Strengthening the Message

By giving a far right speech, Palin  - as well as the convention itself - has made the job of defining McCain a lot easier. The past two nights have vividly confirmed what progressives have been saying for the last nine months - John McCain is the same as George Bush. While refusing to mention Bush's name last night, the convention speakers supported all of his policies and even went a bit further on some. The convention to this point has served to strengthen the progressive message and has left McCain's independent "maverick" image in tatters.

Despite the heaps of past evidence and almost all of McCain's policy positions lining up with Bush, the press has been fairly resistant to this line of argument. They remember their times at the back of the bus and the few moments many years ago when McCain seemed genuinely independent. The message of McCain = Bush played much better with the public then with the press, since the public lacked the same biases.

But that has changed. The McCain campaign lost the press last night. The resentment had been building since the McCain campaign decided to end the gaffe-prone conversations on the straight talk express and run a more tight-lipped and disciplined campaign. It was furthered this week by the ridiculous crying from the McCain campaign about the press' coverage of Palin's record. And then last night, having been endlessly badgered by the McCain campaign to lay off poor gentle Palin, the press sat through one of the most vicious speeches in our lifetime. You could sense the betrayal. John McCain once an "independent straight talker" that worked with them, had not only fully embraced the right but had done so at their expense. 

The space is now open for a full-on Bush-McCain ad offensive. The press finally buys it and I bet the number of press references to McCain being a maverick starts to decline. And after this week's convention, independents will likely find such an argument even more persuasive.

The big winner last night was not Sarah Palin, it was McSame.

Comments

[escorpion]

If you're right, then why have all the reporters and pundits, almost without exception, been fawning all over Palin like lovesick school kids?

[lungfish]

Not sure which reporters or which pundits... Peggy Noonan and Michael Murphy had some candid comments of their own..... and many reporters and pundits alike are demanding access and Palin is not available because she would have to not only defend her ridiculous attacks but she would also demonstrate how little she knows about anything related to the office of the VPOTUS. This woman is going to be part of taking us to war with Iran.... and she doesn't know a thing about the ME or any of the issues in front of us. Apparently, by the accounts of the those reporters in Alaska, she is not squeeky clean. Some of those reporters tell us that she left Wasilla $22million dollars in debt.... some of those reporters are telling us that she lied about selling a jet on ebay for a profit.... some of those reporters have told us that she wanted to ban books from the Wasilla library and attempted to fire the librarian for not going along with her.... and lots of other vindictive firings.....
You might try getting your news from somewhere other than Fox..

[WatchmanD]

A much needed post. HuffPost writers have kept the scales balanced during what seems like a lifetime campaign. When ONE person has the power to pick a running mate then close scrutiny is justified, warranted, and should be demanded by the American people.

It also amazes me how McCain can co-opt his opponents message of change, run for the presidency without a platform to support his change position, without raising a few MSM eyebrows.

We are not in Kansas anymore Toto

[lbolle]

Sarah Palin IS a bridge to nowhere. I'm skeptical, but I hope the media has wisened up to McCain for such a stupefyingly insulting VP pick. If they let this one go and continue to prop McCain up, their credibility will reach an unimaginable low.

[musselmanm]

I think we should start to refer to John Bush as,
Former Maverick and current right wing Presidential candidate

[Detroiter72]

"And then last night, having been endlessly badgered by the McCain campaign to lay off poor gentile Palin, the press sat through one of the most vicious speeches in our lifetime."

Unquestionably a gentile, not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Malarcus]

Max, in your third paragraph, I am going to assume you meant "to lay off poor GENTLE Palin." Although, technically, the phrase is correct in any case.

[MGhamma]

Malarky,I read the sentence 3 times. He wrote "poor GENTLE palin". Don't try to make something out of nothing.

[bessielil]

"And then last night, having been endlessly badgered by the McCain campaign to lay off poor gentile Palin, the press sat through one of the most vicious speeches in our lifetime. "

Gentile? As opposed to not Mormon or Jewish? Or, does it mean Gentlewoman goes Rottweiler on people who have different views?

(I'm looking for any distraction from the fear of four more years feeling that the forces of hatred are going to win again.)

What's with the sudden concern with sexism? New deal, same deck. Anti-science ed, anti-sex ed, anti-alternative energy sources, conflation of experience? Oh, it's been a bad week, even w/o hurricanes.

[roshni]

It's the Clarence Thomas approach.

[BARRISTER]

"Gentile.." is a French word which means "Gentle". Not Gentile as in Non- Jew.

That is obviously what was written, "Gentile"

[maxwellinformed]

I can only hope your predictions are correct. I to thought that instead of her introducing herself to America she read a speech that was a full onslaught against someone the American people spent the last year getting to know. Her introduction played well to the crowed of G OLD Party. But I am sure many felt the anger that I felt watching it. No I was not impressed, I was angered.

[dawass]

Amen! How could the Republicans actually adopt the message change with the culture war/ fear campaign we saw last night. I only hope the populace is not so uneducated that they buy into it. The only change I have noticed is that suddenly teen pregnancy is not condemned by the the Republican, but instead it is noble.

PS-> Another great article Max...who else agrees that Max Bergmann is the best writer on Huff Post?