McCain Fights Back

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 16, 2008
All Rights Reserved.                    

      Taking off the gloves, GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pounded Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) in their final debate Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hemstead, N.Y.  McCain flailed around hoping to land the elusive knockout punch, giving his opponent a beating but failing to put the resilient Obama on the mat.  Obama played defense most of the debate, scoring some shots of his own but didn’t match McCain’s intensity.  Whether McCain scored enough points to change his uphill climb to the White House seems doubtful.  He bought his campaign a little more time, with less than three weeks to Nov. 4.  “We need to know the full extent of that (Ayers) relationship,” continuing the same line of attack backfired on the campaign trail.  Obama explained what looks like, to many voters, a cheap shot, linking him to the former ‘60s radical.

            McCain pulled out all the stops, clobbering Barack on a variety of subjects, bringing up “Joe the plummer,” an Ohio resident with whom Barack spoke at a town-hall meeting about his tax policies.  McCain accused Barack of trying to “spread the wealth” with his tax policy, criticizing the Illinois senator for his attempt to provide tax relief to the middle class.  McCain used poor “Joe the plumber” to illustrate how Barack’s tax policy would increase taxes on individuals earning above $250,00 a year.  Both candidates battled about their health care proposals, demonstrating that McCain either doesn’t understand Barack’s plan or deliberately distorts the facts.  McCain accused Barack of imposing a single-payer government health plan, when Obama described getting health insurance for the uninsured.  McCain confused Barack’s plan with Hillary’s or just doesn’t get the difference.

            McCain’s aggression at the debate cuts both ways:  Demonstrating his willingness to slug it out or continuing to turn off voters.  “Sen. Obama. I’m not President Bush,” said McCain.  “If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago,” making the strongest appeal to undecided voters that there’s a difference.  “If I have occasionally mistaken your polices for George Bush’s policies, it’s because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people—on tax policy, energy policy, on spending priorities—you have a vigorous supporter of President Bush,” Barack fired back, sticking to his talking points equating McCain with Bush.  McCain wants the same across-the-board tax cuts fir rich, middle class and the working poor.  Although promising to cut 95% of families’ taxes, McCain still painted Obama as a big tax-and-spend liberal.

            McCain returned over-and-over again to “Joe the plumber,” insisting Barack’s tax policies would hurt ordinary workers.  Barack tried to point out that McCain’s policies would continue the stubborn recession that helps no one, especially “Joe the plumber.”  What Barack didn’t point out is how the Iraq War has robbed the treasury of needed capital to refurbish crumbling cities and fund the urban renewal programs needed to stimulate industry in urban America.  “What you want to do to Joe the plumber and millions more like him is have their taxes increased an noot be able to realize the American dream of owning their own business,” said McCain.  “The whole premise behind Obama’s plans are class warfare, let’s spread the wealth around.”  Nothing could be more Orwellian or opposite:  Barack’s plan tries to get corporations and millionaires to pay their fair share.

            Class warfare begins with the elite or aristocracy in any society suppressing the working class, preventing them from upward mobility.  McCain said in the debate he believes in “free markets,” the same “free markets” that ran wild on Wall Street, causing the biggest financial collapse since the Great Depression.  Free markets don’t provide retirement or health care benefits for employees, unless forced to do so.  If Bush’s current tax and spending policies favored the middle class, then “Joe the plumber” would be a lot closer to realizing his dreams.  No dreams of entrepreneurs or hard-working employees can be realized when corporate elites plunder legitimate business, devastate retirement accounts and prevent taxpayers from getting ahead.  Obama tried to point out the parallel between McCain and Bush to let voters know, in no uncertain terms, that the same approach will yield the same results.

            Voters were treated to a spirited debate in which McCain threw more punches that skidded off his opponent.  Obama could have got down to McCain’s level but chose to let the 72-year-old self-described “maverick” reveal to a national audience his combative personality.  With two wars raging and the economy sputtering, there’s no room for a hothead to get the country into more trouble.  McCain talked about balancing the budget.  But with his plans to continue the Iraq War, escalate U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and plan for a possible war with Iran, the budget could only be balanced by slashing needed domestic spending.  McCain told a national audience at the prior debate Oct. 7 in Nashville, Tenn., he won’t touch the defense budget.  When he talks about taking out his “hatchet,” he’s talking about hacking up important programs that people count on in tough times.

  John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyxing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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