The Straight Talk Express Will Not Reach Its Final Destination
Eight years ago, I thought John McCain was the best candidate running for the presidency. I have always been impressed with his book, “Faith of My Fathers” which tells the story of McCain and in doing so, shows a man with great character, who is a true American patriot and hero.
Six months ago, McCain had raised twenty five million dollars for his 2008 campaign and was in the lead in most public opinion polls for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.
What has happened to his campaign called the “Straight Talk Express” since January leaves every observer with a sense of profound bewilderment. Over the last several months his campaign has literally imploded well before any primary or before a single vote has been tallied.
It seems every week there is a news story from the McCain campaign concerning strategists and staff that are jumping off the Straight Talk Express. Several weeks ago campaign manager Terry Nelson left the campaign. After Terry Nelson resigned, top strategists John Weaver and Mark Salter with several others in sympathy abruptly resigned. Recently, top media strategists Stuart Stevens and Russ Schriefer took to the exit and left. The disarray in the campaign has taken a toll with the voting public as well with recent polls showing McCain in fourth place in the New Hampshire primary with only ten percent of the vote. John McCain won the New Hampshire Republican primary in 2004.
How did it happen so fast? What caused the implosion in this campaign? Like any troubled political campaign the problem is the candidate. McCain stood by and watched as his campaign spent the twenty five million dollars he had raised without any return to show for it. He demanded accountability for the staff’s spending decisions too late. His attention was probably diverted by his direct support and involvement with the failed immigration bill. This bill was negotiated in secret and thoroughly despised by the conservative Republican voting block that McCain needs. The end result of the immigration bill for McCain was a loss of support from the Republican base. Also, as a result of the way the bill was secretly crafted, the image of McCain as a Washington insider suddenly became very apparent. McCain had been most successful eight years ago formulating a campaign as a maverick outside the beltway politician ( even though he was in the U.S. Senate). The immigration bill placed him in the position of a Washington insider using obscure rules to get an unpopular bill through the Senate without any real debate on the Senate floor. With the public’s approval of Congress currently a little above twenty percent in nearly every public opinion poll, a Washington insider is not how a successful candidate for President would want to be positioned with the voting public.
McCain has other political problems as well. He has maintained steadfast support for George Bush and the war in Iraq. Public opinion polls show this war becoming very unpopular as the Administration has not been successful in creating an exit strategy. Also, McCain’s previous legislative success, the McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Law ( signed into law as the “Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 “ ) has not worked in its intended overhaul of the way campaigns are financed. In fact, it has made the problem worse by shifting money from campaigns controlled by the candidates to independent groups called 527 organizations. (In the last election, Swift Boat Veterans and Moveon.org are examples of the negative advertising that 527 organizations can produce.) Finally, McCain’s age is a factor the voters have to consider, because at seventy two , he would be the oldest President in history starting his first term. (Ronald Reagan was sixty nine at his first Inauguration.)
Senators that run for the Presidency usually have no real management experience on their resume and are at a distinct disadvantage in this regard to candidates that have run state governments as governors. The only way voters can tell if the necessary management ability is present in a Senate candidate is through the management of the campaign. The management of this campaign by John McCain will result in the voters determination that the candidate is a Washington insider, a free spender, having a tin ear when listening to his party on the issues, and picking the wrong people to lead in important staff positions.
It appears the results are in long before the first primary vote is ever tallied. The campaign of Senator John McCain called the “Straight Talk Express” will never reach its final destination.
John McCain is an American hero and a true patriot, but he will not be America’s forty fourth President.
James William Smith has worked in Senior management positions for some of the largest Financial Services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. He has always been interested in writing and listening to different viewpoints on interesting topics.
Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com
Source: www.articlesbase.com
