THE Truth behind McCain’s boost in the polls . . .

By l.t. Dravis

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Friday, September 12, 2008 – The New York Times is reporting that with 52 days to go until election day democratic operatives are ‘nervous’ about the McCain campaign’s recent boost in the polls.

There are rumblings that some democratic strategists think McCain may have picked up enough momentum in the past week to carry him through to victory on November 4.

I don’t know about that, but there is a legitimate question on the table: Why are voters running to Senator McCain?

Even voters with misgivings about how Obama plans to pay for his proposals say they see his ‘change we can believe in’ message as reasoned, viable, and generally good for the nation and the world.

Voters give Obama kudos for not having jumped from one track to another like McCain did when he recently morphed from the ‘experienced’ candidate to the ‘change’ candidate.

Voters view the selection of Joe Biden to be a solid, straightforward choice without political gamesmanship, controversy, or doubts over potential conflicts or scandals.

Voters understand and appreciate the fact that the Obama campaign focuses on issues, not personalities, distractions or distortions.

And, voters who look into the Obama campaign will see that the two Davids (Axelrod and Plouffe) who engineered the hard fought victory over Hillary Clinton in the primaries are considered by those in the know to be the best of the best (since James Carville) at managing a political campaign.

On the other hand, voters who compare what John McCain says versus what he does will wonder why, despite his ‘anti-lobbyist’ stance, he hired Rick Davis, one of Washington’s best known lobbyists, to run his campaign.

Voters who ask why John McCain and Sarah Palin refuse to talk about specific solutions to specific problems will get their answer from Rick Davis who told the media that the 2008 presidential campaign is about personalities, not issues.

By the way, what do you think? Would Rick Davis stand face to face with laid-off workers in Detroit or with working families struggling to send their children to college or with a retired couple filing for bankruptcy because they can’t pay medical bills or with the families of Americans killed and wounded in Iraq and tell them to forget issues and vote personalities?

Yes? No? Probably not.

In any case, what is the truth behind McCain’s boost in the polls?

It didn’t happen because Senator McCain offered specific solutions to serious economic problems currently faced by the American people.

It didn’t happen because he came up with a strategy to immediately reduce the price of gasoline.

It didn’t happen because he proposed a new plan to immediately begin reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil.

It didn’t happen because he introduced plans to seal our borders and cope with twelve million illegal immigrants and their families.

It didn’t happen because he proposed new legislation to help American families pay for their children’s college educations.

It didn’t happen because he introduced new foreign policy initiatives designed to make the world safer for America and our allies.

And it didn’t happen because the good senator came up with a plan to provide affordable health care insurance for all Americans.

So, what’s the truth behind McCain’s boost in the polls?

The truth is voters chose to believe distortions and lies (like the phony indignation over ‘lipstick-on-a-pig’ and the McCain approved ad that actually accuses Senator Obama of endorsing sex education for kindergarten students) and because McCain slickly picked the inexperienced, proudly imperfect ‘hockey mom-we-all-can-identify-with’ to be his running mate.

What could these voters be thinking?

Shouldn’t they support the candidate whose insight, vision, and judgment embody the leadership qualities necessary to quickly and effectively solve the problems we currently face?

Shouldn’t they support the candidate who best manages his campaign because they can see how he will manage the country?

Shouldn’t they support the candidate who proposes specific solutions for specific problems?

And, shouldn’t they support the candidate with the character, intellect, temperament, and wisdom to be a commander-in-chief who would never send American troops to fight the wrong war, in the wrong place, at the wrong time?

Shouldn’t they?

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