Who says Republicans are the only ones who can play the politics of fear?
McCain makes Barry Goldwater look like a puppy. In the last eight years he has basically advocated war against six different countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan, and Russia. He has admitted his support for the draft. And he has a legendary anger problem. His Republican colleagues have even expressed fear of McCain as commander in chief. Republican Senator Pete Domenici even said "I decided I didn't want this guy anywhere near a trigger."
Do Americans really want someone with such an itchy trigger finger and with such an angry temperament with their finger on the button? An ad that said something to that effect would not only explode in the media - but it is also a hugely important point that has yet to be made. McCain's reckless temper combined with his inherent militancy is a very very dangerous combination.
This is a point Ilan Goldenberg raised last December:
I'm starting to think that the only way to counter Republican fear mongering is with more fear mongering...Democratic fear mongering needs to focus on how scary it would be to have another Republican President and how much that could endanger all of us (Especially if the nominee is Giuliani). Republicans spent years cultivating the frame that Democrats are weak and it was just as important to their dominance of the issue as their own ability to seem competent and tough. Something like the classic ad below might work pretty well in the '08 cycle.
You mentioned a draft and McCain's itchy trigger finger.
How about some more examples?
What about a continuing collapsing economy?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-stewart/freddie-and-fannie-bail-o_b_124713.html
$8.00 a gallon gasoline?
And four more years of O'Reilly?
Did anyone say they are Christians??????
The first is a preemptive attack on Iran. Cheney pushed hard for an attack earlier this year but was unable to get enough momentum for it. The second is a guerilla war in the nation of Georgia geared to pushing the Russians out of the two disputed enclaves. McCain has indicated his interest in pushing both of these wars. You may recall his bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran ditty and his claims that Iran was stirring things up in Iraq. McCain has also made common cause with Georgians ("Today, we are all Georgians.") and sent his wife Cindy to meet with the president of Georgia a couple of weeks ago. He also had her make public statements criticizing the Russians while she was there.
I doubt McCain will need much convincing once he takes office. Diplomacy is not something he has much use for. The neo-cons have no use for it whatsoever.