tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269594240503661617.post6801254638386360746..comments2023-10-20T05:31:07.939-06:00Comments on The Bipartisan Rules: On the McCain campaign, Part IThe Commissionerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13172240168990272313noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269594240503661617.post-81880254661185542612008-11-09T16:29:00.000-06:002008-11-09T16:29:00.000-06:00To the first poster: I'd hardly call a post detail...To the first poster: I'd hardly call a post detailing the McCain team's errors -- and McCain himself is to blame in this, too -- "excuses." These certainly aren't excuses. "Excuses" are things like, "My car broke down." <BR/><BR/>McCain obviously was the only Republican to stand a chance. Check the poll data from early and mid-September. It was only after his poor response to the financial crisis that his poll numbers dipped considerably, never to return. I think you're looking for a fight -- I agree that the well-executed Obama campaign forced McCain to be flawless. Maybe I will take that up in a future post, because it was arguably the best-executed presidential campaign of my lifetime. The Newsweek expose' illustrated just how remarkable it was.<BR/><BR/>Vagueries and platitudes, such as "change" and "hope" and "yes we can" -- as well as a compelling narrative -- clearly did mean something to the chattering classes. Many voters my age -- who either hadn't voted before or who knew very little about any candidate in an election beforehand -- decided they had enough, bought into Obama's message, and given the historic turnout, that among other things fell squarely in Obama's favor.<BR/><BR/>Finally, convincing people to vote for you and governing effectively are two completely different things. Just ask Jimmy Carter or President Bush.<BR/><BR/>And to the second: In a time when 80% of the electorate thinks the country is going in the wrong direction, the fact that McCain got 46% of the vote is remarkable. He was the only GOP'er that stood a chance precisely because of his independent streak. I will have a post on the future of the GOP in the near future. But needless to say, especially given the bent of this site, I don't view the GOP as a small-tent party.The Commissionerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13172240168990272313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269594240503661617.post-29907160874881852802008-11-08T20:14:00.000-06:002008-11-08T20:14:00.000-06:00There really is no need to go into a post mortem o...There really is no need to go into a post mortem on why McCain lost: Bush’s unpopularity, the war in Iraq, the economic crisis, etc. Name the last moderate or liberal Republican to be elected president. To make life a little easier, let’s just consider the Republicans who were elected president since World War II: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. <BR/><BR/>At the time, Eisenhower was considered a conservative; no question about Nixon or Reagan being conservative; George H. W. Bush was elected as a conservative successor to Reagan then moved to the center and lost in his re-election bid; George W. Bush is certainly considered a conservative, although I believe he is responsible for killing the “Reagan Revolution”. <BR/><BR/>So, it would seem in the last 56 years, for a Republican to be elected president he had to be viewed as conservative. But, being conservative and being a conservative Republican are not synonymous. <BR/><BR/>fore more see: http://lazarusreport.blogtownhall.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269594240503661617.post-6655906494235721582008-11-08T19:46:00.000-06:002008-11-08T19:46:00.000-06:00Enough of the excuses already! Sure, the GOP had a...Enough of the excuses already! Sure, the GOP had an up-hill battle, but how about a detailed post on that "brilliant" campaign that Sen. Obama ran (perhaps this blog should be re-named "The GOP Rules")? All of those alleged "vagaries" and "platitudes" obviously meant something to the masses as Obama absolutely crushed Sen. McCain in electoral votes. Nowhere near 350? Really? What's "laughable" was your bold (or was it biased?) prediction that McCain had a legitimate chance on Tuesday. The old man needed a miracle and from the looks of it, you were willing to play God. Everything I read in the weeks and months leading up to Tuesday depicted Obama with a commanding lead. Needless to say, I do commend your loyalty to the angry grandpa. I know you love the guy, but he didn't stand a chance. It sounds like you're starting to figure out why. <BR/><BR/>On a related note, what troubles me most is that if McCain (and his appointees) couldn't run a successful campaign, what makes you think he could run a successful country? If McCain couldn't surround himself with the right people for a presidential campaign, who's to say he'd suddenly surround himself with the right people in the White House? Obama on the other hand, ran a flawless campaign. That's not to say he'll run a flawless administration by any means, but you can't deny the guy's charisma and his ability to restore, even if temporarily, the hope of the American people. His acceptance speech on Tuesday evening gave me chills and I can't help but look to tomorrow with an optimistic eye!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com