Late in the week, John McCain’s campaign issued a farcical statement, with my highlighting below:
Instead of acknowledging the real differences that exist in this election, Barack Obama is using America’s economic crisis to deflect legitimate criticisms of himself and his record. Now, more than ever, Americans should be scrutinizing Barack Obama’s role in shielding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from increased regulation. Voters deserve a real debate about Barack Obama’s proposals for one trillion dollars in new government spending and tax increases on small businesses – when Americans can afford neither. At a time when hardworking families face uncertainty and a historic decision in November, they expect more than Barack Obama’s self-interested calls to stifle any inquiry into his record or his past.
This is not going to win the election. Saying "ignore the sinking economy, note the guy behind the curtain" is not going to work when people in all socio-economic locations are worried about the economies in their own ways, whether it is paying the mortgage, the credit card, putting food on the table, paying the rent, eyeballing the 401(k) or whatever.
The fact is, people, more than anything else, want leadership on the economy. Charlie Crist’s political advisor nails it, “But I think McCain still has a very good chance of winning Florida. Whichever candidate has a better economic plan is going to be the winner.”
McCain needs a two part strategy, but he can only execute one part. He needs to deliver a plausible economic plan that addresses the needs of America. I am a fan of tax cuts, but more tax cuts probably aren’t the answer.
The answer is probably something like some strategy for recapitalizing some banks — but letting others fall, while protecting deposits–, some supply-side stimulus, and helping some people with their mortgages. And probably more. Some of it needs to address real problems, some needs to address real pain, and some needs to address the news cycle.
Whatever the plan is, the campaign needs surrogates ready to explain it, unlike the mortgage plan "announced" at the last debate when Mitt Romney couldn’t articulate it. (not that he wants to. Instead, he is raising money for himself) The think-tanks need to engage. People on Wall Street need to buy in to defending it. Etc.
And then, once McCain has articulated a credible position on the economy, outside groups need to attack on Ayers, Wright, and all the other cultural symbols that will alienate voters from Obama.
Right now, McCain’s problem, captured so beautifully in the statement at the beginning of this post is that he’s trying to beat something with nothing. Right now, the average undecided American cannot figure out what John McCain would do about the economy. The campaign isn’t giving that voter the opportunity to have doubts about Obama, because McCain’s non-message on the economy is self-disqualifying.
There is partly a theme here. Outsiders are necessary as surrogates to provide either defense or attack. McCain needs to be articulating his positive message for America and other people need to providing defense of that and attack on Obama’s policies. At the same time, outside groups need to be dismantling Obama’s personal image and narrative.
I suspect that none of this will happen. But right now, the blame does not lie totally with the McCain campaign. Business will be severely damanged by an Obama presidency and they are doing nothing about it. The think tanks are not attacking Obama’s plans. They will get audited out of existence. The fact is that the only outside groups that are actually doing their part are the social conservative groups who are running ads about the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, judges, etc.