Sunday, August 31, 2008

"Comically Inexperienced Running Mate"

So says the Guardian UK. McCain, you did a heckuva job. What a fantastic first impression.

This is a great article that highlights the fractures within the GOP. We've seen this play itself out during the primaries. Now, despite McCain's sop to the American Taliban faction, the party is a collosal mess. Ruining the nation will do that to you, I guess.

But look who's divided now: the Republicans. As John McCain heads for St Paul this weekend - with his photogenic but almost comically inexperienced running mate, Sarah Palin, in tow - it is the GOP that struggles to find real unity. John McCain now leads a party saddled with fierce internecine disputes about everything from civil liberties to budget policy to America's role in the world. While these Republicans may lack a soap opera akin to the Clinton-Obama psychodrama, their ideological stitching has come dangerously loose. It is McCain's challenge to ensure that the seams don't burst open before election day.

If you're curious about the number of people McCain could draw to his VP event on Friday, rest assured: it's nowhere near Obama's numbers. This bodes well for our side in November; remember, kids, turnout is the key and we have the advantage:

For now, none of these fissures threatens to tear the Republican party apart completely. But from Obama's perspective, they don't need to. All they have to do is leave Republican voters uninspired on election day. Consider the contrast in how last week ended. Obama spoke before 80,000, while McCain struggled to round up 10,000 voters for his vice-presidential announcement rally in Ohio. This is a stark illustration of the 'enthusiasm gap' which threatens to doom McCain in November, should Democrats turn out in droves while Republicans stay at home.

No comments: