The biggest problem was that some people in the Republican camp saw that to win this election, you needed someone nearer the center that could reach across and pull over the moderate democrats and independents. Republicans got that in McCain, but then the campaign that was waged was nothing but harsh criticisms, attacks, and trivialities that noone but the far right cared about (birth cert, Ayers, Wright, "socialism").
http://www.slate.com/id/2203960
Interesting article about negative campaigns. And here is the dilemna - McCain himself is a great guy. I wanted to see him come out in typical aisle-reaching McCain fashion. THAT is the mark of a true leader. Not the negativity, but the building. After all, more or less half this country ain't voting for the other side, which means that any President has to be able to govern those with different views than them. But the most vocal group of advocates for McCain were those who are intolerant, and impolitic, and demeaning.
That isn't what anyone wants directed at them.
If McCain had been more forceful in his assertions of positive building (said Barack was a good guy and we shouldn't be afraid of him as President, denied that Barack is a socialist), and reined in the negative-mongers that spewed their intolerance all over the waves, then he would have had a much better chance. Campaigns aren't about policies, they are about appealing to the most people. 8 years of silence, stonewalling and secrecy from the Bush administration left a *lot* of people in this country hungry for someone who doesn't come off as superior and condescending.
Call it what you will, weak-minded fools, morons, sensitive babies, etc. But the Republicans needed these people on their side, and the far right's disdain for reaching out to them is what cost them this election. McCain should have been allowed to run as McCain, not a neo-con stooge. That is what lost the election.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment