[ketsu]

I've got three.

1. Grow 30 years younger.

2. Go on Prozac

3. Go back in time 30 years and become a conservative

[kinsman redeemer]

ping

[ought-six]

An Obambi presidency would be fatal to America. He is a hard-core Marxist. Appallingly, a large number of Americans, either through naivete or outright fellow-travelership, will sign on to sell America down the river to totalitarian oppression. If Obambi is elected, there will be a revolution in this country, with American patriots trying to take back their beloved America from the tyrannical clutches of Marxism.

[sphinx]

Obama contends that his unbending opposition to the Iraq war is a net plus. That might be true if the election were in 2006 but events on the ground and public opinion, despite Obama’s denials, have shifted dramatically. Rather than adjust with reality his view of Iraq remains frozen.

Properly wordsmithed, this could be quite effective. Obama is mirroring President Bush's biggest mistake concerning the war, just 180 degrees in reverse.

Regarding the war, the criticism of President Bush and Sec. Rumsfeld that McCain can powerfully and legitimately make, because he was making it consistently at the time, was that they failed to adjust to the situation on the ground and persisted too long in an ineffective strategy.

Now it is Obama who stubbornly refuses to admit that the situation has changed. It's the Bush of 2005/6 in reverse. But President Bush, who in the final analysis is committed to victory, ultimately demonstrated the ability to learn and change. Obama, who in the final analysis is committed to appeasing MoveOn.org, has shown no such ability.

That's not quite the way to phrase it -- if McCain wants me to write the speech I'll invest some time polishing it up -- but it's got the makings of an effective line. Start with a fair criticism of Bush and turn it into a side-by-side in which Obama's rigidity compares unfavorably to Bush's (belated) flexibility. Get it down to three well crafted sentences and it's a tv ad.

[jws3sticks]

While we are talking about Obama, check out this video on YouTube. Who knows if it is true or a Clinton plant. Interesting, none the less.

http://mrsircy.blogspot.com/2008/01/obama-could-be-in-big-big-trouble.html

[Uncledave]

1. Fireplace poker
2. Chain
3. Louisville slugger
4. Wrench
5. Tire iron

[Doc Savage]

Frankly they can beat each other’s brains out for all I care. Not voting for either one! Not voting period! Lock and Load.

[Mr Rogers]

I despise McCain, but in a race against Obama...tough choice.

It may come down to how our chances in Congress look.

[jmaroneps37]

This is a nice list. Of course it does not mention the elephant sitting in the room, but abracadabra is so empty mckennedy won’t have to.
It is one thing to hate mccain, but it is just wild swinging foolishness to think he won’t beat obama. He will. If this was Sept. the ratmedia MIGHT have a chance to cover for obama’s emptiness, but it aint and they can’t. The older people will begin to ask questions by the summer and the youth vote, you know the people who showed up in huge numbers to elect president algore and president frenchie, will come out just as strong as they did before.

[kabar]

No mention of what McCain must do to heal the rifts in his own party or the fact that McCain and Obama hold the same positions on amnesty.

[TomGuy]

Whether McCain even stands a chance at challenging Clinton or Obama depends on whom he selects as his VP candidate.

If he goes with another old moderate or lefty, his campaign is over.

If he continues to nose up to the Kennedys, Kerrys, Liebermans, etc., he won't get the conservative vote, and he won't win the White House.

If Clinton does win the nomination, Team Clinton will paint McCain as a liberal in disguise, as Clinton, like hubby, moves to the center/moderate position. It will continue to be difficult for McCain to claim he isn't a liberal. By November, Team Clinton will have resurrected It's the economy, Stupid!, and they will run the audio of McCain admitting he knows little about economics.

If Obama is the nominee, Team Obama will paint (and it won't take but a few drops) McCain as the Old, Washington Insider, More of the Same. McCain admitted in the debates that Washington is broken. McCain spent nearly 2.5 decades in Washington helping break it.

The Iraq War will be another 8 months old. The Dem candidate will paint McCain has having that as his only real issue -- a long, continuing war with no exit in sight, no exit strategy, a continuing drain on national resources. And they will harp on the idea that McCain might eagerly rush into another war front -- with Iran. Giuliani was perceived as running only on his experience with the aftermath of the 911 attacks. McCain will be painted as seeming to be a warmongering candidate -- wanting to continue the Iraq War and possibly expanding it into Iran.

Either way, a McCain win is highly doubtful.

• He won't have the crossover Dems voting to prop up his candidacy.
  
• He won't have the adoring mainstream media helping to prop up his candidacy.
  
• He may not have the conservatives giving him any support in his candidacy.

[John McDonnell]

MIDI

There's one last chance to stop McCain
Before nominating's done.
In primaries that still remain
Votes rejecting him can stun.
Let's get out! Vote against McCain!
Let's get out! Vote against McCain!
Stop this lib'ral RINO shoo-in!
Our party he would ruin!
Let's get out! Vote against McCain!

tune by John Philip Sousa (1884) for a Republican presidential campaign
words by John McDonnell (2008)

[Nevermore]

"His supporters are fond of comparing Obama to John Kennedy, but Kennedy..."
...was a right wing extremist by comparison to Obama and the Democrat Party of today.

[MNJohnnie]

Take Newt’s advice. Use the phrases “real change” “actual change” “meaningful change” in every speech. Only chance to win is going to be getting people to see the street hustler con man lurking behind Obama’s air brushed media hyped persona.

[Neverforget01]

I think if McCain chooses Michael Steele as his running mate things could get very interesting. Check out Steele’s ads (You Tube) when he was running for Senate in MD—He was calling for change way before Obama.

[goldstategop]

To get me, McCain would have to give conservatives real influence in his inner circle, pledge to repeal McCain Feingold and support appointment of constitutionalist judges to the Supreme Court. Nothing in McCain's past says he's ready to do that. He wants conservatives to go to the back to the bus and vote for him because he's corralled big name endorsements for his default candidacy. Sorry, I can't support a CINO either. That is to say a Conservative In Name Only. He won't be an improvement over Hillary or Obama.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[TADSLOS]

[GVnana]

Good article.

"Not since George McGovern has the difference between presidential candidates been so great."
(I have to wonder how many here on FR actually remember McGovern.)

NATIONAL SECURITY

McCain certainly can contend that the policy he championed made things better while the policy of immediate retreat which Obama still favors would spell defeat and chaos for American and its allies.

THE COURTS

Obama looks at the courts through the lens of the liberal civil rights lobby: the courts are there to achieve “progress” on the liberal agenda that could never be enacted by the elected branches of government. WHAT HAS HE DONE?

His supporters are fond of comparing Obama to John Kennedy, but Kennedy had served in the military, the House of Representatives (1947-53) and the U.S. Senate (1953-1960) before entering the White House.

McCain’s best bet is to point to the stature gap and hope that after another 6 months the Obama-hoopla wears thin. We are, after all, electing a president.

INDEPENDENTS

For those who like “good government” few have done more than McCain to go after earmarks, corruption and pork barrel spending. Framing that issue for these voters is easy: which contender has the ability to fix Washington and which one is as far from the middle-of –the-road than any nominee in a generation?

HE’LL GIVE YOU CHANGE ALRIGHT

Several things Obama will change for the worse: tax rates, the bipartisan commitment to free trade, secret ballots in union elections, and the private healthcare system.

details are exactly what McCain should focus on. “Change” sounds lovely, even inevitable, but once the level of generalities is broken an underlying reality is made clear: Obama is running on a platform that is nothing more than a liberal wish list.

[jwalsh07]

McCain can beat Obama in the swing states and that’s all that matters in a genral election. Barack is at the high water mark. From here on in his favorability ratings will begin to decline.

[Sybeck1]

He could dye his hair and get some jellybeans.