McCain Finds Americans No Longer Buying Into the Spec Market on Dread

As expected, John McCain is trying to turn the stretch run of the campaign away from the economy and back to national security. He knows Americans are afraid of losing their jobs, their homes, their 401Ks, and their life's savings -- but he wants them to put all of that on the backburner and focus on the fear of losing their lives.

Accordingly, his latest Hail Mary bomb comes equipped with a nuclear warhead.

McCain barreled through the door Joe Biden opened with his ill-advised comments about Obama being tested within the first six months of his presidency, flashing back to the Cuban Missile crisis and painting Obama as "untried, untested" and a national security liability.

In contrast, McCain insisted, "I've been tested." Of course, the kind of test given a 26 year-old Navy pilot assigned to Cuban targets, as McCain was during October 1962, is very different from the test a president would face in that kind of crisis. But who needs to worry about details like that when you are playing the mushroom cloud card?

With time running short, Team McCain wants to cover as many fear bases as possible. So along with the Missiles of October, the McCain campaign also rolled out a new round of robocalls designed to convince voters that Obama has "a disturbing history of coddling criminals" and would be soft on "sex offenders, drug dealers, and murderers."

Beware, America: if the nukes don't get you, the sociopaths, the junkies, and the perverts will.

Unfortunately for McCain, playing the Be Afraid game has gotten a lot more complicated than it was back in the good old days when all you had to say was "Cipro" and "duct tape" and the electorate would reach for its GOP security blanket. Between 2001 and 2004, every time the government issued a terror alert, Bush's approval rating would go up. It was positively Pavlovian.

A new study pdf conducted by UC Berkeley sociologists Robb Willer and Nick Adams, and published this month in the journal Current Research in Social Psychology, suggests voter reactions to those kinds of threats may be changing -- and that terror warnings or the evocation of looming attacks may, in fact, have the opposite impact on McCain than they had on Bush (you see, McCain's right: they aren't the same!). Especially when it comes to swing voters. We may have finally reached the point when voters are thinking: "Fool us with the fear card once, shame on you. Fool us with the fear card 279 times, shame on us... We won't be fooled again."

John Kerry still believes Halloween 2004's bin Laden video was one of the main reasons he lost. But the confused -- and panicked -- reaction of the McCain camp to yesterday's pro-McCain posting on an al-Qaeda affiliated website, shows how the rules of the terror game have changed.

McCain's surrogates went to great lengths to pooh-pooh the notion that al-Qaeda would prefer McCain's hawkishness to Obama's more reasoned approach to foreign policy. Yet, in the same breath, senior McCain foreign-policy advisor Randy Scheunemann announced, "John McCain will spend what it takes to win" in Iraq. An approach that fits perfectly with bin Laden's "bleed to bankruptcy" strategy.

For his part, Obama is refusing to buy into McCain's divide-the-economy-from-national security-and-conquer strategy. "We often hear about two debates, one on national security and one on the economy," he said yesterday after meeting with his national security team, including Gary Hart, Madeleine Albright, and Richard Holbrooke. "But that's a false distinction. We can't afford another president who ignores the fundamentals of our economy while running up record deficits to fight a war without end in Iraq. We must be strong at home to be strong abroad. That's one of the lessons of our history."

Throughout his speech, he repeatedly hammered home the "foreign security implications of our economic crisis" and the impact of the Iraq war on our military readiness, our ability to deal with the "grave" situation in Afghanistan, and America's bottom line, saying: "For the sake of our economy, our military, and the long-term stability of Iraq," we need to bring "a responsible end to the war."

And he even challenged McCain's over-inflated national security credentials, pointing out the very different approach he would bring to taking on bin Laden, the growing threat from al-Qaeda along the Pakistan border, and making Afghanistan, not Iraq, the central front in the war on terror. "As president, [McCain] would continue the policies that have put our economy into crisis and, I believe, [are a] danger to our national security."

Obama's steady hand during the economic meltdown and his unflappable bearing during all three debates has clearly had an impact. Coming out of the conventions, McCain had a 14-point lead on who would be better able to handle international affairs; that has shrunk to a within-the-margin-of-error 3-point gap.

Given the wide lead Obama holds on dealing with the economy, "helping the middle class," and health care, and his advantage on handling taxes (sorry, Joe the Plumber), it's to be expected that McCain will keep trotting out the mushroom clouds, the murderers, and the sex offenders. Fear is all he has left to sell. It would be the best news to come out of the campaign so far if the American voter is no longer willing to buy into the spec market on dread.

For those of you in Minnesota, I will be speaking at St. Olaf College Monday, October 27th. The speech will begin at 7:00 PM in Boe Memorial Chapel.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[Macaniff]

Here Here!

A vote for Obama is a vote against fear mongering.

[qcbucki]

Can we please put a sock in him?
Imagine, tactics Bush used against McCain in 2000 are what he is using against Obama now!! Even the same man!!!!!

[lynettema]

Why does NO ONE -except Rachel Maddow - find the end of Biden's statement when he says that, we don't need to be worried about Obama handling any crisis because Obama has a "spine of steel?" Also when you read the whole statement in context it says that THE new president is certain to be tested. I guess McC just took that to mean that Obama would win. It is completely naive on McC's part to think he would not be tested.

"McCain barreled through the door Joe Biden opened with his ill-advised comments about Obama being tested within the first six months of his presidency, flashing back to the Cuban Missile crisis and painting Obama as "untried, untested" and a national security liability. "

[yesenia]

Let's just remind people that when whenever America has been attacked, it's always been under a Repub administra­tion...And when they tried to test JFK he was smart enough to protect the U.S

[Chip W]

A little note on national security: A component of national security is not having the rest of the world hate us. Obama probably gets the nod on this one.

[Wingit]

There are comments attruted to the McCain campaign that they will soon end the smear campaign and McCain will take the high (and lofty) road for the remainder of the campaign. I guess they'll have to put Palin in mothballs to achieve that. Probably that would be an effort to save McCain's reputation at the last minute. It just shows what slow learners McCain and Palin are. You can look at a chart and see that as soon as they started the negative campaigning, Obama's poll numbers solidified. Still denying reality, they continue to blame it on the economy. If McCain had spent his campaign time articulating a clear plan for the economy he might have put a serious dent in Obama's numbers. Just another example of McCain's poor judgement.

[massager]

McCain is history in 9 more days!

VOTE if you haven't yet!

Mike Hinkle

[PT6]

I guess "Joe the Plumber" is NO MORE!

He lasted longer than most! So now it back to Personal Attacks!

The Old McCain "FEAR OF THE DAY" with Joe the Plumber is Wealth Shifting!
----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­-----

Both McCain's and Obama's Tax Plans BOTH Shift the Wealth?

McCain’s Tax Plan - Redistribute Wealth to the Richest 1 to 2%!

1. Biggest TAX CUTS to the Richest 1 to 2%

2. Trickle Down Minuscule Tax Cut to the Rest!

Obama’s Tax Plan - Tax Cuts for Middle Class and all making less than $250,000 Net!

1. Biggest TAX CUTS to 95% of Americans making less than $250,000 Net

2. Remove "BUSH TAX CUTS FOR 5% RICHEST AMERICANS" back to first year under Bush! Clearly,

Both Plans shift the wealth:

Obama's favors the Middle Class!
McCain's favors the Richest Class! McCain's is Bush's Tax Cuts for Rich "SQUARED!"

[Oldbuck]

The real sad thing about our politics is that has dropped to this level the McCain / Palin campaign sounds more like something you would hear on the school yard when in grade school. We can not in a civil way discuss what is really important to the voters. What kind of people are they getting to run their campaigns this is at a level than only a few neo-cons like Karl Rove and maybe Pat Buchanan would stoup to. In reading what Palin had to say in Iowa she sounds more McCarthyistic than Congress lady Bechmann did on MSNBC the other night.

[oldgoose]

They won't run out of things to make us afraid of as there are still bats, vampires, ghosts, things that go bump in the night, Halloween massacre movies........ Better hurry up, though, not too many days left. Then, there are those of us who promised since last time that although Homeland Security has told we daily travel thru the valley of death we shall fear no evil anymore ....... because we have been scared one time too many and we don't believe anymore!

[amluvinit2]

I was out today canvassing neighborhoods for votes, and one thing people are sick of, is John McCain, and the way he spouts off about everything, except issues that concern them. Both Obama supporters, and McCain supporters alike, are tired of the divide the nation mentality. It was great getting out there, and talking to people today. Many have already voted, and actually feel relieved they really don't have to think about the campaign anymore, and concentrate on their lives. I heard this numberous times. There are record breaking turn outs for early voting, so just keep getting the word out through next week. How many members of the GOP have broken ties with McCain for this very thing he is doing during his campaign. He just doesn't get it.

[LindyLee]

Do you know over thirty percent of the nation are very concerned there will be a crisis as a result of Obama's inexperience, if elected. They totally believe Joe Biden and what he stated.

Biden doesn't show much confidence in Barack Obama. First, he stated the Presidency was not a training ground. Then, he stated he would love to be a part of the McCain Campaign because of his respect for John McCain. They he stated during the debate that Obama wouldn't make a decision unless Biden himself, was right there to make sure it was right. Now he states because of Obama's inexperience that there will be a major crisis on the order of the Cuban Missile Crisis because of Obama's inexperience and that he will be tested. He stated for the people to be patient because Obama my make some mistakes and not know how to handle it.

This doesn't sound like someone who has much trust in Obama to be President and it sounds like Biden himself will be doing the presidential work and Obama will simply be a figurehead.

[Oldbuck]

Wrong group that was Bush / Cheney

[DinSea]

Maybe you got stuck on a verbal scud missile ... let go and see the big picture. Rather than cling to the FEAR Republicans are peddling, why not do some research -- get more balanced information and do NOT limit yourself to headlines or bullet points.

[AlaskanWannaB]

What? Did you major in Psychology? I think you love coming to HuffPo to rile the "liberals," right? Here you go again, posting your dribble again.

I guess most bloggers will finally figure you out. I sure have. You can be assured, from here on, you will be ignored.

[Girl28]

1. Biden stated the Presidency was not a training ground during the primaries when he was trying to become the party's nominee. He's also said since then he's tested Obama's mettle and is impressed and knows that he's ready.

2. Alot of people including myself did respect John McCain 5 or 6 months ago, after his vp pick, response to the economic crisis, dirty campaign, and bad ideas, now........not so much.

3. Joe Biden did not say during the debate that he would have to cosign all of Obama's decisions he said that Obama would use his expertise but that Barack would be president and he would make all decisions himself.

4. He called Obama brilliant and said that he would be tested but that their enemies would find out that Obama has a spine of steel.

5. He never said Obama wouldn't know how to handle it, he said that Obama would have to make difficult decisions and that he (Biden) didn't know what they would be.

I couldn't care less about who you vote for and why, but at least get the facts straight.

[Wingit]

McCain says he has been "tested". Can someone please tell me how John McCain has been tested in a national crises?
Is John McCain so naive as to believe that there are no nations or organizations out there that are not ready and willing to take him on too?
The only thing McCain has been tested about is the condition of PTSD, and he refuses to allow the release of that information.

[terkid]

Yes, it's off to the elephant burial ground for these antiquated pacaderms.

Their distasteful tactics and willy-nilly strategies, not to mention their base immorality

has opened the skies to the bright blue beacon of hope Barack Obama embodies.

So, I guess we begrudgingly owe these repugnants a debt of gratitude for flaunting their

true colors so revealingly, so shamelessly and so arrogantly.

We won't be fooled again by them- at least for a very, very, very long time.

Hallelujah!

[MrMostly]

We should have little doubt that if John McCain would have been president during the Cuban Missile crisis, he would have taken the advice of hawkish generals at the time and bombed Cuba. Doing so would have cost us dearly -- perhaps losing Miami and New Orleans forever. (we know now that the Russians already had some of those missiles operational by the time of the crisis.).

[freshnotbitter]

Watch out for those Norwegian bachelor farmers, Arianna!!

The Rovian politics aren't working because the fear politics were always the icing on the cake for republicans. this year they are trying to sell icing and no cake. People don't want that. The cake was immigration, economy, foreign policy, and all those issues are working against the repubs.

[BillyMae]

I thought we were already broke!