REPLIES TO THE CURRENT QUESTION

Our question last week was:

What can John McCain do to address the economic crisis in ways that will turn his campaign around?

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.

1)     Bring his economic advisors out of the shadows. Steve Forbes is not a lightweight at all – Jack Kemp likewise.  

2)     Recruit Mitt to be Sec of Treasury and announce him now.

3)     Set as #1 priority the passage of the ‘Fair Tax’ – and explain it simply to the voters.

4)     Emphasize that with reduced government spending, Uncle Sam is not competing with industry for capital and that should help ease credit crunch some.

5)     Bring up the fact that the half billion – and that’s billion with a ‘b’ – that Barach has spent on this campaign could have brought thousands of homes out of foreclosure.

Robert Bush

The short answer is nothing.  It's too late.  McCain made his pitch in terms of the economic populism that is the characterisic of Democrats.  Me tooism just does not work for Republicans.  A supply-side message of low taxes and smaller government would have been attacked as "the failed policies of the last 8 years", but the fact of the matter is that the supply-side message is defensible historically and gives the best chance for economic growth.  A politician comfortable with ideas could have pulled it off.  Unfortunately, McCain does not get it.  And, why should he?  Like Obama, and for that matter, like most politicians, he has spent his entire life in government employ.  So, of couse, government is the solution.  The fact that the banking meltdown is a direct result of government interference is not within McCain's world view.  For all his admirable personal qualities he is still a creature of the Senate where ideas are always secondary to the message and the spin. That is why Reagan and George W. Bush were succesful in convincing the electorate at the expense of their senatorial rivals of Mondale and Kerry. They knew the message was subordinate to the ideas.  The Republicans are at a severe disadvantage in this election and Obama is probably the worst candidate the Democrats could have nominated.  But, the economic crisis coupled with a press corps totally in the tank for Obama and you have a prescription for a Democratic victory.  The tragedy is that with a radical Leftist government at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue we will move that much closer to European style welfare statism.  I grieve.

Alan Weick

Make confidence in the American way the issue.

Who recognizes those responsible for the mortgage crisis in Congress
and who will ferret them out?
Not Obamam.

Who was right about the surge in Iraq, and who will lead us from Iraq
in victory instead of defeat?
Not Obama.

Who will clean up election fraud in this country and prosecute those
responsible?
Not Obama.

Who will pursue a tax policy that encourages growth and a strong economy?
Not Obama.

Who will pursue an effective energy policy to ensure energy
independence, starve our enemies of petro dollars and ease global warming?
Not Obama.

Who has the health care proposal that ensures Americans will have a
say in their health care choices?
Not Obama.

Who has earned the label "maverick?"
Not Obama.

Who will restore confidence in the American way of life?
Not Obama.

McCain/Palin. Confidence that makes a difference.

Frank Drouillard
Novato, CA

It may be too late, but a dose of the angry Senator McCain focusing on the lies being told by the  Obama campaign about who is responsible might help.  He will have to do it during the upcoming debate to get the word out, though.  It is clear that any attempt to get his message out via the media is doomed to failure.  

Probably the most significant lesson to be learned from this election will be that when the media goes totally in the tank, abrogating any commitment to responsible journalism, they can have an effect on the outcome.  What is amazing when considered in the broader context is the fact that the election is still in doubt.  It seems to indicate that were the media unbiased or at least remained neutral in their coverage, Senator McCain would win with a historic majority of the vote.

Don Newell