John McCain enjoyed his first-ever lead over Barack Obama in voter polls after he announced Governor Sarah Palin was joining him on the Republican ticket.
That all vanished in less than a week, as the nation's economy took hit after hit.
Polls show that voters trust McCain to handle national security better than they do Obama. But a potentially disastrous economy tops the list of voter concerns, and those polled say they believe Obama will handle the economy in crisis better than his opponent.
McCain took a phrase from his military days to tell voters Obama was "missing in action" at a "time of crisis" on Monday, for not having a plan for the economy. Obama's camp argued that not revealing the exact plan was strategy, but details emerged that same day that showed the two plans were not all that different.
In a column for the Washington Post, column by Perry Bacon, Jr., Palin and McCain avoid interviews with the press while Senator Joe Biden confidently engages the press. Bacon notes that Biden "stays behind at each event to shake hands" while stopping to "kiss older women on the cheek."
The McCain camp has called out the New York Times as "an organization that is completely, totally, 150 percent in the tank for the Democratic candidate." Claiming the media is slanted to covering only Obama, then refusing to talk to or field questions from reporters an attempt to "have their cake and eat it too." Meanwhile. reporters are allowed only 30 or so seconds to watch Palin in her first meeting with world leaders.
Bacon estimates Biden has done 80 or more interviews since being chosen as a candidate, compared to Palin's two.
It seems like the campaign is saving Palin for the debates. Meanwhile the nation is curious to see how the campaign will utilize its "ace in the hole," as the surrounding controversy cools down. Yet all they hear about is how her Yahoo! email account was hacked.
But it was Palin who boosted McCain's ratings with two major demographics - young people and white women. And it was Palin that put McCain over the top.
But Palin as "the woman's candidate," stops short at her opposition to Roe v. Wade, and the McCain camp might fear that much of that support may falter once reporters start asking about it, seeing as women have historically voted pro-choice.
McCain says that Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that should be overturned, and it is here that he remains connected with the Deep South, the Bible Belt.
It seems like an ironic turnaround now that McCain is talking more about issues such as Roe v. Wade, a policy he likely will not affect. Is that not unlike Obama's claim that
Is this a testament that the Bible Belt doesn't listen? Does McCain think they'll come out just because she is pro-life? Yes. Is he right? Probably. He knows the Bbelt will also vote for him merely out of fear of Obama.
He doesn't need Palin to speak - she will get that vote.
Muzzle smart - he could coast into the White House, letting Obama drown in his own media saturation/coverage. McCain coasts forward while Obama is MOVING forward
McCain can talk about his past all day without alienating voters. Obama, not so much. Roe v Wade a microcosm for the balance of how McCain can rely on his heroic record while Obama is not making his past an issue. Save it for the debates. Smart but also risky - Biden could sweep the floor
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
