Thursday, October 16, 2008

In A Worrisome Environment, Cranky McCain Makes No Headway

John McCain seems to forget that a national televised audience is not a rally of supporters.

Supporters may be ticked off, like that Angry Foamer From Pewaukee who made the cable news highlights after the boisterous McCain-Palin rally last week, but everyday voters and mainstream viewers are looking for calm and competence, not more finger-wagging by a sarcastic candidate serving as a self-appointed, vicarious ventilator.

And that's what viewers got Wednesday night watching the Hofstra University debate.

Yes, McCain on the attack, but to what end? It merely reinforced the negatives in his rallies and his ads, thus in his person, persona and message, such as it's been when the campaign hasn't been trapped in suspension.

And it revealed a distance from the real world around the rest of us, but which has not penetrated his consciousness, let along his campaign bubble.

The Dow Jones index plunged another 700 points Wednesday, retail purchasing is stalling, unemployment is rising, and McCain showed he had precious little of himself to offer as salve, or solutions.

It just ain't there, and that's why the polls show it ain't happening for Team McCain.

McCain's debate performances have been displays of self-inflicted wounds. He seems incapable of avoiding them, from being Mr. No Eye Contact, to the "that one" gaffe, to tonight's jaw-dropping sexist "health" put-down, complete and replete with the juvenile and dismissive air parentheses.

Suddenly McCain was starring in his own episode of "Wayne's World."

He came across as unteachable, unfriendly and profoundly unpresidential. His body language and smirking sent out a steady message of condescension.

McCain is certainly not right to lead the country through the times we live it, particularly after installing Sarah Palin in the wings embodying his first, and most-damaging post-nomination decision.

3 comments:

LHwrites said...

I certainly agree with you here. Though I believe the initial polls are saying Obama won so convincingly partially because that is the way the electorate is leaning. I think McCain scored some blows that should not have been. The whole Joe the Plumber/Class Warfare charge should have been answered better, to not leave it available for so much review today. Joe the Plumber said he wasn't making close to $250,000 so it should have been pointed out that when Joe is actually in danger of paying the tax, maybe he won't mind so much; being appreciative of the great nation that gave him the opportunity. Also, instead of allowing McCain to classify Obama's tax plan as a redistribution of wealth, Obama should have explained it as it really is: Making the tax code fair again, by repairing the inequities that have favored the very rich in the tax policies under George W. Bush.

Anonymous said...

Um, it's even better.

Joe the plumber isn't a (licensed) plumber. And, he's probably a stone republican. He voted for repubs in the primary, doncha know?

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/joe-in-the-spotlight/?hp

LHwrites said...

And he owes back taxes to Ohio, which I saw on Fox News website last night, along with the not licensed info, so I assume they were releasing this preemptively.