Precrimination Watch: Blame The Candidate

Precrimination by: GOP strategist Patrick Ruffini.

Reality grade: B+

Nothing the McCain campaign did could change the reality of McCain the candidate's poor management instincts and his tendency to fidget around and not stay on message. When the economic crisis hit, this reality flew in the face of the McCain campaign's message of steadiness versus inexperience. Whether by design or the candidate's nature, Obama's caution and deliberation was a living, breathing talking point against the experience card.

Likewise, I think it will be said that the McCain campaign has yet to really lay a glove on Obama character-wise because Obama himself simply does not project the cloying, insecure, effete tendencies of past nominees like Gore and Kerry, though the only two times he's come close (Wright and bitter/cling) have barely figured in the general election campaign. I do think "celeb" was the best chance we had to define Obama personally, but again, though there is something to be said for attacking a guy's strength, Obama's grassroots appeal was a legitimate strength, not a hidden weakness.

Comments

As an Obama guy, the celebrity ads were what really scared me. Classic jujitsu, classic Rove - charge headfirst into the guy's biggest strength and discredit it. McCain should have pushed past Obama's initial reaction ("John McCain wants to talk about Paris Hilton during an economic crisis"). A few weeks of that stuff would have really taken the wind out of Obama's sails.

But, no, the McCain campaign dropped the theme as quickly as they picked it up.

This is one of those cases where campaign management makes a good proxy for presidential performance. McCain really is erratic and indecisive.

Posted by Hieronymus Bosch's Poodle | October 27, 2008 9:52 AM

The first sentence sums up the problem: A 3 p.m. call on an economic meltdown, and McCain said:
a) SNL isn't taking Sarah Palin seriously enough.
b) The fundamentals are sound.
c) RUN!
d) I'm suspending my campaign
e) Damn debate
f)......
m) We will have new economic policies following our weekend roundtable.
n) No we won't.
o) Yes we will
p) ..........

Everything people started mulling with the wacky Palin pick was proven true and amplified by his response on the economy.

And you guys need a Report Post button, or better moderating.

Posted by Deborah | October 27, 2008 9:58 AM

Yes, the first comment should be deleted. I'm at work for goodness sake - this isn't going to look good on whatever reports they're keeping.

Posted by Hieronymus Bosch's Poodle | October 27, 2008 10:02 AM

McCain has, indeed, displayed poor management instincts/skills as a candidate. However chief among them has been to embrace the politics of division by running as hard as he can to the right, rather than running to the center.

Had McCain run as the kind of candidate he was in 2000, he might well be winning this race. At the very least, it would be extremely close. Instead, he has run as the embodiment of the far right. As a result, he looks to become a by-word for every politician too young to remember McGovern.

Posted by wj | October 27, 2008 11:03 AM

Had McCain run as the kind of candidate he was in 2000, he might well be winning this race.

I think Obama won more than McCain lost, but if McCain had run as most people's image of the 2000 McCain--honorable, aboveboard, not evoking images of George Wallace rallies, basically a conservative Democrat--I think he could have kept it close enough to capitalize on a late fumble by the Obama team. Catering to the right convinced a lot of independents--myself included--that he wasn't the man we thought. What do I care that you stood up to people 10 or 20 years ago if you'll happily shine their shoes this week?

Choosing to run a Bush2000 campaign while trying to find something to excite the base was the fatal error. But arguably that decision came from his being a poor manager, trusting that what beat him 8 years ago could beat a Dem this year.

Posted by Deborah | October 27, 2008 11:16 AM

I think McCain should confuse Shia and Sunni a couple more times to really nail down his "foreign policy credentials".
Oh, and a little more "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" please.

Posted by flounder | October 27, 2008 11:19 AM

The problem with any line of attack that McCain would take is that he would later bungle it by acting like the intemperate person that he is.

Posted by Joel | October 27, 2008 11:57 AM

Performance of the McCain campaign is a text book study of how not to run a campaign: 3 management teams, lobbyist in key management positions, following the Karl Rove strategy and hiring his minions, poor fund raising appeal, a blurred vision for accomplishing the objective, a sorry group of advisers and original plans for the Country, major judgment errors with the VP selection and the economic meltdown, going negative too soon and too often, questioning an opponent's patriotism, all have added up to a 100+ point difference in the Electoral College vote count. Obama has overseen a strong and well functioning campaign effort and the results are showing the difference between being organized and operating in a haphazard manner.

Posted by Lou R | October 27, 2008 1:29 PM