Fire Palin and Staff

While I agree with Bill Kristol that Senator McCain should fire his campaign staff, it is not for the reasons given by Kristol, the reason McCain should fire his staff is because they have wasted six months of our time and his energy.

This campaign was done before it even began. First, we know that McCain is hampered by the policies (or lack of) of the Bush Administration. However, it was McCain’s staff that did not come up with a message that resonated with the American people. George W. Bush had nothing to do with the incompetency of McCain’s staff to develop a message and stick to it. It is not enough to tell us what you have done in the past – being a P.O.W. and a legislative “Maverick” – McCain needs to tell the American people how he is going to lead and he STILL has not done that.

Even today, McCain is focusing on driving Obama’s negatives when that clearly has not gained any traction. The voters do not care about Rezko or Ayers anymore than they care about Rev. Hagee and The Keating Five. The economy is THE issue and the public perceives it is the fault of the Republican Party.

The difference in this election is that McCain has to address what he is going to do to lead the country out of this financial crisis. Obama does not have to address it because he is not perceived as part of the problem. Obama has the luxury of stating “Are you better off than you were eight years ago?” McCain does not have that option.

Second, McCain is irrelevant in his own campaign. Governor Sarah Palin is the de-facto nominee of the Republican Party. The lack of a consistent message has allowed his campaign to be hi-jacked by the conservative wing of the party that did not want McCain to be the nominee in the first place.

Finally, John McCain is placing himself in a no-win scenario. His statement of “whipping his (Obama) you know what” in the final debate may work with the conservative base but will play into Obama’s strength. McCain’s attacks will be nuanced to death by the media and be defined in a context of a “mean spirited” attack that is anything but civil. Obama has been ready for this frontal attack since June and has probably been surprised that it hasn’t happened yet. McCain will be lessened in the attempt and Obama will come out looking Presidential.

Senator McCain: fire your staff, let Sarah Palin go back to Alaska and give us your specific plans for our country…you can salvage your reputation and maybe even win the election.