First, let me offer my apologies for the absence over the past week. I spent a week camping and working on our new house with my family. This particular week was without electronics for the most part. I had lots of time to sit under the stars (part of the week was spent tent camping), and contemplate how elections were held back in the days before television. But that’s the subject for another blog.
Today rather, I thought it would be appropriate to look at where our two main players are in the campaign.
McCain the Underdog Looks for His Big Strategy
He’s called himself the underdog–which is a pretty apt description if you consider he’s trailing in the campaign thus far. However, he was trailing a year ago too–and he won his party’s nomination. Remember Huckabee & Romney? Then there was Guiliani too, (which I never really figured out if he was serious about running or not?) But no one expected McCain to win.
However, if he wants to win in the fall, his strategists say he must grab a strategic message and wrap his arms around it, package it up and give it to the American people. I’m no political analyst but it seems to me that what we should be hearing is how he’s not like George W. Bush. Bush is one of the least popular presidents in modern history, and it seems like the presumptive Republican nominee would be wanting to tactically distances himself and explain how his Presidency will be different.
Obama’s Iraq Deadline–Not Such a Strict 16 Months After All
Obama set off a media frenzy earlier this week by saying that he would pull troops out based on conditions on the ground. This has been seen as a contrast to his statements earlier which said that he would have troops home within 16 months. He then later went on to clarify his stance saying that his opposition to the war has never changed, and further reiterating that he does not want an open occupation like John McCain. Then he did something that I think will mark his presidency if he wins. While he didn’t say his earlier remarks were a mistake, he did say that he is on a learning curve and that he’s learning how to be a better candidate.
Obama touts that his ‘refining’ of his views based on the changing variables of ground conditions, is a strength and not a weakness. The question is, will this ‘refining’ leave him a legacy of being wishy-washy?
What Others Are Talking About:
Do We Spend Too Much on the Iraq War?
Revisiting Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech
Obama and McCain on the Economy
My Last Article About Hillary Clinton for Now