Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

BY TAYLOR MARSH

If I didn’t have such a new disrespect for John McCain, I’d almost feel sorry
for him. Nah. On this one he got what he deserved. Republicans are
not
holding back either:

The whole episode left even conservatives admitting that the McCain campaign looked erratic and a bit foolish with no apparent direction or guiding principle. “It just proves his campaign is governed by tactics and not ideology,” said Republican consultant Craig Shirley, who advised McCain earlier in this cycle. “In the end, he blinked and Obama did not. The ’steady hand in a storm’ argument looks now to more favor Obama, not McCain.” Shirley added, “My guess is that plasma units are rushing to the McCain campaign as we speak to replace the blood flowing there from the fights among the staff.”

Given his plummeting poll numbers and his disadvantage on economic issues,
the stunt to run back to Washington to save the day was a worthy gamble for
McCain. How he handled it from the decision to go back was catastrophically stupid. Where he went overboard
was by threatening to bail on the debate, which set McCain up for nothing but
political humiliation, because he absolutely had to show up tonight. That he
thought Obama would miss the debate over his bullying is absurd. He obviously
underestimated his opponent, which is always a bad move. But if the last year plus has shown us anything about Obama it’s that he’s a tough strategic fighter. If he can finally transfer that into a tough, focused debate performance tonight he’ll be one step closer to widening his lead, which he’ll need on election day.

So imagine my delight today listening to Rush, waiting for the plan to be
hatched that would get McCain off the hook, at least with Republican voters.
Because if they become demoralized they won’t show up to vote. Right-wing radio
has the daunting task of keeping the base energized enough to work and vote
for McCain, thinking there’s a chance, otherwise we’re at a tipping point in
this election cycle where the bottom falls out of McCain’s campaign. But this
morning was particularly interesting, because with the bailout plan in shambles
and everyone pointing a finger at McCain, some way, some how, El Rushbo had
to get his guy out of the line of fire.

This is how yesterday played out, accordingly to Rush’s, ahem, “source
inside the Obama campaign.” Obama, according the Rush, followed McCain
to Washington, but once he got there he didn’t know what was going on with House
Republicans. Someone on Obama’s staff emailed talking points to him that included
the Republican plan that was to replace Paulson’s. The talking points emailed
to Obama were compliments, according to Rush, of someone at Goldman Sachs. So
when Obama spoke at the White House meeting yesterday, he mentioned the House
plan to Paulson, who stated he wasn’t crazy about it. Boehner evidently immediately
felt he was being “ganged up on,” opined Rush, so it wasn’t long after
that when things blew up. All because of … –wait for it– … You guessed
it, Barack Obama. By virtue of Rush’s wingnut deduction and McCain butt covering,
it was Obama who “followed” McCain in, then with notes emailed to
him by a staffer, because you know that Obama isn’t smart enough to figure this
out on his own, Obama used these notes, which were provided by someone at Goldman
Sachs, which happens to be Paulson’s old company, with Obama and Hank Paulson
subsequently ganging up on poor, unsuspecting, righteously right-wing Boehner
and the House Republicans who simply want to save the American people. Hoist
white flag here.

Rush offered a one man pity party for his party. However, the callers I heard
were completely and totally unhinged and no matter what Rush said, woman after
woman called in for reassurance that Obama is “still unelectable.”
By the time Rush was through he was saying that maybe “unelectable”
is going too far, but… and on and on. Oh, and things are so bad he might actually
go back on tv! Let’s face it, one reason he is reluctant is that his heft makes
him less than telegenic, ruining the he-man persona that his fans have dancing
in their heads. Besides, his debate chops haven’t been exercised since before
he became drug free.

But the goal for Republicans today is simple. Try to make Obama the bad guy
for the bailout talks collapsing. Never mind that this is pure and total fiction
and that the main person to blame is John McCain himself.

As for McCain “blinking” and going to the debate, that’s being kind.
After a decent stunt to rush back to Washington, McCain set himself up by challenging Obama to postpone the debate, then not only showed up at the White House with
nothing to say, but had already drawn a line in the sand he most certainly would have to cross.
The fly boy didn’t just blink. He caved completely. If the events of the
last 24 hours came with audio McCain’s
collapse would sound like this.