I’m getting to the point where I can’t even stand to read the news – I really think the McCain – Palin campaign should, come Wednesday morning, start working on a book entitled “How NOT To Run a Presidential Campaign.”
It seems to me that the Republicans have not only thrown in the towel, but also are doing everything possible to take McCain’s campaign and make it into a total train wreck. Everyday, they seem to do something more and more ridiculous. Knowing the way the media works, those ridiculous things are grossly magnified and amplified while the Obama campaign is heralded all along the way.
Case in point: Earlier this week, campaign aides started going to the press with reports that Sarah Palin had “gone rogue” and was no longer taking their advice and not sticking to the scripted plans and plots that the campaign had put forth for her.
A couple of points here … for one thing, if you really are trying to get your ticket elected to office, don’t go bitching the press about the VP nominee a week before the election, referring to her as a “diva.” Seriously. I have to wonder if these guys care at all about the campaign (and, for that matter, the party) that they’re working for. And secondly, and slightly off topic, good for Palin. The major criticism that she’s received since being tapped with the VP nomination is that she’s been too scripted and can’t handle leadership “off the cuff.” If these campaign aides aren’t letting her address what needs to be addressed, good for her for breaking loose and taking the reins on it. With a successful campaign, she would be second in command of the country – I’d rather see her have the nerve to shirk off the scripted recommendations of campaign aides and talk about the issues and the things she thinks are important. Palin’s willingness to make the calls she thinks are right regardless of her popularity is one of the reasons that I really like both her and McCain.
But back to the “How NOT To Run a Campaign” issue. I realize that Barack Obama’s campaign has tons of money ($600 million … yeah, that’s what Kerry & Bush had combined in 2004!), and can afford half hour primetime TV spots. But it’s like McCain-Palin have retreated to some underground bunker to wait things out until Tuesday.
Are you kidding me? Get your faces out there as much as you can, and do something to make some noise. The media will continue it’s love affair with Obama, I have no doubt. But po-dunk rallies with stump speeches that never change are not going to maintain momentum into next week. McCain needs to step it up, and make something happen.
Otherwise, come Tuesday night when he’s conceding to Obama via telephone, his campaign will have no one to blame but themselves.
UPDATE: OK, so, apparently McCain was on Larry King Live last night after the Obama television barrage. Who knew? At least he FINALLY brought up the issue of Obama lying & going back on his word on public campaign financing. I guess he’s not completely curling up in a ball for the last few days of this mess. 
