McCain Aides Search For "Narrow-Victory Scenario"

NY Times:

Confronting an increasingly bleak electoral map, top aides to Senator John McCain said Thursday that they were searching for a "narrow-victory scenario" and would focus in the final weeks on a dwindling number of states, using mailings, telephone calls and television advertisements to try to tear away support from Senator Barack Obama.

...

Mr. McCain's advisers said that in his speeches, television advertisements and mailings, he would seize on a remark Mr. Obama made in an encounter with an Ohio voter, Joe Wurzelbacher, who had pressed him to explain his support for a tax increase for upper-income filers. Mr. Obama responded by saying he wanted to "spread the wealth." Mr. McCain repeatedly invoked that encounter with the man, whom he called "Joe the Plumber," during the debate on Wednesday.

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[DeniseD]

Did you know that over half of large corporations in the United States pay no taxes at all? This needs to STOP! It is time to spread the wealth around. We need better schools and education for our children and we need to get the mentally ill off of our streets and into hospice or rehab programs where they can be cared for.

[LeawoodKansas]

"Joe the Dumber Plumber" for McCain.

[JamieJay]

Just like the McCain campaign didn't do a full vetting of Sarah Palin, they didn't do the same for Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.

LOOK AT THIS: http://apps.co.lucas.oh.us/onlinedockets/DocketDR.aspx?STYPE=1&PAR=DM20065458&STARTDATE=01/01/1900&ENDDATE=01/01/2100&PARTY=0

Here's another one: http://apps.co.lucas.oh.us/onlinedockets/DocketDR.aspx?STYPE=1&PAR=DR19970476&STARTDATE=01/01/1900&ENDDATE=01/01/2100&PARTY=0

CHECK THIS OUT: http://apps.co.lucas.oh.us/onlinedockets/Docket.aspx?STYPE=1&PAR=LN200701803-000&STARTDATE=01/01/1900&ENDDATE=01/01/2100&PARTY=0

Joe the plumber also lived in "Arizona", from 1997 to 2002.

[DESERTJUSTME]

Ohh - Please USA, do not hangle the nuclear button to a dangerous war prisoner. McCain is a danger and risky to the world stability. Look at his anger management! He was terrible during the interview - imagine this guy is faced with a war situation, most likely he will recall ALL nightmares he faced in Vietnam. Combine McCain and Sarah "Barracuda" wowwwwwwww - no good.

[sedonakat]

I remember hearing at the last debate that Mr. McCain wants to put returning troops into teaching positions immediately without needing to be certified. Why has this not received attention? As a teacher now I really cannot see justification for this action.

[GoBarryGo]

As with most things, he was full of crap. That is not the way it works -- there *is* a "Troopers to Teachers" program, but they *do* have to go through a certification process to teach. Like everything else, McCain even LIED about that!

[GoBarryGo]

Sorry, I meant "Troops to Teachers" program -- here is a little more about it (it's not like it was McCain's idea):

The Defense Department launched the Troops to Teachers program in 1994 to attract departing military members into teaching positions in low-income and underprivileged school districts. Fourteen years later, the program has placed more than 11,000 former troops into public schools nationwide, Henry told the group. Almost half the TTT teachers work in high schools, 30 percent in middle schools and about 20 percent in elementary schools. More than 80 percent of them are men, compared to about 25 percent of traditional teachers.

To qualify for the program, candidates need a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification that the Troops to Teachers program can help finance, Henry said.

[maninmiddle]

Ahem, that's the nuculer button.

[KathyinCT]

Truth is that most average Americans -- a group that McCain has no notion of b/c he's lived the life of privlege since birth -- try to help out those less fortunate. Middle income Americans give more as a percentage of their income to charities than do the very wealth.

We are a nation of (by and large) people who care about each other.

Obama talks about this in his speeches and ads. He appeals to the best in us.

McCain sees everything through that filter of anger and feeling like he hasn't gotten everything he ever wanted (his dad was more admired, there are people richer than him, he lost to Bush, etc.) and so to him, the concept of sharing, of caring, is completely foreign and he assumes everyone is as selfish as him.

Fortunately, the real American "base" that will elect Obama is much larger than his narrow group of angry and scary supporters.

But still, when you read this and see that the whole strategy is negative -- "tear voters away" from Obama, rather than "attract voters" to McCain -- you see how truly ugly his campaign is.

[the964kid]

You mean the 'Joe the Plumber' thats not even a plumber?? That owes back taxes?? That was already a registered republican??

I'd say this strategy is as good as any of McCain's other tactics, which have all been terrible. Glad to see McCain doesn't have any fight left in him and he's sticking with attack ads that actually weaken him in the polls.

[milo h minderbinder]

So this is Mac's best shot?

Trying to demonize the phrase "spread the wealth"?

And is he really going to keep reminding the public about a real life example of a regular "Joe" who is actually better off under the proposed tax policies of OBAMA?

[acanthus]

Really- is this all they have? Trying to paint Obama as a commie by taking those words out of context? If Obama can, for instance, slap the whole Ayers thing as easily as he did in the debate, this will be child's play for him. And this is the bet the McCain campaign is placing all its money on? Nah, I don't believe it. I hope it's true, but I don't believe it.

[ProfessorDuh]

Republicans have only themselves to blame for the ruin of their own party. It's not like the Democrats have put up any real fight in the last decade. No, Republican greed, corruption and worship of stupidity has driven the GOP to its knees, along with this nation

[gretchenart]

party leaders have probably already reassured the campaign that enough dem votes have been purged to be able to ignore certain states anyway. See http://www.gregpalast.com and newest Rolling Stone article.

[lovethesinner]

There's only one problem: Joe the plumber is probably JOE THE PLANT:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/54327.html

(original story with photo taken in the Fairbanks/North Pole area in July of 1995)
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/132881

(McClatchy: Washington Bureau) "Joe the Plumber was once Joe the Alaskan (are you surprised?"

"Meanwhile, bloggers discovered the Wurzelbacher name in sled-dog race results online — and that the musher was from Palin’s part of Alaska — and questions began flying about a a possible Doug-and-Joe connection and whether Joe, who confronted Obama in front of television cameras in Ohio, was a plant."

[koyak23]

I agree with John.

The wealth should not be spread around. It should remain concentrated in the hands of the few. After all, if it worked out well for us over the past 8 years, I see no reason why we can't keep it going for another 4 or 8 years.

[MillsMG]

Does anyone know of a Joe The Plumber or Obama flash site like this one for Palin? http://www.MrsVeep.com

[Dewtrell]

This Joe dude doesn't even believe in Social Security - most Americans do not believe that. I say, let him speak because it just shows how much of an idiot he is. Particularly, given this economy - it has been nothing but trickle down economics and it FAILED, so if he wants to reinforce a failed policy, good - keep the hits coming.

[pjburns11]

Joe the Plumber is a cat lost in denial. Snuggling up to the Republicans thinking they are going cut him a slice of the pie. Sorry, Joe. You are their foot soldier. We all know how they treat soldiers nowadays.

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/joe-the-plumber-in-middle-class-denial/

[tydicea]

A drowning man will clutch at a straw floating by, it has been said.