Comments on: What If McCain Had Just Run Ads Like This?

By: Bob Aman

Bob Aman — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:29:18 +0000

How much you want to bet Steve Schmidt wasn’t quite as involved with this ad?

By: Rick Cain

Rick Cain — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:21:58 +0000

Long on patriotism, short on substance. There’s more to ads than waving flags and wars fought 38 years ago. After awhile the voter will ask for specifics. McCain underestimated the effect the crashing economy would have. Even Osama isn’t as scary as a 401K thats dying right before your eyes every day.

By: Gaucho Politico

Gaucho Politico — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:18:17 +0000

The draw back to running as a real change agent is that it ceded the terrain of the election to Obama. At the time the decision was made not to pivot from the primary stances to a more moderate ge stance the mcain people still felt that they could run a judgment and experience argument against obama on foriegn policy. To have gone with change as a theme would have required articulating policies different than the gop orthodoxy which really was the standard foriegn policy at the time. he would have had to run away from the conservative policies domestically as well and although he could have made a case i think that fighting a change battle against obama was not going to work, even for mccain. he would have to leave the base behind and he just could not get away with that. at the same time though mccain would have left the race with respect instead of the derision he will get and deserve.

By: blackoutyears

blackoutyears — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:10:10 +0000

You’re a good man, JG.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:10:43 +0000

Anyway…. that ad was actually good, I agree. However, it’s way too little, way too late. He made a whole slew of choices which did not bring inspiration and diminished his strong appeal to political independents. I would have voted for McCain in 2000 had he been the republican candidate, but he’s changed – and not for the better.

By: blackoutyears

blackoutyears — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:47:37 +0000

What if McCain had run ads. Not to pick on you, JG, but what the flip has happened to the past tense in this country? I have a boss with a grad degree who constantly says *should have went*.