It would appear from the polls that John McCain has almost no chance of victory on election day. Barack Obama is busy preparing his coronation stage and the victory orgy to follow that event. Media outlets gleefully trumpet the prospect of a glorious November 4th while futilely continuing the pretense of objectivity.
The effect is palpable on the the general electorate hoping for a McCain triumph. Republicans, Conservatives and anyone else vehemently opposed to the advent of President Obama wear a mask of doom and an air of gloom. It is the desired effect of the Obama disciples. A war of attrition without any bloodshed.
It is a tactic used historically to remove or diminish the spirit to fight in one's opponent. If enough people are convinced that victory is beyond their capability, they will simply surrender or flee.
Attila The Hun was notorious for this. Having his fearsome reputation preceding him, he was able to announce boldly when and where he was about to strike, which had an instant, albeit somewhat tepid, effect on the inhabitants of the target. That was stage one of the plan. He would then have his army encircle the fortress or village at a distance conducive to sound but limited sight, and camp for days while having his drummers beat the war sound day and night. The terror this instilled in those who were not convinced on the announcement of imminent attack alone did the trick. Many would flee the city to save themselves from certain horror.
On many occasions, when Attila finally invaded, there were few left inside, and the ones who stayed to plead for mercy were often stunned at the size of the invading army. Had the rest stayed to fight, it was entirely possible that they could have repelled the attack, but now it was too late.
The lesson here is clear. If everyone decides to avoid the polling place to spare themselves the "inconvenience of voting in vain", it will mean certain defeat on November 4th. If we allow the constant drumbeat of the pollsters to invade our collective psyches and the election is close anyway, we will be left wearing the same look of bewilderment that the remaining villagers wore when Attila's small army rode into the center of town.
VOTE ANYWAY!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Drumbeat Of Futility
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hillary In The Rear View Mirror
She was supposed to be the first woman President of the United States. It was a given and no one saw Obama coming. Then Obama stormed ahead and eventually won the nomination, and it was expected that Hillary would at least be the first woman Vice President of the United States. Then something else happened; Obama changed his mantra of change, and picked a running mate from the same old, same old.
John McCain pounced on the opportunity and picked Sarah Palin for his running mate and effectively seized the brass ring of change. Almost immediately, the fortunes of the two candidates reversed, and Obama is now tilting at windmills, flailing blindly in a feeble attempt to regain his political footing.
One claim made by Obama was that he was going to “change the tone” of campaigning. Gone would be the usual vitriol and personal attacks, at least emanating from his camp. That all changed in an instant once they got a taste of Sarah Palin, and the ensuing attacks have been beneath even those to which the most seasoned political junkies have become accustomed. It shows a frantic desperation.
Obama himself has said that he “doesn’t believe in coming in second”. That would indicate a belief that desperate times call for desperate measures, and I look for some to begin bubbling to the surface soon. If the polls don’t start to even out again soon, there could be a huge shake-up in the Obama Camp.
In order to reclaim his stake in the change game, he will need to usurp Governor Palin’s appeal to women voters, and quickly. Look for Joe Biden to “fall ill”, paving the way for the democrats to hoist a woman of their own in the campaign, namely one Hillary Rodham Clinton. It will not be reported in the media, of course, but the reality of Biden's "illness" will be the direct result of the rear wheels of Obama's bus.
Monday, September 8, 2008
More Signs Of The Rope-A-Dope
Sarah Palin Being Rolled Out
When fishing, especially for the big ones, the tried and true tactic after hooking one is to let the fish take the line and run; let it think it may win for a short time while it swims frantically and then jerk the line once more and start reeling it in. It will still flail about in vain, tiring itself out even more as you bring it closer to the boat. Then rinse and repeat, until you have achieved victory.
Muhammad Ali had another term for the tactic; The Rope-A-Dope. In both cases the idea is to trick your enemy into a false sense of easy and impending victory while causing him to expend vast amounts of energy on a fruitless pursuit. Give him a little of what he wants until he feels over-confident and then put him away.
The McCain campaign gave the public a taste of Sarah Palin and they loved her. At least those inclined to love her, did. The other side, not so much. They pounced almost at once and began demanding more of her, and right away. When the campaign implied that she'd be unavailable for a short spell the line was set, the fish hooked, and it began taking line. Bloggers and main stream media outlets alike began asking why she was unable to face scrutiny. Just when the media they thought they'd burst from self-righteous indignation, the campaign announced that Palin would be more than available, for two days worth, and this week.
Charles Gibson of ABC News will have all the access he, or anyone else questioning her "seclusion", could have asked for, and they will then see that "the Barracuda" can also hold a fishing rod.
According to The Politico:
Campaign aides said the anchorman will get extensive, repeated access to Palin throughout her first trip home since becoming the nominee.
“ABC News will have plenty of time to question her and examine her and spend time with her,” a campaign official said. “They’ll do multiple interviews over two days. No topics are off-limits – there are no ground rules. There’s tons of time to talk to her about every topic.”
That doesn't sound like a candidate being sequestered. It sounds like a candidate about to lay a smack down on her critics. As the old axiom goes: "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it". Or, as George W. Bush might say, "Never misunderestimate your opponent". Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, September 6, 2008
McCain Switches To High Octane After Tune-Up
I remember seeing the walking dead doing their half-hearted best on the Sunday talk shows, trying mightily to muster the energy to support a lackluster campaign run by John McCain. I remember thinking to myself that we were all but doomed to an Obama Presidency, and I remember being afraid. Very afraid.
The Obama campaign was enjoying energy and victory while the McCain campaign was twisting in the wind, searching for a handhold and anything to ease the misery. It all came to a screeching halt on a June night, the night Obama was effectively crowned the winner in his war with Mrs. Clinton before a wild crowd. While that was happening, McCain was giving an embarrassing speech before a sparse crowd somewhere in America that, at the moment, didn't matter.
Enter Steve Schmidt, a senior advisor to McCain, who was moved to action that night. He was also moved up in the pecking order in the campaign, achieving near equal status with Manager Rick Davis. It has paid off in spades because, since that fateful day, the McCain campaign has been running on all cylinders and gaining speed. Gone are the doldrums many in the Republican Party had felt and exhibited, replaced by an exuberance and youthful zing no one thought possible. And just when things couldn't have looked better for the campaign's success, McCain hit the nitrous oxide switch.
Sarah Palin has amplified the party's fuel system twofold and managed to pull even with the campaign that was once a mirage in the distance, seen through the haze of dust kicked up by Obama's tires. To mix metaphors, we've got ourselves a real horse race now.
When we can finally say President McCain, I think there will be a parade for Steve Schmidt. Or at the very least, there ought to be.
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