by T. P. Wynn – [scriptwriter]

Where is the “Maverick?”

Senator McCain likes to talk about his reputation as the Maverick of the Senate and a committed reformer. He thinks that the public already knows that. Well, sort of. Where is that guy?

Everybody who’s paying even modest attention to this election knows this is a fight for the Middle.

Barack Obama and his handler David Axelrod have this down cold. The voters in the Middle started paying attention around the time the Democrat convention ended. And what they’ve seen over the last six weeks is Cool Obama, Regular Guy Obama, “24” David Palmer Obama…

The Middle’s not full of wonks, Obama doesn’t sound like Jesse Jackson, so he passes the Middle’s sniff test.

What about his record? Isn’t that important?

If records mattered, then Barack Obama wouldn’t be the Democrat nominee and leading in the polls.

If records mattered, the voters in the Middle would care about Obama’s terrorist mentor and employer, his black liberation theology minister, his payoff from a sleazy real estate tycoon, his lack of any leadership experience, his scary relationship with ACORN, the enormous salary paid to his wife for “community outreach” and on and on.

If records mattered it would be easy to sell Obama and Biden as the “Ted Kennedy” sandwich – Obama’s got the Senate’s most liberal record, Biden the third and Kennedy’s the baloney between the two.

If records mattered the Middle would be concerned that Pelosi and Reid will have the power to churn out reams of bad legislation and Obama will have his pen at the ready to sign, sign and sign again.

Obama is the Cool One and will be playing “prevent defense” – hold onto the ball, run the clock out.

What about McCain? Doesn’t his record matter?

The only records that people think of are a handful of vague points. McCain’s a war hero [a long time ago] and a guy who is willing to disagree with his own party [about what, they don’t know, but, whatever], he’s got a reputation as a reformer [of what, don’t know], doesn’t get along with Bush [they don’t like each other] and he has knowledge of foreign affairs [cause he’s been around so long]. Oh, yeah, and he’s old.

The Middle doesn’t sweat the details. They’re just wanting to know that once the election’s over things are going to get fixed, especially in the pocket book.

Right now, the record doesn’t matter. Especially since the media’s not going to expose Obama’s record, he’s their guy.

What matters is what the Middle sees today.

What will get the Middle’s attention is the simple, the clear, the bold.

The Palin move was a bold move. The suspending the campaign thing to run to Washington had potential, but not well thought through. Now what?

It’s time for McCain to prove he’s the Maverick, to make the “Straight Talk” mean something, time to take the bold stroke. McCain’s got to prove he’s not the political hack, but that Obama is…

Senator McCain, you’ve got to be John McCain.

You say you’re the Reformer? You say you put Country First?

You have to prove it to the Middle – and you’re not going to like this suggestion…

Four Years and Out!

You’ve heard it whispered before, pledge to not run for reelection. You’re the Reformer and the only way you can go after the Washington power brokers is to not be beholding to anyone.

You clobbered SEC Chair Chris Cox – and he’s a good guy on your side. Fine, you got your cred on that one. Now go after the dynamic duo of Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. Demand they resign their chairmanships because they have dirty hands in the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac debacle. Then dare Obama to demand the same. Demand he return the money Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae donated to his campaign.

You brought Sarah Palin in as your V.P. because you say she’s a proven reformer. Okay, make that real. Your plan is to be the dymanic duo on “reform.” Palin, fresh face, not beholding to the insiders either. This financial mess is because the Old Guard’s been totally corrupted by Washington. Obama’s not the new guard, not with his team being Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd. So to be an unfettered reformer, Four Years and Out.

She’s a quick study and she’ll be ready to take over in case…

So, the bullet points:

• The McCain mission has been about Reform from the beginning. Governor Palin is total evidence of that.
• The financial meltdown has raised the stakes. McCain is serious about Country First: 4 Years and Out! No ties to the D.C. power brokers.
• Democrats have controlled the both houses of Congress for 2 years. Are you better off today than you were 2 years ago? Gas prices were $2.20 a gallon before Democrats took over Congress. The Democrat Congress stopped every attempt to regulate the trillions of subprime paper dictated by Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd. Those subprime chickens have come home to roost.
• It’s time to clean up Washington. Team McCain spells Change R-E-F-O-R-M.
• 4 Years and Out!

There you go, Senator McCain. Game-changer. ExileStreet

copyright 2008 T.P. Wynn

T.P. Wynn [one of several nom de plumes] is a writer/producer.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 10th, 2008 at 12:10 am and is filed under Wynn. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.