John McCain's strategy be until election day?

Here are your answers.  The name of a writer is included only if he or she actually placed a name at the end of the message.  Otherwise, we assume the writer wished anonymity and "name withheld" is inserted.

I don't presume to know much about campaigning or campaign strategy.  The last campaign I was an active participant in was my best friend's run for Student Body President in junior high school a whole lot of years ago.  He won, in spite of my help not because of it.  Mostly, he just ignored me, which spoke to both my political instincts and his.

That would be my only suggestion for Senator McCain as he "sprints" to the finish line, etc.  Win, in spite of his staff, advisors and all the other strap hangers that join a campaign.  He knows who he is and he knows who the competition is.  To win, all he has to do is make sure that the public is informed on those two subjects.  Voters are rational people who can see through the smoke and fog of a political campaign and decide who has lied to them the least.  With the exception of Ex-president Clinton, who figured out how to lie to all of the people all of the time and get away with it, every president in my memory, which actually starts with Harry Truman, was elected because the voters saw him as the more honest of the candidates.  Senator McCain is a fundamentally honest man.  Senator Obama is not.  That pretty much sums up a great campaign strategy(But, please re-read paragraph one!)

Don Newell

What should John McCain's strategy be until election day?

As Senator McCain himself said in his nomination acceptance speech:

"Fight for what's right for our country. Fight for the ideals and
character of a free people....

"Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up for each
other, for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America. Stand up, stand up,
stand up, and fight."

Andy B.
NYC

First, stay inside the Obama campaign people's OODA loop. Make them  
spend to the max to try to catch up. Keep them off balance.

Second, visit the ANWR with Palin and come out for drilling ASAP in  
that area and offshore, as well as denounce the "gang of 10"  
bipartisan plan that Pelosi and them are pushing in the House.

Third, keep reminding voters about Obama's extreme leftist voting  
record; his lack of any effective bipartisan achievements; his big-
government tax-and-spend philosophy.

Fourth, do what he can to acquaint voters with Obama's Chicago ties -  
the political machine, William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, etc, etc, etc.

...and last, remember that although Obama is a wuss, he has plenty of  
backers and campaign people who are not.

(name withheld)

Call things what they are.  

The media is no longer impartial, but propagandists.  We used to make fun of the Tass News Agency and the spin it put on Soviet failures and now NBC, ABC and CBS are no different for the Democratic party.  Their seething hatred and disdain for our sitting president and all ideas conservative are frightening.  I'm very thankful for the alternative news sources or we would all be enslaved to their ideas and solutions (which I do believe is their goal).

Democrats propose two basic ideologies that are related and need to be called what they are:

Socialism: 1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration (bailouts of failing businesses?) of the means of production and distribution of goods 2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state (light bulbs now legislated?) 3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
 
Communism: 1 a: a theory advocating elimination of private property b: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed  (and who determines that need?) 2 capitalized a: a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics b: a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party (would that be Democrat?) controls state-owned means of production c: a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitably d: communist <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communist>  systems collectively
 
Both of these ideas, where tried, have failed for the people, the many of which I am one.  Only the politicians, elites and athletes live well.  There is no incentive for doing well or surpassing expectation.

 Nell Butler

In the words of the Hippocratic oath, "First, do no harm",  seem to be good words to guide the rest of his campaign.  Don't give your opponent ammunition to be used against you.  Keep your comments relevant, true, and above all, verifiably true.  No half truths for political convenience.  A good example is the flak over teaching kindergarteners sex education.  Be sure to word an attack accurately and truthfully.  The inclusion or changing of the law from 6 to 12 to k to 12 is the truth.  However, the wording of the law did say education was to be age appropriate.  I read the guidelines used and unless the teachers decided to wander from the text or choose to include one of the more explicit points from Level 1 or to treat the kids as a lot more mature than the average 4 to 6 year old, nothing else included in the guide is over the top or approaching the inappropriateness you can watch at home in prime time.

Be sure to disclose anything that has not been disclosed by comparing it to what he would use if the other side were the ones making the comments.  There is another bridge project that is worth $600 million that actually is a good project and worthwhile.  When making the case for "saying no" to the "Bridge to Nowhere", Palin should have included a comment about the "Bridge to Somewhere".  Take the weapons out of your opponents hands before they have a chance to use them against you.

Remember that the press will soon tire of Palin, especially if the polls start to trend back in Obama's favor as they have already started to do.  It is vital to keep her from overexposure but at the same time, keep her and her message fresh and relevant.  

When McCain and Palin say Obama is going to raise taxes, provide some actual proof without using generalities.  If there is a way to connect the tax increases to the middle class, do it but do it truthfully.  Put together something that is truthful or at least cannot be disproved to show how our taxes will increase in spite of the promise to cut the taxes on 95% of working people.  

Don't let up for one single minute the very real issue of Obama's judgment when it comes to his choices of friends, advisors, and business associates.  Show by honest connections his association with Ayers and others but provide positive proof when you do so.  Show how he and Ayers were invited to be on a panel with "intellectuals" at a discussion held a few years ago.  They can tie the label of "intellectual", "elitist", and questionable associations all in one package.

Ask why Obama did not appear on the network shows Tuesday morning to respond to what is going on in the financial institutions on Wall Street.  Why send Joe Biden?  Where is Barack?  Then show the gala event in Hollywood.  

Don't let Democrats own the political high ground on the current condition of the economy and financial institution failures of the past few days.  Promise to provide much needed oversight while not hindering the free market by following your past and proven ability to reach across the aisle and together come up with well reasoned, bi-partisan legislation that will address all segments and elements of our society.    

Then McCain must address the fact that Obama comes from Chicago, the home of some of the most ruthless politicians in this country who possess a "win at any cost" attitude and belief system.  Emphasize the fact that even with his new approach to waging a campaign, so far he has demonstrated that he never strays far from his roots.

W.B. Rogers

South Carolina

In our world, a liberal doesn't want you-the voter-to know that he/she is a liberal; enter the word progressive.  As to lawyers, they are as a group passive aggressive, thus ideal for "word fighting" as legislators and administrators in government.  You are a warrior, a very different person indeed!  

Expose in a very bright light this difference.

Obama is both liberal and trained as a lawyer.  McCain should attack him from these two realities, expose him for what he is, from where he came, and to whom he owes political chips (favors).  Obama has deep roots in Anti-Americanism...expose and underline these roots.

Next, differentiate what it is to be a lawyer versus a warrior, hard and up front.  Lay off the POW stuff, stick to "hard work gets the job done," not "dancing  all around with words"!  Shooting  baskets at the local gym versus flying high firing sidewinders...get it?

Expose narcissism in politics, give a solid defintion on how to spot one and explain the damaging effects of following such a person...then turn the spotlight on Obama et al.

Finally, turn the stage over to Sarah Palin, step back and smile as if you are a man who knows what he fights for..the right to be a man and to love women.

Do this right and smartly; you'll be the next President and have the greatest chance to do the good you dreamed while sitting those years in that small hellhole.

Be honest and forthright, sincere and sensitive, talk and listen, hold truth up for all to see, expose evil for what it is and what it can do.  Seek the good in all that you strive.

Put me on your payroll, or start forwarding me a monthly retainter for advice...seriously!

R. Philips
Corrales, New Mexico

Priority number one: Make Obama’s flaws THE issue.  Every day.  Take advantage of every issue (including the financial mess, where Obama and his cronies has obstructed reform).  On slow news days, dredge up Obama’s Senate ratings and Illinois legislature record.  Swing voters should think, at best, “Obama is attractive, but simply too risky.” Assume the media will be against you, but forge ahead anyway.
 
Priority number two: Keep positioning your ticket as an acceptable, even exciting (with Palin), alternative.  A “non-Bush” Republican.  But don’t let this keep you from attacking Obama’s record.
 
Priority number three:  Make sure your get-out-the-vote ground game in VA, Ohio, CO, MO, NC, Nevada and NM is more than ready.  Don’t waste too much time dreaming about PA or MI.
 
Chris Corbett
Flower Mound, TX

1. Continue to present himself and Palin as the “maverick” and reformer.  Continue emphasizing McCain’s history as a reform minded senator, his battles with President Bush and Palin’s own reform work in Alaska.
2. Use Attack Ads:  Start attacking vigorously the Obama and Democratic Left connection to the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae debacles.  Repeat the close connection of Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson and their stewardship of these failed institutions and their roles in the Obama campaign.  These “elites” and “insiders” are Democrats and McCain will “clean house” of this kind of patronage.
3. More Attack Ads:  Obama is very defensive over the implication that he and his fellow left-of-center Democrats are unpatriotic.  This reaction indicates that they have polling numbers or focus group feedback that there IS a perception that the Obama is viewed by many as unpatriotic.  McCain needs to exploit this weakness HARD.  Declare to the electorate that while McCain’s campaign slogan is “Country First”, Obama-Biden campaign slogan is “Bash Country First” as exemplified by the anti-American Rev. Wright and terrorist Ayers connections and their utter negativity to nearly everything around them (the successful surge is a key example).   Suggest that this type of self-hate is not what is needed in a president.
4. Because of Obama’s unrelenting negativity, talk UP America’s virtues.  Close the final 2-to-3 weeks before November 4 by balancing the attack ads with a Reagan-esque positive message about America’s strengths, its military and the successful but ongoing war on terror.
   

John M Courtright

I think McCain should avoid demagoguery for three reasons: the first is
that it is the territory of the democratic party. The second is that
the media will spot it immediately and hammer him on that. The third is
that it does not work very well; when someone deeply honest like McCain
do such a thing it backfires. To be a true demagogue requires talent,
which Bill Clinton had and you do not have.

McCain should go into the specific of his plan. He said 35 nuclear power
plant. Where? The nimby problem might strike. What about subsidies for
states allowing such plant. Drilling is good, but where? Getting to
specifics will hurt McCain but will show his seriousness. People will
see the difference in planning with the solar/wind democrats.

Universities are on some wrong track. What about the "Bill of right" of
Mr Horowitz for students? Many people are fed up with speech codes but
republicans consider universities as a lost cause. Show interest and let
the left argue about the merits of restricting free speech. Immigration
policies matter a lot for universities also.

And for the economics, regulations, etc. Obama is not specific about it.
Show that you are. The hard truth is that America had every incentive to
become indebted and is starting to pay the price. You were correct about
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, continue on this and propose that those
companies be eventually broken up in smaller ones with no federal
guarantees on their mortgage as in most other countries. Propose to
abolish the Community Reinsvestement Act, which force bank to loan to
unsolvent people and thus created the "subprime" in the first place.
In 2003 the SEC allowed 5 banks to leverage more than 12 to 1, those were
Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bear Stearns, Lehman brothers and Merill
Lynch. The "greed" speech won't help you, but the "no exception" speech
will and will embarass people like Chuck Schumers who pushed for it.
Pushing for regulated market for derivatives just like there is one for
stocks will also help you. I think America has seen the trouble with its
debt culture and somehow want to get away from it.

Zagreb Croatia
Mathieu Dutour Sikiric

1. Palin, Palin, Palin. The two should be attached at the hip as much as possible. Hell, I'd recommend they spend the night together if it wouldn't get tongues wagging. She's more likable than he is, but seeing him next to her reinforces his image as elder statesman (the exact opposite of the Obama-Biden effect).

2. Speaking of Palin, all she needs to do is be there. She doesn't need to make herself look better. What she should be doing is talking up McCain. We like her. The more she shows she likes him, the more reason we have to like him, too.
sidetrips to Iowa are ok

3. Wear a deep groove into the earth by travelling from Pennsylvania to Minnesota and back. These are the key swing states, chock full of electoral votes and blue collar Reagan Democrats. Detours to Iowa are okay, but do not veer off to NY or NJ no matter what the polls say - its a trap. The only other state worth touching down in on occasion is Florida, but only if absolutely necessary.

4. Watch the malarky in campaign ads. The "Pig" and "Sex Ed" ads were terribly misleading (if not outright false). I know He started it with the "100 years of war" nonsense, but there's no shortage of legitimate issues to tackle him on.

5. Hang these words around Obama's neck: "If you don't have a record you can run on, then you try to scare people into running from your opponent." Link that line with the study that shows Obama's ads have been 77% negative, with snide comments from other Dems (like Rangle's "disabled" remark) and with Obama's own incorrect ads (especially the recent one aimed at hispanics). Obama is having trouble fighting back - it is clearly not something he's comfortable with, yet his base is pushing him to get deeper into the mud. Goal - make Obama "just another politician."

6. Beat back the "90% Bush" remarks by actually comparing voting records. Show Obama is "97%" Reid-Pelosi, and studies that show McCain one of the Senators least likely to stick with party line.

7. Run against incumbents in general. Obama needs to keep the Dems in place in case he wins, but McCain and the Republicans can benefit greatly if he drums up an anti-incumbency mood (but first he must use #6 to separate himself from Bush).

8. Be wary of allaying anxiety. Comments like "fundamentally sound" only help Obama. While I don't think he should play UP the anxiety, saying there isn't a problem when everyone thinks there is proved disastrous for Bush-41. Moreover, the more uncertain things look in the economy or foreign affaris, the less likely people are to turn to Obama. They'll opt for the reliable shelter over a new day in the sun.
 
9. Beware the polls. With a woman and a black on the ballot, and supposedly unprecedented interest from young voters, turnout models are likely to be off. Unfortunately, we don't know how off they will be, in who's favor, and in which locations. Do not give up if behind, and do not ever assume victory is certain.

-Michael T. Dunleavy