McCain the Smoke-Blower

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright October 28, 2008
All Rights Reserved.                    

             One week before Election Day, GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) morphed from Straight Talk to Smoke-Blower Express, guaranteeing an audience in Hershey, Penn. victory next Tuesday.  McCain told supporters to ignore reality as found in the polls, showing his rival Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) with a commanding 7% lead.  “I’m not afraid of the fight. I’m ready for it,” McCain declared, forgetting he lost, according to objective polls, three consecutive debates.  After pummeling Barack in the final debate at Hofstra University Oct. 16, McCain continued to slide in the polls, in part because he’s delivered no coherent message.  McCain nemesis, his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, continues to hammer away about Obama’s tax plans.  Both McCain and Palin insist, despite Barack’s middle class tax pledge, he will raise taxes.

            McCain and Palin blasted Obama for being a “socialist,” daring to cut taxes for the middle class.  “Our opponent is not being candid with you about his tax plans,” said Palin.  “It is not mean-spirited, and it is not negative campaign to call out someone on their record,” insisting Barack’s pledge to cut taxes on 95% of taxpayers is actually a tax hike.  “Look out for your wallet,” said McCain, echoing the disconnect as Palin that Obama actually wants to raise taxes.  When the economy boomed in the late ‘90s under former President Bill Clinton, taxpayers over $250,000 paid 39.6%.  Obama plans to cut federal tax rates 5% for taxpayers under $200,000 from their current 28% to 23%,.  Taxpayers above $250,000 will return to 40%, a 5% increase.  Obama’s middle class tax cuts should stimulate the economy, generate more revenue from top-tier taxpayers and reduce today’s budget deficit.

            McCain’s plan to continue across-the-board tax cuts robs the U.S. treasury of $300 billion next year, pushing the deficit to near $1 trillion.  Obama’s plan does exactly the opposite, generating $300 billion in new revenues plus stimulating the economy with middle class tax cuts, lifting the economy from deficits to potential surpluses.  While Barack has a good plan to fix the economy, McCain and Palin have nothing left other than old GOP talking points about Obama being a “tax-and-spend” liberal.  McCain’s latest argument urges voters to elect him to keep the presidency away from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  (D-San Francisco) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).  “It’s wonderful to be back in Pennsylvania,” said McCain.  “It’s wonderful to fool the pundits because were going to win the state of Pennsylvania,” lagging at least 11% in recent polls. 

             McCain and Palin’s closing argument undermines their campaign, telling voters to vote for them to prevent all independent three branches of government going Democratic.  McCain has conceded that Republicans in the House and Senate stand to lose more seats, handing Democrats wider margins.  What McCain doesn’t get is that’s no argument to vote for him on Election Day.  Voters have been driven away from the Republican Party precisely because of President George W. Bush’s abysmal approval ratings, dragging down other GOP candidates.  Guaranteeing his victory of Nov. 4 sounds so outrageous in light of polls that it makes the ticket look even weaker.  “Nothing is inevitable.  I will never give up,” said McCain, insisting that he has one more comeback left in the tank.  While the polls say otherwise, 2008 is not 2004 and Obama is no Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).

             McCain and Palin have made much ado about Obama’s statements about “redistributing the wealth.”  U.S. tax code has always placed bigger income-earners in higher tax brackets.  There’s nothing novel about Barack’s plan to increase the top bracket to levels during the Clinton years, when balanced budgets and surpluses replaced deficits for the first time in 20 years.  “Sen. Obama is running to be the redistributor-in-chief,” said McCain.  Sen. Obama is running to punish the successful.  I’m running to make everyone successful,” a strained argument when you consider McCain runs on the same tax policy as Bush.  McCain said recently he disagreed with Bush’s economic policies, especially the president’s refusal to rein-in government spending.  Yet McCain won’t say where he plans to cut the federal budget.  He’s only says it won’t be at the Pentagon.

            McCain’s Straight Talk Express has morphed into one of the most prodigious smoke-blowing campaigns in presidential history.  Voters need only turn inside-out or upside down much of what McCain and Palin say on the stump.  With clock ticking down, voters have become jaded to McCain or Palin’s attacks, deteriorated into feeble pleas to keep the presidency out of Pelosi and Reid’s hands.  McCain’s electoral map has turned into an insoluble Rubic’s cube, where each solution raises more roadblocks.  While McCain insists he’s poised for an upset Nov. 4, reality says it could be the worst drubbing since Ronald Reagan blew out Jimmy Carter in 1980.  Palin has already anointed herself the heir-apparent for 2012.  If enough the Party’s base agrees, it could spell the end of today’s Republican Party.  After Nov. 4, the GOP will have to take a searching inventory.

  John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing 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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