2008 Wonder What the Republicans are Thinking About November?
posted by on February 12 at 20:54 PM
Uncomfortable.
Here’s a stilted editorial that will appear in tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal.
They don’t sound psyched or even confident, but, with a little luck (please no recession, they pray), they think they can retain the White House.
They argue that the success of the surge will woo Independents back into their camp (who, they acknowledge, abandoned them in droves in ‘06). And ultimately, on Iraq, they argue that it may be “a wash” … which takes away an issue from the Democrats.
Really, they don’t have much innovative advice: McCain should pick a VP who’s credible, since McCain is old, and a VP who appeals to social conservatives. Unpopular Bush should stump for McCain, but infrequently and wisely. And, um, Clinton better get the Democratic nomination.
They also zero in on McCain’s bind: His strength is his weakness. The reasons he appeals to Independents are the same reasons he turns off social conservatives.
Why aren't they mentioning that without increasing the length of deployments, the surge ends in April? Once that happens, casualties will go back up to 100/month, maybe more, since the Awakening groups will be in on the game. Then the surge will seem kind of pointless, like treading water when you're in the middle of the ocean with all ships three days away.
let's not forget who owns the WSJ nowadays...
"he turns of conservatives" is the most poetic mistake the Slog's made all day.
Grampa Munster, 08!
But McCain is still leading all the Democratic candidates in number of chins.
all you need to know about these candidates is told through the people standing behind them.
Look at every picture with McCain...old white male bureaucrats.
Obama...passion, diversity, young, old, black, white, democrat...and yes republican.
McCain is probably praying to whatever deity he believes in that Hillary will be the Democratic nominee.
And I hope they're betting that Independents keep forgetting McCain's role in the Keating Savings and Loan scandal of the 80s.
Oh, yeah, and the $100k he received from Jack Abramoff.
@6--indeed. Rush and Coulter have already promised their firstborn to Baal to make it happen...
Look, they're in denial, and the Blue Tidal Wave is crushing them ... and it hasn't even HIT ...
Ignore them floundering around in the surf ... they won't get up in time.
@7 Oh yeah, Keating. I don't know how I forgot about him, I went to high school 2 blocks from his office.
I think Sen. Warner was thinking about pudding. Go back and watch the tape of McCain's speech. Warner is thinking about pudding.
@7, isn't it weird how the Keating 5 thing hasn't been brought up at all, lately?
A slight distinction given the ownership of the WSJ but it was a commentary by a fox news journalist not a WSJ editorial.
War goes well, then it's not an issue, other than why the heck can't we leave already.
War goes badly, then it's an issue that works against those who backed the war, and why the heck can't we leave already.
Whatcha gonna do when Obamamania runs over YOU!!!??!!
I support Obama, but I still think McCain is the man to beat. This grandfatherly, plain-spoken guy is going to be hard for Obama or HRC to best because our country is essentially conservative. McCain should be respected...and feared.
thomas, the only reason i can think of to agree with you is generational spite - as in, my parent's generation (mccain's) are NOT ready to turn over the reins to my generation (obama's).
I think a bigger issue is the press loves McCain and will kiss his ass from now 'till November. They'll tell us what a great straight-talking moderate he is. Hillary doesn't have a prayer of countering that, because the press hates her. Obama might have a shot.
I still wonder what the GOP's definition of "success" is. The surge increased the number of deaths by 50% in January as compared to December, and last I checked the "benchmarks" met were still at just 3. What is their rationale?
yearning-
they have no rationale beyond CYA & leave a quagmire so deep it sucks the dems in too. all the king's horses & all the king's men couldn't put humpty together again.
Y'all had some pretty fucked up grandfathers if you think McCain is grandfatherly.
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