If he doesn't speak for his own campaign, how are we supposed to trust what he says when he “talking to the people”?

I was under the impression we elected a President, not his campaign staff. Can you point that one out in the Constitution for me?

If he can't control a campaign how he going to manage running the country?

He's nothing compared to Obama, who has not merely celebrity status but cult following status among his most hard-core admirers. Many groupies admired Bill Clinton long ago but also were nothing like what we see with Obama (whereas they were much more substantial than anything McCain has gotten from the Media by being Dem Lite and anti-GOP at times).

… will do ANYTHING.

Give us a positive ad, _period_.

I had to shuttle on the road again this afternoon and early evening and was listening to lefty talk radio and the show I heard was not diving into the bizarre “racism” reactionary position about the McCain celebrity ad but was looking at that ad and the other ads and noticing that McCain is defining himself in terms of “not Obama” rather than offering, as more than one lefty on the show said regarding the key word,

an *** AFFIRMATIVE *** position or vision of what McCain offers us.

(Note that this is the key problem with the GOP as a whole right now, too, though for different reasons.)

Both these guys are celebrities and media darlings. And frankly, there's nothing wrong with that. But McCain's been acting like a fool with his latest barrage of ads and tarnish whatever image drew the 2000 supporters to him.

Maybe, as he's trying to present himself as less of a Dem Lite and anti-GOP Republican while still reaching out to left-leaning swing voters on ANWR and global warming and such, but he's really no different now than he was before.

If you're liberal, your real cause for concern isn't his pandering to righties as well as leftish swing voters, nor the Big Lie that he is another Bush, but in wondering just how Dem Lite he may prove to be if he were President. It wouldn't be a case of Bush retreads, but as with Obama, more so with McCain, he'd be conceding in a number of cases to established interests, and the GOP interests in DC (including lobbying groups) are not appealing to the public in general nowadays and probably not to you, sir or ma'am.

“John McCain’s angrier turn”

There is none. This is pure fiction. Maybe you want him to lose his temper so you can hype that issue again soon, but you have to wait for it to actually happen to be taken seriously.

“Obama doesn't want oil drilling. That's, I think, a legitimate issue which reasonable people can debate. Yet in this ad the focus is on Obama. The focus needs to be on McCain.”

Obama is the one with the non-mainstream, extremist-oriented, wrongful position.

* * *

“Racist, but subtle.”

“Subtle,” “hidden,” “encoded,” and “covert” are some of the terms used to claim racism exists when it's not there and cannot be proven to be there. Next issue!

Oh, not yet. What needs to be done with the truly hyper-childish is to make use of McCain's (McLame's) statement that his anti-Obama ads are being made “because McCain puts his country first” (i.e., Obama is narcissistic, self-absorbed, believes his celebrity and Messianic hype). McCain should do a good old-fashioned traditionalist-conservative-American flag, eagle, military, etc., ad that is pro-McCain that is done to the song “America,” sung by _Ray_Charles_.

Take that, “paper-armored tanks” with nuclear-energetic emotions and quantum (smallest possible amount) maturity.

* * *

“McCain said 'I dont speak for the campaign.''”

Hardly convincing. But don't forget, Obama has others do his dirty work for him, and if it's not well received, he can say it “was a mistake” or even disparage it. And his most dupish worshippers will simply nod their heads up and down in unison and feel they're in the presence of great depth were he to add, “I would never say such a thing myself.”

Who says it cant be done. Who says it will take 5-7 years? The experts? You mean the ones the democrats assemble that say it cant be done because they dont want to drill?

Could it be Bush's own report made in conjunction with the Big Oil companies you all screamed about that said drilling for more wont lower prices? Why would they want oil prices to be lower………..

Perhaps you should get your scoop from someone who actually knows. Oh I know How about T. Boone Pickens who has a hedge fund that bets OIL will GO UP and not down. He for sure knows that drilling wont work…..why he even puts adds on TV to make you believe it.

“The left/democrats want McCain to be this pleasant sacrifical goat that …”

I can't speak for the “left/democrats” but I can speak for myself. I wanted from both candidates an real campaign on the ISSUES not mud slinging. I wanted the “Straight Talk Express” McCain. I did but not so he'd be a “sacrificial goat” but so we could have a real debate on REAL ISSUES that effect real Americans. Not funny accusations of “elitism” when both sides have members who are guilty of it. You'd have a hard time proving to me that there is not any “elitist” Republicans.

“….yes McCain said 'I dont speak for the campaign.'”

Don't you find that funny? I thought it was a little weird, I thought the candidate SET the campaign policies & standards not let the consultants lead him by the nose.

What's he going to do if he wins, let others run the WH? That's getting very close to GWB territory.

This also opens several questions:

If he doesn't speak for his own campaign, how are we supposed to trust what he says when he “talking to the people”?

I was under the impression we elected a President, not his campaign staff. Can you point that one out in the Constitution for me?

If he can't control a campaign how he going to manage running the country?

Before SD, DLS, and others claim he can't, he may very well win in November. I'd feel much more comfotable with the McCain of 2000 instead of the McCain of 2008 in the WH.

As it is, Jazz may be right, Barr may be the best choice this year.

I would hope the Republicans are willing to put all kinds of investment into alternatives. They are just as responsible for this impasse as is the democrats.

However the one thing that is going to get oil to the pumps is drilling, not creating wind farms in texas.

Since lifting the federal OCS moratorium is very unlikely to have much of an effect on prices, I don't see how caring for the poor figures in one way or the other (except as a perception, and perceptions not rooted in reality are maleable). However, there are other, meatier reasons to lift the moratorium, and it appears there may be a compromise in the works: the Dems appear to be inching closer to easing the moratorium if the GOPers agree to extending the ITC for renewables. Both are favorably perceived by the public, so it might happen. However, if it's true drilling is the one thing that could defeat Obama in November, then the GOP would do well to find a way to avoid a compromise. Then again, that could be politically risky itself. Ah, politics.

We'll see how things shake out. And personally, I don't think Obama has really started responding to McCain with his own energy plan. He's been kinda preoccupied with other things the last couple of weeks. So he may be able to shape the debate (and popular opinion) before it's time to vote. It seems to me the demographics on the drilling issue are still very volatile.

The left/democrats want McCain to be this pleasant sacrifical goat that they thought he was going to be by laying down and letting Obama ride his white Unicorn to the White House.

However no one told McCain he should do that.

The left/democrats want McCain to to try and match Obama's charisma and oratory skills while playing nice with the Good Senator and that aint happening. If your competiton can run a marathon and you have trouble running around the block you dont challenge him to a 10 mile run. You challenge him on his weaknesses that maximize your strengths.

McCain is best when walking the crowd handling questions. Obama is best when reading a prepared speech that will be sound bited to death in the evening news. Neither candidate is willing to take on the other in their own settings.

As for McCains message. Drill now will defeat Obama in the fall. If gas starts climbing again then drill now will put Obama back in the senate. Its the most powerful message he has and I can see why the democrats are horrified by its power.

Its the ONE thing that can defeat Obama come November and its the rigid anti drilling mentality of that party WHO PRETENDS TO CARE FOR THE POOR that will put them in deep trouble come november.

Give us a positive ad about how you, McCain, will solve our energy problems by drilling for the oil we have here and all the other components of your energy plan. Make us feel confident and safe that, with McCain, we will attack this problem head on and solve it. I, McCain, have the experience and realistic program to make this happen. Let's go!

Isn't that more appealing than Obama bashing? That was Reagan's campaign philosophy after all. For Reagan, the sun was rising on America. McCain's pitching fear of the sun setting if you vote Obama.

McCain is more of a maverick that is born to push boundaries. The second thing is that McCain has a history of being civil with those who disagree with him.

Uh.

Maybe deep down McCain is a maverick, but he's been abandoning his old positions and triangulating new ones on a daily basis. He went from 100 years in Iraq to embracing Obama's timetable in a matter of months. Same with tax cuts, same with illegal-immigration, same with his environmentalism… etc. The “Straight Talk Express” is now about as aptly named as O'Reilly's “No-Spin Zone.”

As for civility, I remember a very ugly McCain battle with Mitt Romney a few months back.

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Edit: There are two possibilities…

1) McCain's campaign reflects him as a candidate and person (this is the interpretation I tend to agree with, given what we've seen from McCain over the last two years.)

2) McCain's is unable to effectively manage his campaign because his crazy staff has wrestled the reigns away from him. McCain is a great guy, but he can't handle a presidential campaign.