I have been slightly amused the last two days, and by amused I mean strangely alarmed. I have written a couple of posts this week about the Democratic National Convention. The first, Did the Democrats Blow It on Night One, was merely expressing my mild concern that we need to stay on a consistent message. That being:
Republicans have had eight years in the highest office and the nation’s economic and political outlook is extremely poor. The GOP could not manage their way out of a paper bag and now they are putting forth a guy who is just like the last, superficially qualified but profoundly incompetent.
Make no mistake, those little GOP pachyderms are going to march into the Twin Cities next week and have only two things to say: McCain puts country first and Obama is not qualified to lead. Their country first rhetoric will be all about the McCain story. His story is compelling – war hero, adulterer, Senator. I may not have those in exactly the right order, but that is a quick summary.
They will then launch into a hailstorm of attacks on Senator Obama. What else can they say? They cannot talk about their own achievements over the last eight years because they have been egregiously inept. The GOP gave us one of the most incompetent presidents we have ever had in George W. Bush – perhaps neck and neck with James Buchanan. They have taken our national surplus and turned it into a record debt. They have pursued an unjust war through nefarious means. The have soiled the good will the world was ready to give us after the tragedy of 9/11. They are led by a man against whom a reasonable case for impeachment can be made. They have, in a word, FAILED.
George W. Bush is an international joke and John McCain has supported him with his votes 90% of the time over the last seven and a half years according to the Congressional Quarterly Study. McCain claims we are trying to paint him as just another Bush. The truth, Senator McCain, is that you painted yourself that way. Birds of a feather flock together and Senator McCain chose his role model poorly.
Republicans have only two things to talk about and they will beat them into the ground, dead horses be damned! The problem is that many people, upon hearing the same thing over and over, assimilate the message and accept it as truth. The point to my post was that we need to make sure our message is loud and clear:
Republican policies have failed. Their candidate wants to maintain the same course, but that course leads to a dead end. If you want a leader who sings songs about bombing Iran, makes horrible jokes about young girls and admittedly knows nothing about economics – then McCain is your man. If you think we can do things better than we have with Bush – then vote for Obama.
My next post, Obama and the Girardeau Family, simply was an off-the-cuff remark about Obama’s appearance in the Girardeau family living room. I did not object to the appearance, but commented that it came across as a little forced. I had no idea that it would generate the flurry of emails it did nor that it would get a shout out from a Christian website, which is a first for us.
Let me make this perfectly clear – we have supported Obama from the beginning. He is a candidate who speaks genuinely and clearly but the way he chose to convey the message on Monday night seemed stilted. As I pointed out in the post, Michelle’s speech was spot on, ripe with sincerity and effectively introduced the Obamas. Barack’s appearance just after Michelle did not seem as natural.
I have not said we are in trouble nor that the little pachyderms are winning. I expressed a desire to remain cognizant of the goal and to stay on message. I appreciate the emails and the right-wing shout outs, but let’s not go into hysterics. Please feel free at any time to email me your comments, complaints or ideas: jackson @ nakedcandidate. com
The Democrats have a compelling story to tell and a real plan to present to the American people, showing voters how we can fix all the things that Republicans have fouled up since they took over.
I believe we should tell the people exactly that. I believe we should tell them over and over that Bush may be a joke but McCain is the punchline. Voters should know that we have a solid plan for righting the ship.
McCain will never be the answer…unless you are asking:
Which candidate will continue the failed policies of George W. Bush? Then the obvious answer is: McCain
