The greatest impression I have gotten from McCain so far in this campaign is that primarily he reacts. Often he reacts well through experience and good instincts, but it's still typically a reaction. He's shown me little notion of forming a new brand of Conservatism, Republicanism, campaigning, or anything. McCain is his own brand.

This seems to be idiotic on the surface- because unless you can scare the pants off of everyone but your core supporters, you lose every election- there just aren't enough conservative in the country- and the GOP has driven off other groups (like Hispanics) that used to vote for them. Is this the “Limbaugh effect”? Where talk radio has convinced right wingers that their reality is the only possible way? And of course religious fundamentalists are already inflexible and intolerant- so they are a perfect fit for the new smaller GOP.

It may work when there are recent terrorist attacks— but as a longterm strategy it stinks. You can see scare tactics, demonization and voter manipulation are backfiring in the McCain campaign. Americans have gotten so used to it, that it no longer works and actually generates support for the Democrats.