TIME has a good piece that outlines the various strategies the McCain campaign will use to define Barack Obama. While we hesitate to call Obama the Democratic nominee as Hillary Clinton is poised for a big win in the West Virginia primary tonight; the concerns about the Charlatan are still valid whether or not he makes it to the general election.
Some excerpts:
Paint Obama as a False Messiah
At an Alexandria Holiday Inn, McCain offered these words: "I do not seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need." The code was not hard to break. McCain was calling out Obama as an unfulfilled prophet, built up on lofty rhetoric and personal charisma. McCain's advisors have been hammering the theme ever since, privately speaking skeptically of Obama's big crowds and "Yes We Can" ritual chants. "The lofty rhetoric," said Steve Schmidt, McCain's message man, on a recent flight. "It's nonsense."
Work, Woo and Win the Referees
McCain's willingness to parry and thrust with the press is already the stuff of campaign legend. And if the candidate has his way, the legend will only grow. "He is the best earned media candidate I think in history," Rick Davis, the campaign manager, recently told The New York Times. "And so we will try to use that advantage." In recent weeks, the campaign has relaunched what advisers call the 'Straight Talk Express,' a time when groups of three or four reporters head to the front of the plane, or the back of the bus, for open-ended interviews. McCain's staff thinks its worth the risk, that by earning the understanding and admiration of reporters they can make Obama seem distant by comparison.Meet With the People, and Force Obama to Follow
The second part of McCain's earned media strategy is his people strategy. Some of McCain's best moments on the trail come in the uncontrolled give and take with a crowd. "The town hall meeting is John's best format," says Mark McKinnon, a media adviser for McCain. "He's a natural campaigner up close with the public." McCain has so far reveled in free-form forums, taking questions in places historically hostile to Republicans, like New Orleans. The campaign has vowed to continue the same format as much as possible going forward. McCain's aides even hope to bring Obama out of his stadium events and put him on the same level. McKinnon has suggested joint appearances by Obama and McCain with questions from the audience and limited moderation. Obama has said he is open to the idea.
Make Inroads Among Traditional Democratic Voters
These days Republicans love to talk about the larger crossover vote that McCain wins in the early and unreliable general-match up polls. In one Pew poll from late February, as many as 14 percent of Democrats say they will vote for McCain, compared to eight percent of Republicans who say they will vote for Obama. They point to a key goal of the McCain campaign: upset the traditional partisan divide with a new generation of McCain-o-Crats. Campaign staff say they see hope in Obama's recent trouble shoring up the Democratic base of working class voters.Rely on the Historic RNC Advantage
March was a good example of the disparity between the two candidates' financial machines. McCain attended 26 fundraisers in 24 cities, raising about $15 million. Obama, who was still engaged in a nomination fight, raised more than $40 million, and attended just six fundraisers. God bless the Internet. Much of that Obama money will now be channeled into a major voter registration and get out the vote operation. The McCain campaign hopes to contain the Obama advantage by depending heavily on the Republican Party machinery, which has a historically superior general election get out the vote operation. As a result, the campaign has been encouraging wealthy donors to give even after they have reached their $2,300 donation limit for McCain. Under a program called "McCain Victory '08," donors are encouraged to give up to $70,000 to state and national party funds. After the general election, McCain is likely to accept $84 million in public financing to carry his campaign through the final two months. With the voter files of Republican Party, they expect to reduce Obama's big money advantage to a curious historical footnote.
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