McBlurring McSame McCain: Core Repub Election Strategy

The McCain campaign realizes that they are in trouble, that it is critical for McSame McCain to blur the realities of McFlip, McFlop, McSame McCain to try to create appearance of quite substantive differences between himself and George W. Bush, to blur the reality that across issue after issue, it truly is McSame McCain. According to Politico,

McCain will ... drive a triangulated contrast among himself, the Democratic nominee and President Bush.

Critical to creating an appearance of room between George the W and his anointed successor: Global Warming.

Differences between Bush and McCain will be "discussed at great length," promises one aide.

"He'll be direct about it. He's never gratuitous, never disrespectful, but there are going to be policy breaks where it couldn't be clearer." Two areas of difference McCain will highlight: global warming and spending.

Yes, McFlip, McFlop, McSame McCain is different from George W Bush when it comes to Global Warming. Despite George's recent speech, at least McFlip has one foot in reality when it comes to acknowledgment that Global Warming is a reality.

Yes, Politico is reporting that showing daylight between McSame McCain and McBush is a critical component for McSame's electoral approach. Daylight between Bush and McCain on Global Warming is central to this. Yet, when it comes to McFlip McCain on Global Warming, there is always the McFlop. And, when it comes to McFlop, McSame McCain is about inaction.

Just as George W. Bush emphasizes tomorrow's technology as the solution to all our problems, so does McFlop McCain.

Just as George W. Bush emphasizes voluntary measures as a solution to Global Warming, so does a 'reformed' McFlop McCain, who has argued that his legislative approach for (an inadequate) cap on emissions would rely on voluntary, not compulsory, measurs.

Just as George W. Bush emphasizes nuclear power and (less deadly) "clean coal" as tools to deal with Global Warming, so does McSame McCain.

Now, while John McCain's words can sound quite strong and quite good on Global Warming, McSame McCain's "Green Straight Talk Express" is actually the "Dirty Energy Non-Action Machine".

And, if elected, the differences between McSame McCain and the current Administration might be hard to find. As Joe Romm has so clearly laid out in No climate for old men: Why John McCain isn't the candidate to stop global warming (long version), McSame McCain's judges would not be strong advocates of climate protection; the Republican bench for appointees to federal agencies are not full of people who are closely associated with reality when it comes to climate change; and ... so many other things.

While the McCain campaign will try to blur reality, even though the words might be different, a McCain Administration would almost certainly turn out to be more of the McSame when it comes to substantive progress to solve our quite real Global Warming challenges.

Complicating factors ...

Sadly, too many are contributing to the blurring of the realities of John McCain when it comes to Global Warming.

For example, this simply reinforces the political ineptitude of strongly supporting / praising Lieberman-Warner. Do we really want Democratic Party leaders (Senators) standing up praising Joe Lieberman just two months before he goes before the Republican convention to stand up in support of John McCain?

This crass political judgment puts aside the point that L-W utterly fails to meet the three basic principles that should guide Global Warming legislation.

* Scientific guidelines

* Polluters Pay

* Social Equity

Lieberman-Warner fails significantly on all three measures.

McCain's proposals, to date, are worse than Lieberman-Warner.
Bush's are even worse. Bad, Worse, and Worst.

McCain campaign plan: blur McSame McCain into something good by making "not worst", but simply "worse", look like something good.

But undermining doesn't stop there ...

When it comes to Global Warming, the political battle for too many years has been over 'Does Global Warming Exist?' and 'Are Humans Involved?' With all the financial, ideological and all the other efforts attacking scientific findings, that someone simply acknowledged that Global Warming actually existed put them on the side of good.

And, John McCain has acknowledged reality ...

This has led, for example, Al Gore is playing in helping to blur the substantive differences between the Democratic nominee (whether Obama or Clinton) and McCain. For example,

Gore's spokeswoman, Kalee Kreider, ... was complimentary about the presidential candidates, including Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"Former Vice President Gore thinks that both candidates are very strong. Both of them have offered plans to address the climate crisis ... as has Senator McCain," she said.

"It's a real turnaround to have candidates on both sides of the aisle offering, you know, solutions and plans to the climate crisis."

Yes, John McCain acknowledges reality, that Global Warming relates. But he has shown himself unwilling to do anything serious to live up to his rhetoric. Al Gore needs to realize that the question is no longer 'does someone acknowledge reality' but whether they are willing to take action to deal with it. To date, John McCain is failing that test.

In any event ...

This matters.

This is serious.

This is now not just survival of a livable planet at stake, but crass political concerns and positioning ...

With crass political position at stake, maybe it can break through primary mania and get some attention.

Comments

[garrett12101984]

OH TRUST ME we are ready for Mr. McFlip McFlop McSame McBush and McLame. He will not be able to trick Americans like Bush have done in the past.

http://obamavsmccain.typepad.com/

[rmabelis]

I still like "John McCain more of the same" as a campaign slogan. But McSame is also good.

[ljsfolly]

Lets face it, this administration denial of any energy or global warming issues runs deep in the republican party. It's only been around a year that some big business has seen the importance of doing what they can to improve our lot in the global warming problems. Kyioto should show us how little bush cares. If McCain is not able to tell who is fighting who and supporting who after being prompted, IF McCain stands up and tells us outright he know little about the economy and the problems we have now with recession, and IF mcCain only thinks he knows about war and defense based on his years ago service and some committees in Congress is he qualified to be anything close to the president? He has memory problems and they are pronounced at times and his not releasing the medical files say he has something in them he wants cleansed before release. Guess what Bush can probably get that done. Bush has lost erased anddisappeared too many things to not be capable of such a small thing. Mac has little he has shown over the past 8 years to show he has origninal thinking and so whatever Bush has set up for big business and Opec will continue like nothing changed. Mac is not Bush/Cheney lite he is the mentally ill version.

[JulieSA]

"Kyioto should show us how little bush cares."

The US Senate expressed it's disapproval of the Kyoto Protocol in a vote of 95-0 for the Byrd-Hagel Resolution. In 1997. The Clinton Administration never submitted the protocol to the Senate for ratification.

[springfieldmedia]

Has McCain come out and commented on Operation Chaos. Conservative talk hosts are

encouraging non democrats to do a break-in on the democratic primaries. This is seriously

unfair and steals away the right of real democrats to select a nominee.

[link]http://www.springfieldmedia.com/services.html[/link]

[Thorn]

Putting "Mc" in front of every word is fantastic. How do you do it?

[choada777]

I'll show you. Let's use your username as the example:

First, you have Thorn. Add the "mc"; now you McThorn.

Now you try.

[Thorn]

Oh my God. That's comedy gold. Sorry -- McGold.

("Now you McThorn"? Is English being the second language of you?)

[sjpeyote]

I would like to see the intelligence files on McCain that the North Vietnamese put together while
his was their prisoner. Sometimes it is said that you could not make this stuff up, in keeping with that thought wouldn't it be something if McCain becomes a "Manchurian Candidate". This would also explained his inability to control his temper, and the severity of his temper which has caused fellow Republicans to be concerned about off the record. This of couse is so
ridiculous that I am not serious, or is it? It is amazing what lenghts our intelligence services go to,
and the absurd things they have tried to gain information. But then there are the clever and innovative ones that succeed, which would be almost as amazing. There is even the possibility, however extremely remote, that someone could be turned into a deep mole, just ask the British about moles
in high levels of government. Not saying he is obviously, but if he is to become President you would think that the security minded neocons would be fearful that something like that is even possible. They do such a good job of governing by fear, how did they miss that one when he was being challenged during the primary. It seems that Romney could have done a whisper campaing along those lines. Anyone who believes in talking burning bushes, talking snakes, walking on water, feeding 5,000 people on a loaf of bread, etc., should have no problem believing this.

[toomuchtolose]

I would be more concerned about this if I thought McCain's role is to really be the President, but I believe his role is to hold the place for Jeb Bush. McCain's Vice President will leave office early for health or family reasons. McCain will select Jeb Bush to fill the vacant Vice President office. Jeb can't win in an election because of the Bush name, but he can be appointed by McCain. The Democrats will fume and fuss, but Jeb will get the job. If McCain toes the line he can be president for a term or two and Jeb can be president for 2 terms, and we have that one-party system the Republicans want so desperately. I don't think it matters what McCain says, except to Democrats and Independents. The Republicans want a Republican in office. If McCain is their candidate they'll vote for him. It defies belief to think that the Republicans set up an imperial presidency for Obama or Hillary. It's set up for Jeb Bush. Oh, people where I live (Bay Area, California) are getting information on what to do when Avian Flu hits the United States..... not "if" but "when." The pandemic flu which will kill millions worldwide.
Schools closed, government services shut down, etc. Doesn't George Bush have an executive order that says in any emergency all services report to him and he can take any action (martial law?) to correct the problem. Elections? We don't need no stinking elections!

[indypete]

The worst thing is, you are probably not paranoid! If I wasn't an atheist, I'd be praying.

[Imabachi]

I'll say this: Everyone has to be hypervigilant during the election. You can't be too paranoid when Republicans are around. Even more importantly the Dems must, must overwhelmingly win the Congress, for without the Congress backing the President's proposals winning the Presidency will mean nothing and come to nothing.