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.
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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