It’s not the economy. Sure – if the economy was better, it would be good for Republicans. Everybody knows that, which is why the McCain campaign could never bet too many chips on the economy as part of a winning formula. Sure, the Democrats – including Barack Obama and Joe Biden – did cause the financial industry meltdown but what does it matter? There is a Republican in the White House and it’s easier to imagine that presidents rule with magic wands than to learn the basics of the American democratic system, let alone learn the modern history of financial industry regulation. It may be just luck of the draw but if the McCain campaign banks on pulling far enough ahead on the economy to win he will lose.
As for the war, McCain may be right about everything – and certainly does have a commanding advantage in knowledge, experience, and wisdom. The country and the world would be far safer with John McCain as president. But remember when his advisor Charles R. Black Jr. spoke too candidly, saying that a fresh terrorist attack would be a big advantage to the McCain campaign. As easy as it was to take that comment the wrong way – Mr. Black was right. Americans are tired of war. Without a reminder that there is a real enemy bent on destroying the nation, it is just plain nicer to embrace the imaginary notion that it will all be fixed if we just schedule the changes we want. Would you like the War On Terror to end in victory within a year? Sure. As if terrorists respect our democratic choices.
The problem with the McCain campaign is that our war hero can’t find the battlefield. The big war being fought at home is a culture war with fundamental social, political, and economic ramifications. Too many Americans are being left on this battlefield and John McCain is AWOL.
Remember Sarah Palin? She lit a fire under the campaign when chosen as McCain’s VP running mate. She may have been single-handedly responsible for what has become known as the RNC convention “bounce.” An amazing bounce it was – particularly in the way that it lingered. It lingered in fact until it began to appear that Palin’s tenacity as a culture warrior was being reigned in. Going into battle with only the old McCain campaign strategy strapped to her back, she now continues the fight unarmed.
Is there a game-changer? I think there is, but it would take a real maverick to pull it off. McCain must break from what he previously thought was the safe position – throwing the garbage of federal mismanagement of social policy to the states. This view – outdated and wrong – was still ingrained heavily enough in the minds of Republican Party insiders that it is currently enshrined in the RNC Platform 2008. Denying Congressional and indeed – bipartisan – involvement in creating the problem by blaming “activist judges” isn’t good enough.
In areas of social policy that the Constitution left to the states and to the people, particularly where recent and heavy federal intrusion has been disastrous, it is time for the federal government to let go. The reasons for unconstitutional federal intrusion into family policy are known – pork, pork, and pork. And it has legally destroyed the institutions of marriage and family and decommissioned the Bill of Rights. (Related Article: A Dire Warning for Families from the RNC) With regard to our domestic policy, we don’t need to be a single, dictatorial, socialist super-state. We are better off – we know we are better off – in a republic in which civil rights are respected. In short, John McCain will have to break from the current view of the Republican Party enough to become a Republican.
In my view, such a transformation would give McCain his strongest chance of winning. The Palin bounce put the ticket in a poll position opposite where it is now. They were winning. For a lingering moment, we thought the culture war that has for decades pushed Americans farther and farther into the political fringe was to meet opposition. Be that opposition and you will have our support.
