McCain On Defense: New Ad Tries To Revive "Maverick" Identity

Barack Obama's two consecutive days of offense seem to have already paid small dividends: the McCain campaign feels compelled to defend their candidate's "maverick" persona.

While McCain's sucker-punch attack ads were the toast of the political commentariat last week, there was also much discussion of whether the Rove-style messaging would dilute the Arizona Republican's brand of incorruptibility and maverick honor.

That debate appears to be over, at least in McCain-land: the Senator seems to think his positive image could do with a bit of recapitulation.

Thus this ad, "Broken," which opens with the line: "Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago." It's notable for a word that doesn't appear anywhere: Obama.

In a press release tied to the ad, the McCain campaign provided numerous citations -- including a testimonial from consumer advocate Joan Claybrook, president of the Ralph Nader-founded Public Citizen organization. Still, the ad's claim that McCain is the "original maverick" seems a bit far-fetched, what with Republican Senate moderates like Mark Hatfield having already established a fine tradition before McCain ever entered the chamber.

Full script below:

ANNCR: Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago.

Only McCain has taken on big tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties. He'll reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil, make America prosper again.

Story continues below

He's the original maverick.

One is ready to lead -- McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

###

UPDATE: The Obama camp responds with a statement and a clip from a GOP debate in which McCain said the country was "better off" than it was "eight years ago" -- admittedly a different time frame than that in McCain's latest ad, but interesting nonetheless.

"Senator McCain wants Americans to forget that during the Republican primary, he said that Americans were better off than we were eight years ago, and that he thinks we've made 'great progress economically.' He wants us to forget that he's fully embraced the Bush policies he once opposed, and bragged about supporting those policies 'more than 90 percent of time.' The truth is, being a maverick isn't practicing the same kind of politics we have seen from Washington for decades, it isn't having a campaign run by Washington lobbyists, and it's certainly not promoting the same policies that have led America down the wrong path these past eight years," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Here's the video of McCain saying America has been better off under President George W. Bush:

Comments

[rosal]

He has been in the Senate for 26 years, but he just noticed nothing gets done. Now he is goint to "fix it". He voted for the war, but now according to him, the surge is going to "fix it". Why doesn't he fix things before they had broken?
I am glad to see O. made him go back to the issues. His comedy central campaign didn't work. O. is showing great leadership. I hope McExxon don't forget by tomorrow to sick with the issues.
Speaking of Exxon, he is going to get in trouble with his big donors for his comments on his latest ad.

[whiteboyblues]

John McCain has been in Washington for 26 YEARS, so why hasn't he already fixed the problem if he knows so much about it?

[nansei]

This maverick is no leader. Never made it past captain in the Navy, even with two four star admirals in his gene pool, something got lost somewhere.; Been in Washington forever, but never ran the Armed Services Committee, despite his self-proclaimed expertise. Oh, he's a hero, he's just disorganized, and he's never been much of a leader, he's had over twenty years to show the American people his leadership, my friends, but he just a celebrity.

[breakspear]

John McCain and the 'Lincoln InContinental', the new name of the straight talk express.

[soapington]

I think he means "labrick," which Mark Twain defines as "substantially ass, a little enlarged & emphasized; let us say, labrick is a little stronger than ass, & not quite as strong as idiot."

[mckinley]

"It's notable for a word that doesn't appear anywhere: Obama."

Actually Seth, it is more notable for trashing Bush. ("We're worse off than we were four years ago. ")

[Freakpower]

He's implementing the "pottery barn" law,

He Broke D.C. Now he's trying to Buy It,

That "ol Maverick!

[TurgidCaterwauling]

If McCain is the one and only Maverick--wouldn't that make him "the one"?

[Independent voter]

Voting 95% of the time with Bush does not make you a maverick. Missing 60% of the votes does not make you a maverick. Dumping your busted up wife for a newer one does not make you a maverick. Covering for Charles Keating does not make you a maverick.

So where's the maverick?

[scooperss]

Certainly OLD enough to be something original but what?

[eden4barack08]

If Washington's broken, then he's broken too, after being there for 30 years, I'd say.



And if he's the maverick who's been trying to change things, then he's useless, since he obviously hasn't been able to bring any changes in all his years there. So, what makes him think he can be an efficient President now? 

Only someone new, can call Washington broken and can change it, that's someone who hasn't been part of that establishment for too long, and is therefore not corrupted by it. 
Luckily, we got that someone, it's Barack Obama.


[CaptainVideo]

A suggested campaign ad for Obama (perhaps by someone doing this on U-Tube):

Show McCain and Bush together doing something like shaking hands, and play a soundtrack of people shouting "Four more years, Four more years, etc." with it. Then go over how the new McCain and his policies are like Bush.

[RGKahn]

Here is a link to "real" Maverick. Not the first one but the more famous one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Augustus_Maverick This is also from Wikipdia.org also
"Maverick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look up maverick in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
A maverick is a person who shows independence of thought or action, a non-conformist or rebel.
Maverick may also refer to:
People
Samuel Maverick (colonist) (1602–1670), English colonist in Massachusetts
Samuel Maverick (apprentice), one of five men killed by British troops during the Boston Massacre
Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803–1870), Texas cattleman from whom the term maverick originated
Maury Maverick (1895–1954), US congressman from Texas, coined the word "gobbledygook"
Maury Maverick, Jr. (1921–2003), Texas politician, activist and columnist
Maverick Matt, ring name of Matt Bentley, American professional wrestler

[lincat]

Dear God, help me make it till November.

[mexamerican]

i thought mc-geezer was in the senate for 26 years. correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't the senate in washington?