MAC A FLASHBACK TO GOP'S 1996 DOLE-DRUMS

New York Post ^ | April 4th, 2008 | Charles Hurt

[The_Republican]

WASHINGTON - A great old war hero - arms man gled by battle and known as an acerbic straight shooter - is picked by Republicans to be their nominee to make darned certain that a Clinton doesn't get back into the White House.

John McCain?

No, Bob Dole in 1996.

And it didn't work out very well for Republicans.

Dole lost after a campaign vexed by senior moments such as when the nominee fell off a stage, or when he referred to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Brooklyn Dodgers.

All along, President Bill Clinton showed extreme deference to Dole, heralded his "long service" to the country and talked about what a war hero he was.

That's exactly how Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama begin every reference to McCain these days.

"The guy's a war hero," Obama likes to say, heralding McCain's captivity. When he goes on to talk about the "fierce urgency of now," Obama leaves McCain coughing in the dust.

With McCain, who turns 72 later this year, all we get is the "fierce urgency of yesteryear."

Even before settling on their own nominee, Democrats have begun ridiculing the Republican challenger as a kooky old man.

A recent Democratic campaign video shows McCain during a press conference in Iraq veering wildly off-message, only to be publicly corrected by his friend and colleague, Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Only five years older than Lieberman, McCain looks rattled and confused by comparison.

To mark McCain's appearance on David Letterman this week, Democrats drew up a Top 10 list of reasons to vote for John McCain.

No. 7 was "Early bird specials at the White House cafeteria."

[Old Professer]

I’d like to woman gled the proofreader.

[Tea in the Harbor]

Are you arguing that we should choose another candidate? You don't need to convince ME, but it's a little late for that. I rejected McCain because of his policy stands, not his age.

I don't have the software to watch the video, but I remember reading about the episode it's depicting on FR and elsewhere. McCain is akin to the senior Bush in that he is quite intelligent but notably inarticulate--- remember "the vision thing"? In any event McCain is still far smarter and more knowledgeable than the dubious Obama. McCain's stumbles reflect fatigue, not encroaching senility.

Obama is no debate whiz. When unscripted he has a lot of difficulty verbally. Although a graduate of the some of the most prestigious schools and the child of accomplished parents/grandparents he makes basic errors unworthy of someone in rarefied political circles, much less a Harvard law graduate. And McCain's knowledge of foreign policy will make Obama look like a kindergartner.