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Can McCain Still Win?
Human Events ^ | Patrick J. Buchanan

Posted on 10/11/2008 12:52:53 PM PDT by Chet 99

Can McCain Still Win?

by Patrick J. Buchanan

Posted 10/10/2008 ET

Two weeks after the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., John McCain and Sarah Palin were striding forward toward victory.

They had erased the eight-point lead Barack Obama had opened up in Denver and watched as one blue state after another moved into the toss-up category.

That is ancient history now.

Since mid-September, the stock market has cratered, losing half of the $8 trillion that has vanished since October 2007. All five of America's great investment banks -- Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill-Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley -- have either ceased to be independent or ceased to be.

The nation's largest savings and loan, Washington Mutual, and largest insurance company, AIG, have gone belly up, with the federal bailout of the latter costing $100 billion and counting. Perhaps $3 trillion of the $8 trillion in stock value that is gone disappeared after passage of the $700 billion federal bailout of Wall Street.

No bottom is in sight to the worst market crash since 1929. Recession is now certain. George W. Bush has fallen to 26 percent approval, a level unseen since Richard Nixon was driven from office in the Watergate summer of '74. Four in five think the nation is on the wrong course.

Yet, Obama has only a six-point lead in an averaging of national polls. While he has moved ahead in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, one senses America is not so much rallying to him as running away from a Republican brand that is now on the same shelf with Chinese baby formula.

Obama still has not closed the sale. He has overtaken McCain not because of any brilliant campaign he has conducted but because of the dreadful news pouring out of Wall Street. McCain and Palin are being dragged down by Dow Jones, not Barack Obama.

As of today, the country is not so much voting for Barack and the Democrats as it is preparing to vote against the Republicans.

Consider: The Congress, whose Democratic ranks the nation is getting ready to enlarge -- the Congress led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid -- has an approval rating half that of Bush.

Indeed, looking back on the Year of Barack, 2008, it is clear he has never closed the sale, either with the people or his own party.

After he came off the blocks with a startling triumph in Iowa and ran up a dozen straight primary and caucus victories in February, arrived the spring when Hillary, though Obama's media auxiliary was ordering her to get out, defeated him in Texas, crushed him in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and humiliated him in West Virginia and Kentucky.

Each time the voters take a long second look at Barack, their positive first impressions seem to dissipate. Barack is a weak closer.

Herein lies McCain's hope. The country wants change, but it has not concluded it wants Obama. But if John McCain cannot raise grave doubts about his agenda, his associates, his record, his character, his fitness to be president, Obama is going to win by default.

Obama has succeeded in the debates by playing defense. By his cool demeanor and persona, he has diminished apprehensions about an Obama presidency. There is no evidence of surging enthusiasm.

The Obama media are well aware of Obama's Achilles' heel, his great vulnerability, the doubts about him that still exist in the public mind. That is why they are near hysterical about Palin's ripping of Obama for "palling around" with "domestic terrorists" like William Ayres, the 1960s and 1970s Weatherman radical who conspired to bomb the Capitol and Pentagon and was quoted the morning of 9-11 as saying he wished he had set off more bombs.

The mainstream media call this irrelevant, as it was so long ago.

Yet, can one imagine how the media would have reacted had they learned that a GOP presidential nominee was introduced to politics and worked in harness with a KKK bomber of black churches in the 1960s, who was quoted the morning of Oklahoma City as saying he wished he had planted more bombs?

As McCain is an establishment man on illegal aliens, NAFTA and Wall Street bailouts, uneasy with social issues like affirmative action and abortion, he lacks the full panoply of weapons that successful Republicans like Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bush II used to win two terms. He seems to confine himself to the limited arsenal Gerald Ford, Bush 1 and Bob Dole employed when they went down to defeat.

This election is not over. Yet, even if McCain gets a bit of luck, a dead cat bounce on Wall Street, he must persuade the nation Obama is an unacceptable occupant of the White House if he is to win.

Palin appears ready to take the heat to make that case. But McCain seems ambivalent to the point of being bipolar on whether he wants to take responsibility for peeling the hide off Barack Obama.

Perhaps it comes down to what McCain really thinks about an Obama presidency, and how he wants to be remembered by history.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; mccain; obama; patbuchanan
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To: Squantos
I agree with you!!! Landslide even with the MSM promoting and shoving Obama down your throats.

Notice that the media does not make Obama answer any tough questions but will not give McCain/Palin a break on anything. MSM knows McCain/Palin is sweeping this country like a wildfire and they can't seem to stop it..

Keep up the work in talking to people about what Obama actually stands for and it ain't good for the country!!

41 posted on 10/11/2008 1:35:40 PM PDT by Rapunzel (Never forget Fallujah..S. Helvenston RIP.....Sarah...Sarah...Sarah loves America)
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To: Chet 99
I'm wondering if McCain wants to win.
42 posted on 10/11/2008 1:36:50 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Just your average "Whitey" - clinging to my guns and religion!)
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To: AHerald
Turn off the lights, the party is over.

But I will say this, when the history of this election is written by political scientists I believe they will conclude that John McCain's election was lost by George Bush.


43 posted on 10/11/2008 1:38:19 PM PDT by nathanbedford ("Attack, repeat attack!" Bull Halsey)
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To: DiogenesLaertius
Unfortunately, while Bush’s slams against McCain were lies

These "lies" by Bush against McCain, please name them.

44 posted on 10/11/2008 1:39:15 PM PDT by AHerald ("Be faithful to God ... do not bother about the ridicule of the foolish." - St. Pio of Pietrelcina)
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To: The Sons of Liberty
Perhaps simply winning the party's nomination has become the end-all goal of aging republican politicians.

Who wants the hassle of leading the nation when there's that great retirement plan to enjoy.

45 posted on 10/11/2008 1:40:50 PM PDT by skeeter
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To: Rapunzel

Oh yes ....I do on a daily basis ....bought some shirts this AM and all at the check out counter were voting McPalin. Had dinner at local diner and all were for McPalin. Everyone shy of a few idgits at work are backing McPalin. They are race baiting sorts so it to be expected.

Smart folks know what lowering my taxes and raising corporate taxes will do to us. 40% of America pays taxes. When Obama Bin Biden lowers my taxes and raises corporate taxes 100% of Americans will pay taxes thru higher costs passed on to a 10 year old girl paying for a ice cream cone !

Obama’s sh*t’n shineola show ain’t selling in real world.....

You stay safe !!


46 posted on 10/11/2008 1:41:37 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: All

WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DRAG HIM OVER THE LINE KICKING AND SCREAMING IF WE TRY.

CALLING OBAMA A RESPECTABLE FAMILY MAN THAT WE NEED NOT FEAR IS OUTRAGEOUS!

McCAIN TAKING THE ABUSE AND INSULTS FROM OBAMA AND REFUSING TO FIGHT BACK IS OUTRAGEOUS!

WE’RE NOT TURNING THE WHITE HOUSE KEYS OVER TO BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA- NOT IF WE ON FR, RUSH, HANNITY AND FOX HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!

FReep McCAIN/ MSM OUT.

HOW LONG CAN THEY IGNORE A MILLION EMAILS??

.

McCain is losing this campaign because he refuses to fight Obama and his lies, and dirty tactics such as ACORN voter fraud. He’s just been rolling over (or bending over, I should say) and accepting the abuse heaped upon him- and expecially Sarah Palin.
The anemic attempts by the McCain camp to fight back within the last few days just ain’t gonna get it.
He should have been hitting Obama back hard months ago.
He needs to get out there every day and FIGHT BACK.
Email Republican headquarters/McCain.

FReep ‘EM OUT!

CAN THEY IGNORE A MILLION EMAILS?

REMIND McCAIN THAT HE HAS AN OBLIGATION AS OUR CANDIDATE TO FIGHT BACK!
To h*ll with bipartisian BS!
To h*ll with PC!
To h*ll with ‘conducting a respectful campaign’as McCain has said, and vowed to do.

RESPECTFUL CAMPAIGNING WENT STRAIGHT OUT THE WINDOW WITH OBAMA’S NASTY, BRUTAL COMMENTS SUCH AS;
‘lipstick on a pig’ and ‘You can wrap AN OLD FISH in a piece of paper called change. It’s still going to stink after eight years.’

Take off the gloves, McCain!

Hit the Marxist/Muslim hard with Ayers, Acorn, Violation of Logan Act, abortion, 2nd admendment, Campaigning for Odinga!!
Get off the d*mned economy issue. State that Obama/Democrats/ACORN caused this meltdown. State McCain offered a proposal to avert the meltdown and GET OFF IT.
Obama is counting on keeping this going to take the spotlight off his sordid past and dirty dealings!
NOTHING is more important than waking America up to this Marxist/Muslim!! DO IT. EXPOSE HIM!

FReep ‘EM!!!!

MCCAIN/REPUBLICAN PARTY
Fax: 202-228-2862

SEND A FAX FREE: https://faxzero.com/

rickdavis@johnmccain.com, ameese@mccain08hq.com, anickel@mccain08hq.com,
johnmccain@gop.com, info@gop.com,
RNCommunications@gop.com, Chairman@gop.com, Political@gop.com
info@McCainPalinVictory2008.com

Meghan McCain http://mccainblogette.com/contact/

THE CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST’S
(all the Republican movers and shakers)
GIANT E-MAIL LINKS PAGE!
http://www.conservativeusa.org/megalink.htm
.
IMPORTANT
Be sure to add your name and town and email - or they won’t read them.
When emailing. they won’t read mass emails so put just one email add in the “to” line then click on BBC at the end of that line. a BCC line will open just above subject line. copy paste the rest of the addresses in there and each recipient will see ONLY their name.

.

FReep THE MSM!

SEND THEM DAMAGING INFO ON OBAMA. DEMAND THEY DO THEIR JOB AND INVESTIGATE.

CAN THEY IGNORE A MILLION EMAILS?

ElRushbo@eibnet.com
me@glennbeck.com
stu@glennbeck.com,

Hannity@foxnews.com
http://www.lauraingraham.com/asklaura
On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren — Ontherecord@foxnews.com
letters@charleskrauthammer.com

FOX & Friends — Friends@foxnews.com
FOX News Live — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Live w/ Jamie Colby — Jamie@foxnews.com
FOX News Live Weekend — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Specials — Viewerservices@foxnews.com
FOX News Sunday — FNS@foxnews.com
FOX News Watch — Newswatch@foxnews.com
FOX Report w/ Shepard Smith — Foxreport@foxnews.com

Obama connection with ACORNhttp://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDZiMjkwMDczZWI5ODdjOWYxZTIzZGIyNzEyMjE0ODI=
Obama goes to Kenya on the tax payer’s dollar to campaign for the murderous Islam-backed Odinga!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QcpdUtxNQ&feature=related
SHORT VERSION:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1P_P8lBCsE
Obama talks about Ayers giving him a job:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=D-45A6I

Fox News
The Beltway Boys — Beltway@foxnews.com
The Big Story w/ John Gibson — Myword@foxnews.com
The Big Story Weekend — Bigstory-weekend@foxnews.com
The Big Story Primetime — Bigstory-weekend@foxnews.com
Bulls & Bears — Bullsandbears@foxnews.com
Cashin’ In — Cash@foxnews.com
Cavuto on Business — Cavuto@foxnews.com
DaySide — Dayside@foxnews.com
Forbes on FOX — Forbes@foxnews.com
FOX & Friends — Friends@foxnews.com
FOX News Live — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Live w/ Jamie Colby — Jamie@foxnews.com
FOX News Live Weekend — Feedback@foxnews.com
FOX News Specials — Viewerservices@foxnews.com
FOX News Sunday — FNS@foxnews.com
FOX News Watch — Newswatch@foxnews.com
FOX Report w/ Shepard Smith — Foxreport@foxnews.com
Hannity & Colmes — Hannity@foxnews.com or Colmes@foxnews.com
Heartland w/ John Kasich — Heartland@foxnews.com
The Journal Editorial Report — JER@foxnews.com
The Lineup — Lineup@foxnews.com
The O’Reilly Factor — Oreilly@foxnews.com
Special Report w/ Brit Hume — Special@foxnews.com
Studio B w/ Shepard Smith — Studiob@foxnews.com
War Stories w/ Oliver North — Warstories@foxnews.com
Your World w/ Neil Cavuto — Cavuto@foxnews.com

phil.griffin@nbc.com, steve.capus@nbc.com, Steve.Capus@nbcuni.com, gary.sheffer@ge.com, renata.hopkins@ge.com, lisa.lanspery@ge.com, brian.williams@msnbc.com, chris.matthews@msnbc.com, countdown@msnbc.com, hardball@msnbc.com, Today@NBC.com, viewerservices@msnbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, World@MSNBC.com, Dateline@NBC.com, world@msnbc.com, atc@npr.org, morning@npr.org, Letters@msnbc.com, totn@npr.org, newshour@pbs.org, joe@msnbc.com, abrams@msnbc.com, byork@nationalreview.com, comments@mclaughlin.com, ElRushbo@eibnet.com, evening@cbsnews.com, Foxreport@foxnews.com,. gretawire@fox.com, Hannity@foxnews.com, hemmer@foxnews.com, hume@foxnews.com, ElRushbo@eibnet.com, me@glennbeck.com,oreilly@foxnews.com,Joe@msnbc.com, letters@charleskrauthammer.com, lindamuller@buchanan.org,me@glennbeck.com,netaudr@abc.com, Ontherecord@foxnews.com, oreilly@foxnews.com, race08@msnbc.com, Special@foxnews.com, stu@glennbeck.com, ureport@foxnews.com, weekendlive@foxnews.com, LouDobbs@cnn.com, jake.tapper@abc.com, 360@cnn.com, a.latour@wsj.com, a.murray@wsj.com, am@cnn.com, amhotshots@cnn.com, caffertyfile@cnn.com, campbellbrown@cnn.com, cnn.feedback@cnn.com, cnn.onair@cnn.com, cnn@cnn.com, crossfire@cnn.com, darren.mcdermott@wsj.com, daybreak@cnn.com, elrushbo@eibnet.com, foxreport@foxnews.com, hannity@foxnews.com, headlinenews@cnn.com, insidepoliticts@cnn.com, inthemoney@cnn.com, j.fry@wsj.com, jeff.greenfield@cnn.com, je@msnbc.com, dlow@cnbc.com, late.edition@cnn.com, letters@msnbc.com, live@cnn.com, livefrom@cnn.com, livetoday@cnn.com, lookingout@cnn.com, loudobbs@cnn.com, moneyline@cnn.com, newsnight@cnn.com, newstips@cnn.com, paulazahn@cnn.com, podcast@cnn.com, primenews@cnn.com, question@cnn.com, special@foxnews.com, t.cullen@wsj.com, tina.cowles@cnn.com, tom.hannon@cnn.com, wam@cnn.com, wolf@cnn.com, wsj.ltrs@wsj.com

IMPORTANT
Be sure to add your name and town and email - or they won’t read them.
When emailing. they won’t read mass emails so put just one email add in the “to” line then click on BBC at the end of that line. a BCC line will open just above subject line. copy paste the rest of the addresses in there and each recipient will see ONLY their name


47 posted on 10/11/2008 1:42:00 PM PDT by patriot08
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To: Rapunzel

Can McCain win? NO!

But Sarah can and we can, never give up... that what winners are made of. We’ll pull McCain across the finish line!


48 posted on 10/11/2008 1:46:51 PM PDT by Dream Warrior (Will someone wake up Senator McCain!)
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To: Squantos
I am also talking to people whereever I go. This morning in the grocery when I came out of the store, an elderly man with a Shriner's vest and Ambassador's hat was collecting donations for the crippled children and I struck up a conversation with him so he would know that McCain is NOT taking his medicare and social security away from him.

He was an astute gentleman and was computer literate and definitely voting for McCain.

The ole guy says to me that Obama is not a citizen and not fit to be President of the USA. I was astounded that he knew!

I took out one of my biz cards and wrote FR web addy for him on the back.

49 posted on 10/11/2008 1:49:17 PM PDT by Rapunzel (Never forget Fallujah..S. Helvenston RIP.....Sarah...Sarah...Sarah loves America)
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To: jonrick46
McCain needs to define the problem in free market terms and propose solutions best for the free market. He has to assure Americans that his plan for a solution is the only one for America.

McCain is incapable of framing the debate. He has missed so many opportunities in the debates. The minute BHO opened on big oil, I would have attacked him without stop. A strong conservative with a reasonable understanding of economics could have had BHO stumbling all night. All McCain can say is that he will stop pork spending. I am not sure it matters now. Even Ronald Reagan could not stop this rat tsunami.

The public is convinced that big government is the solution. Rats will win every time on big government solutions. The public has no idea about the coming train wreck. All the public knows is that someone needs to help them.

50 posted on 10/11/2008 1:50:11 PM PDT by businessprofessor
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To: Squantos
The 00 and 04 polls showed AlGore and Scary Kerry in the lead as well.

Indeed. We'd all do good to remember that not only did the traditional polls show Kerry winning but the early EXIT POLLS polls showed that Kerry won! I painfully remember watching a giddy Susan Estrich around 5pm. Of course her giddiness ran down, just like her mascara as the night wore on and no Kerry victory was in sight when the ACTUAL VOTES came in. Of course what happened what the pollster's methodology was way off. Polls, remember, are as much art as science.

Just food for thought for all the nattering naybobs of negativism around here.

51 posted on 10/11/2008 1:50:44 PM PDT by The Hound Passer
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To: Rapunzel

Actually he was voting for Palin, he said he wished she was on top of the ticket. That she speaks his language and is one of us, a little person.


52 posted on 10/11/2008 1:50:55 PM PDT by Rapunzel (Never forget Fallujah..S. Helvenston RIP.....Sarah...Sarah...Sarah loves America)
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To: Chet 99
But if John McCain cannot raise grave doubts about his [Obama's] agenda, his associates, his record, his character, his fitness to be president, Obama is going to win by default.

He can. The question is if he will or wishes to do that. Looks like McCain thinks millions of voters will all of a sudden dump MSM agitprop, stop attending to their daily needs and spend a few days straight researching McCain's and Obama's positions.

If it was possible McCain would be a shoo-in. Unfortunately, people have a very limited time to get relevant info. Senator, don't spend that precious time on "my opponent", "my friends", "crossing the aisle" and the clatter like that. Make straight talk straight and to the point.
53 posted on 10/11/2008 1:51:43 PM PDT by alecqss
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To: Rapunzel

That’s the way we keep Obama OUT of the WH !

Good deal !


54 posted on 10/11/2008 1:53:46 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: Squantos
The 00 and 04 polls showed AlGore and Scary Kerry in the lead as well.

What polls are you talking about??? Most polls as of this time showed Bush over Kerry.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/bush_vs_kerry.html

55 posted on 10/11/2008 1:54:35 PM PDT by MilspecRob (Most people don't act stupid, they really are.)
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To: Squantos

I personally don’t put ANY stock in ANY polls.
They’re more like fortune telling.

As far as I remember, polls haven’t been right EVER!!!!!

Also, numbers not yet ever seen in this country, are going to be voting for McCain /Palin this election!!!!!

And I agree with you...sheeple will stay home. They already think it’s in the bag.

God Bless America!!!! ;-)))


56 posted on 10/11/2008 1:55:30 PM PDT by LadyPilgrim ((Lifted up was He to die; It is finished was His cry; Hallelujah what a Savior!!!!!! ))
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To: The Hound Passer

Yep, I remember......LOL..... maybe we should start sending Suzy S. Socialist some Kleenex now.......:o)


57 posted on 10/11/2008 1:55:40 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: skeeter

No more old Senators as nominees - if 0bama allows future elections.


58 posted on 10/11/2008 1:56:53 PM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Just your average "Whitey" - clinging to my guns and religion!)
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To: MilspecRob

You found one...... here’s a cookie.


59 posted on 10/11/2008 1:57:20 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: All

I think the real question is, Can there cheating over come the fake polling? I hope we don’t roll over in all the contested states where we have caught them cheating ! Smash mouth politics better be played from our side or heads should roll.


60 posted on 10/11/2008 2:00:33 PM PDT by uncle fenders
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