Posted by
Andrews on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:11:36 PM
I would like to think that McCain's request to the North Carolina Republicans was a brilliant strategic move. I would like to think that he was telling them to hold off on the big guns until Obama had secured the nomination. I would like to think that he realized Obama would be the weaker opponent, and so he wanted the Republicans of North Carolina to lay off so Obama would have a better chance of securing the nomination.
I would also like to be independently wealthy, eternally young, and Emperor of North America. Unfortunately my wishes don't really mean much.
If it were any other candidate, I would probably offer up the explanation that it might have been a strategic move. After all, it would make sense to hold off on attacking Obama until after he is nominated, as the Republicans would only benefit from having a Democrat nominee with that much baggage. For any other candidate, I would probably even offer up a somewhat spirited defense of this theory.
Not for John McCain.
No, I am not withdrawing my support. For all the
reasons I have given over the past few months, I still
endorse McCain. But I am also realistic about the man. Not only has he taken a strong turn
to the left lately, but even before that he was showing a
strange aversion to any sort of
negative campaigning.
Now, as I said in an
earlier essay, there is nothing wrong with "negative" campaigning. If your opponent has done something wrong, has associated with people who hold dangerous ideas, or has espoused dangerous ideas himself, bringing that up is a valid part of the political process. Even things which are not explicitly political, such as Bill Clinton's marital infidelities, can tell us something about the candidate. Did we not learn that from Clinton's sleazy behavior once he was in office? Calls to end "negative campaigns" are not principled, they are usually a tactic from those with something to hide.
Which makes me wonder about McCain's aversion to attacking Obama, both now and in the earlier incident in Ohio. Admittedly, it did not harm him, as it is so early in the campaign. But, then again, it has also made many wonder why he is being so soft on Obama.
Unfortunately, I think this may be a symptom of one of McCain's weaknesses, his love affair with the press. Both his gentle attitude toward Obama and his reversion to being a "
maverick", coming soon after making a properly conservative
statement on the same topic, makes me think that he noticed his conservative positions did not get the same press attention as did his "maverick" actions, and so he has reverted to those deeds which will get the most applause from the fourth estate.
It worries me to believe this, as it bodes ill for the next four years. The press is
far from conservative, and given their
left wing bias, the only possible way for McCain to get the attention he craves is to govern from the center or even the left.
Of course, perhaps the alternative media can use this to our advantage. We do not have the cachet of the MSM, but when something becomes enough of a phenomenon in the alternative press, the MSM notices. Maybe if enough of us gripe about McCain's lack of conservative values, the MSM will notice, and, as a result, McCain will finally notice as well.
It wouldn't hurt to try. It isn't as if we have another choice. President Obama or President Clinton certainly won't listen. Even a slight chance with McCain is better than those two alternatives.