by Frank James
Perhaps Sen. John McCain's greatest vulnerability in the general election is his proud role as President Bush's reliable wingman for nearly eight years.
While that position works well with Republican base voters, it's likely political poison with the larger electorate which largely disdains Bush, as demonstrated by the president's approval rating which is around 30 percent.
Hoping to take advantage of that Achilles heel and to place McCain on the defensive--a position the McCain camp has placed Sen. Barack Obama in for much of August-- the Democratic National Committee has a new ad up called "Totally in agreement."
Those are words McCain used to describe his faithfulness to Bush's positions on issues. The ad show McCain saying that he voted with the president 95 percent of the time, even more than fellow Republicans.
A Democratic operative who wanted to be off-the-record said the ad represents a renewed push by Democrats not let Republicans win the battle of defining the opponent.
"... This is evidence that we're going to take an aggressive approach to driving the contrast between McCain and Obama during this convention," the source said. "We're not going to make the same mistake we did in '04."
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Comments
Only someone as dense as Howard Dean would take the attack strategy that didn't work in 2004 and apply it in 2008. But I guess that's what you have to do when your candidate has no accomplishments of his own to run on.
Posted by: Jeff | August 25, 2008 4:49 PM
Obama's campaign already dropped the ball in letting McCain's campaign define him. Now, instead of trying to defend/define his own record (whatever that is), he is trying to define McCain. Not sure this is going to work.
Posted by: Herbie H. | August 25, 2008 4:50 PM
Excellent choice. BTW I don't care if they use my creation. I think I was the first to coin that parody name.
Posted by: C.Morris | August 25, 2008 5:01 PM
I hope they do something becuase McSame is DANGEROUS!!
Posted by: clyde | August 25, 2008 5:26 PM
If McCain is McBush than Obama is OBlagoevich. If McCain has to answer for Bush than Obama has to answer for the most corrupt political organization in the country. The Cook County Machine.
Posted by: Vinny | August 25, 2008 5:45 PM
Republicans can whine and cry about Obama all they want, it won't change the fact that the Republicans have run this country into the ground, just like they did in the 80s . The American people will not tolerate 4 more years of it, and they remember it took a Democrat to clean up the Republican mess last time.
Posted by: Paul | August 25, 2008 5:50 PM
mccain is only having to "answer to bush" because he agreed/voted with him over 90% OF THE TIME!
Posted by: sl | August 25, 2008 6:15 PM
Yea, great ad for McCain. Thanks Bama bunglers. What it reflects for McCain is that the surge worked and Iraq and the U.S. are agreeing on a successful conclusion to the Iraq phases of the war against terrorists. U.S. troops will come home as VICTORS, not as a defeated army as would have happened if Obama and the Democrats had their way when they opposed the surge. Here's a clue to Obamaites: Americans do NOT like to lose as you wanted them to do. Nothing like having the dumb Demos write positive ads for McCain. Thanks, guys.
Posted by: Andrew | August 25, 2008 6:23 PM
"RICK RENZI SPEAKS"
NEVER LEAVE YOUR "WINGMAN" JOHN!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR "WINGMAN" GEORGE!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CO-CHAIRMAN JOHN.
NEVER, NEVER LEAVE YOUR WINGMAN! MR. 393RD! MR. NO HOPE! MR. FEDERAL LAND SWAP AND I DON'T CARE!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR "WINGMAN" JOHN!
NEVER LEAVE YOUR CO-CHAIRMAN JOHN!
MR. ABSENTEE SENATOR FROM ARIZONA!
MR. 14% ON VETERANS
MR. 86% NO ON VETERANS
NEVER LEAVE YOUR "WINGMAN" JOHN!
BECAUSE I CAN SPELL RE NZI RE NZI AND BINGO WASN'T OUR GAME!
YOU SAY REZKO, I SAY "RENZI"
SO NEVER LEAVE YOUR "WINGMAN" JOHN!
Posted by: Roger Morris | August 25, 2008 6:31 PM
The way is shut. How do you know if a politician is lying? McCain's lips are moving. I doubt that Obama's non-details or McBush's "details" will change much of anything in the minds of those who do not look at the issues anyway. Mostly, people vote the straight party ticket like good little soldiers in the cause. It is rare to have an educated voter who knows the differences in the two candidates' positions. So we simply vote for the guy most like us, but neither of them are like the average American. But then, who wants an average American running the country? Again, it is a choice of the lesser of two evils rather than the best person for the job. Sigh.
Posted by: Jimmy Higgins | August 25, 2008 6:47 PM
Remember Obama agrees with this congress 100% of the time and they have an approval rate at half of the Presidents.
Posted by: walter hansen | August 25, 2008 7:56 PM
You have to win at all costs! The democrats will have to be ruthless like the neo-cons. Whatever it takes, even if you have to walk over your own mother. Intelligence will trump experience, anytime, anywhere. Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of this great Republic in 147 more days! whiteagle38
Posted by: Whiteagle38 | August 25, 2008 8:26 PM
Farm Bill! Farm Bill! Immigration Reform! Immigration Reform! This congress, and I mean both sides of the aisle, shame on you!
http://www.bop-o-rama.com
Posted by: acarponzoa | August 25, 2008 8:29 PM
Paul, quit steeling Hillary's line. It went "It took a Clinton to clean up a Bush's mess and it will take another Clinton to clean up a second Bush's mess." Oh that's right we didn't get a Clinton, we got loser Obamadaley.
Posted by: RFB | August 25, 2008 9:15 PM
Jimmy Higgins, how do you tell when a Democrat is lying? He keeps saying "What I actually meant was . . . ."
Posted by: RFB | August 25, 2008 9:18 PM
McCain = Bush. He said it himself.
How is that negative?
Posted by: athena | August 25, 2008 10:21 PM
"U.S. are agreeing on a successful conclusion to the Iraq phases of the war against terrorists. U.S. troops will come home as VICTORS, not as a defeated army as would have happened if Obama and the Democrats had their way when they opposed the surge" - Andrew
How's that surge helped here at home? How about a "Katrina" Surge. How has throwing billions of dollars at Iraq helped? You're obviously a GOP/Limbaugh Wingnut, so be on your way now.
Posted by: karl | August 25, 2008 10:30 PM
just give john wayne mccain his gold watch and let him retire
Posted by: john | August 26, 2008 10:20 AM
"Obama's campaign already dropped the ball in letting McCain's campaign define him. Now, instead of trying to defend/define his own record (whatever that is), he is trying to define McCain. Not sure this is going to work.
Posted by: Herbie H. | August 25, 2008 4:50 PM"
NEWSFLASH!!! McCain's campaign does not define Obama just as Obama's campaign does not define McCain. As you can see, McCain defines himself. (I think it is rather nice that the two opponents can actually agree on something.)
Posted by: PPG | August 26, 2008 11:38 AM
Wake Up People, don't throw the youth under the bus for this guy!!!
Posted by: meschief | August 26, 2008 1:43 PM