Sarah Palin has been “the new kid on the block” since joining the campaign. Brought in for her spunk and willingness to take on any problem head-on was a stroke of genius. However, some idiot in the McCain campaign then decided they needed to “tone her down.” It didn’t work. The bump in the polls that came with her nomination speech quickly disappeared faster than our 401(k) plans. A week or so ago on this blog, I called for the return of Sarah Barracuda. I don’t know if the McCain campaign has discovered Grand Rants yet or not, but someone on the campaign got the message.
The result? The Barracuda is back! And in the past 24 hours, Palin has got the Obama campaign flummuxed. Palin is now putting Obama’s alignment with William Ayers under a magnifying glass illuminated by spotlights. She’s pointing out the obvious lies Obama has told over and over again about not being connected with Ayers. The Obama campaign is stumbling all over itself trying to find what new responses might stick against the wall. They are having to resort to the race card, suggesting (through the left-wing media) tha Palin is racist. But the Ayers relationship is is now on the table and being discussed as it should be.
In short, the advantage Obama thought he had won by refusing to debate John McCain in “town-meeting” type debates is vanished. The gloves are off, and it’s the Barracuda that’s taken the first swipe. Take it to the bank (if it hasn’t been sold): it won’t be her last. It’s the best hope the McCain campaign has of stopping the momentum of the Obama campaign.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of Palin’s new aggressiveness: She seems to have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with resolve. Look for a much more confrontational John McCain in tonight’s debate.
Somewhere along the line, John McCain forgot rule number one in politics: Nice Guys Finish Last. He’s been the candidate eqivalent of Winnie The Pooh. Even when he criticized Obama, it was with the soft voice of a gentleman who might as well have been whispering across the dinner table. The result? He’s been coming across as an impotent old man in search of a bran muffin.
That John McCain underwent surgery last night for a spinal transplant. The surgery was performed by Dr. Sarah Barracuda. The operation was a success. The patient is fine. He’s up and walking around. And he’s already served notice today that he has a new theme song: “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” Since yesterday, McCain has demonstrated his new aggressiveness. And why not? There are so many Obama misrepresentations (the politiclly correct term for lies) to choose from.
Tonight will most likely be “do or die” time for the McCain Campaign. There isn’t enough time left to recover from a poor performance. Like the Red Sox, McCain needs an aggressive late-inning performance. Nothing less will do. But it must be followed up daily with aggressive questioning aimed directly at Obama. If he does this, the spotlight shifts to Obama’s questionable ethics. We all know that Obama will respond by trying to link McCain with some scandal, but that’s the beauty of this tactic: McCain can honestly account for his actions (which will exhonerate him). Obama will have to resort to his usual evasive non-answers. But this is about the time the Undecided voters start to listen. And they won’t settle for the Obama two-step.
Gerry
