The New McCain Strategy

Apparently, Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, capping a perfectly executed convention, convinced John McCain that he can’t win a race centered on leadership!

By picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain has abandoned his previous strategy of focusing on experience. Instead, he’s reverted back to the old culture war strategy, by trying to convince America that the “angry left,” which includes both Obama supporters and the media, are attacking “nice, church-going, PTA moms” like Palin and you!

Under this strategy, the more intense the attacks on Palin, who clearly has many glaring openings for such attacks, the better for this new circle-the-wagons approach. In fact, Palin’s vulnerability to attack, combined with her perky, country bumpkin demeanor, are likely the main reasons she was selected. Republicans will insist throughout that Palin is a tough, principled “reformer” with family values, and that anyone who questions their narrative is also questioning the values of small town America.

It’s a reach back to the meat and potatoes of the Karl Rove playbook, a calculation that the majority of voters prefer that the country be run by a guy who seems like the over-age frat boy neighbor with whom they BBQ during Monday Night Football, than the smartest guy in the class!

As for Palin’s acceptance speech, I really don’t have much to say. She can read. In a condescending, sarcastic tone, even. And she was definitely aided by the fact that when it came to backdrops, she apparently drew the long straw against Rudy Giuliani, who had to spend his entire speech looking like a turd floating in the Hudson River.