Republican Talking Points on Russia and Why Condi is McCain's Best Choice

It's been non-stop Russia from rightist talk show hosts and columnists since the Georgia war began. They are promulgating the Republican talking points designed to keep alive the one issue that might give John McCain the White House.

The first major poll since the crisis erupted on Aug. 7 shows McCain taking the lead over Obama for the first time. It looks like the Russia strategy might work, though voters are still most concerned about the economy.

McCain can't really run on Iraq, much as he brags about being able to "win" there, given that Americans have at last turned against that misadventure.

He can't run on the economy, which the Republicans have botched as badly as Iraq.

He can run on Russia -- an enemy Americans can understand -- and remember. He presents himself as the Cold War war hero who can slay the bear. It's myth-making but fear of Russia as America's great global adversary is imprinted on the DNA of every U.S. citizens born before 1985. Only voters between 18 and 23 didn't hear in primary school about the US and Russia sparring in the Cold War. Every one else doesn't need to be reminded about the "Russian threat." It was phony for 50 years and it's even phonier today.

Let's see how central "Resurgent Russia" becomes as a theme at the Republican Convention. I believe it will be center stage. Do Republicans really want to bring up Osama bin Laden, still at large eight years after 9/11, or the Middle East, the housing market, unemployment, natural disaster management or their stewardship of the environment?

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In the meantime, the right wing media will keep the Russian threat narrative on steroids.

With his typical lame humor, Rush Limbaugh said on the air: "McCain's the only guy -- he's been there, he's been to Georgia a number of times, he gave a brief history lesson of Georgia doing a town hall appearance yesterday, he's the only guy -- well, between he and Obama -- it's not a contest. Obama I don't think knows where Georgia is on the map. 'Obama, where's Georgia?' He'd look for Atlanta and he'd say, 'It's right there, it's where Dr. King's church is.'"

Whipping out the $10 words to prove how smart he is, George Will wrote: "This is the recrudescence of Russia's dominance in what it calls the 'near abroad.' Ukraine, another nation guilty of being provocatively democratic near Russia, should tremble because there is not much America can do. McCain owes the thug thanks, as does America's electorate. Putin has abruptly pulled the presidential campaign up from preoccupation with plumbing the shallows of John Edwards ... "

And he put McCain in the lead. Isn't it great how Putin accommodated McCain, giving him an issue to campaign on?

Now that Russia's back, who better than that erstwhile Soviet expert Condi Rice to put on McCain's ticket?

She can bash Russia with the certainty of someone who thinks she finally knows what she's talking about. She would be dispatched around the country to frighten Americans about Russia the way she did about Saddam's mushroom clouds.

She has name recognition. She can take at least some women and some African American votes away from Obama. See might offset Oprah. Die-hard Hillary supporters might find it more palatable to follow through on their threat to vote for McCain if a woman is on the ticket.

I can just see McCain now with that creepy grin saying: "The Democrats had a royal battle over whether to pick a woman or an African American. We've got both."

Before Georgia, when it looked like the economy would remain the number one issue, Republican voters told CNN they preferred a financial guy like Mitt Romney.

The Republicans can be thankful that Russia could bypass the economy, if the media can keep Russia going. If voters want a VP candidate who is strongest on the number one issue, then Condi would be their choice.

The only real drawback is that Rice would remind voters of Bush.

And she said she doesn't want it. But that was before Russia gift-wrapped McCain a potentially winning hand.

www.politicalodyssey.com

Comments

[huffthemagicdragon]

Give her intellectual due at least: http://www.hoover.org/bios/rice.html

Rice first came to Stanford in 1981 as a fellow in the arms control and disarmament program. She is a tenured professor in the university's political science department and was a Hoover Institution national fellow from 1985 until 1986.

Rice returned to Washington in 1989 when she was director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council. She also was appointed special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for Soviet affairs at the National Security Council under President George Bush. In those roles, she helped bring democratic reforms to Poland, and played a vital role in crafting many of the Bush administration's policies with the former Soviet Union.

[southafrica4obama]

write something else

[Siryn]

They forget that we have no teeth in our rhetoric because we are overextended in Iraq and Afghanistan. If we were only in Afghanistan, Russia would have had a different take on the matter. But because we emasculated ourselves for this war under false pretenses, Russia now sends a signal to all the former Soviet republics that they need to watch their backs.

[MikeLee7125]

Obama can turn Russia against McCain if he focuses on energy. McCain is touting an energy policy that essentially puts a billion dollars a day in Russia's coffers. The more oil we consume the higher the price. Think of it as Kennedy's "missile gap"

[rich3324]

A Rice VP would be great for Obama.

[Bagger]

I don't think Condi would do it. She's a closet Obama supporter and I don't think she wants to get in the way of Obama. Condi on the ticket for McCain would be a winning ticket for McCain. I doubt it.

[bygollymissmolly]

In response to the Righties taking on Russia, Obama should make the modern version of the girl plucking a daisy and the mushroom cloud ad that killed Barry Goldwater as a candidate.

The American public needs to understand the consequences of a war with Russia.

[loveyourplanet]

That would be great. Also remind the super patriots who it was that won WW11 if it's a land war they want..

[RoloTomassi]

Joe:

A good article, but I think it's fair to say these are observations most of us paying attention have already gleened for ourselves.

So, my question to you is this:

When will you write an article updating the HuffPo crowd on the Sibel Edmonds story? I realize it's a story of corruption that has spread like metastisized cancer, and is hard to address in a brief article, but it's a story that needs to be kept fresh in the minds of those leaning left, as she seemingly holds the key to revealing a depth of criminality that cuts across the political spectrum in US government.

[Joe Lauria - Huffpost Blogger]

I am still working with my Sunday Times of London colleagues on the Sibel Edmonds story so look for our fourth installment in the series soon.

[RoloTomassi]

Thank you sir, and do keep up the good work.

[11907281]

Remember, remember, Sibel Edmonds in November. Now, I'm a fan of Joe Lauria

[BADEN]

Let's review:

McCain is the PRESIDENT of the INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE.

I repeat: INTERNATIONAL Republicans....

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=International_Republican_Institute

Funded with OUR tax dollars, this bunch of neo-cons have created a shadow "state department" aimed at Republican/Chamber of Commerce on steroids goals.

One of their FAMILY JEWEL projects is (wait.....for ....it): GEORGIA....

http://www.iri.org.ge/eng/engmain.htm

Setting up their very own little "experiment" right on the Russian doorstep.

These neo-con fascists have been working on this for many years. ON THE US TAXPAYERS DOLLAR.

Ironically, Madelaine Albright's SHADOW group, National Endowment for Democracy, Is JUST as neo-con and just as dangerous and ALSO PAID WITH THE US TAXPAYERS DOLLAR.

It is time to cut off funding for ALL these neo-con wet dreams of Pax Americana on the backs of a very stressed and not so happy "citizens".

[WandaBooneshaft]

The link you listed states ...

"Lorne Craner was elected President of the International Republican Institute on August 2, 2004 ... "

Either your post is wrong or you are wrong. It doesn't matter.

When you embellish your post with incorrect information, it nullifies the entire thing.