Despite all the other headwinds he is fighting against (recession, the MSM, his age, his skin color), one major problem McCain faces is well-described in the Villainous piece we linked yesterday. McCain is not a visionary type, and he is not an ideologue. He is a solid, practical, trustworthy and remarkably strong fellow. He is running against a youthful (Socialist) visionary who promises to make your life easy and beautiful, but McCain is characterologically unable to present a competing vision. Like Bush 41, he probably thinks "the vision thing" is BS and unmanly, and cannot or will not fake it.
My problem with that is that McCain does have a vision, but he takes his vision of America so much for granted that he doesn't see it. It's the vision of freedom through strength, economic opportunity for all, holding the line with Federal power, and fiscal prudence. It's not Pie in the Sky, but it's an important and fundamentally American vision which deserved better "marketing" in this election, and people would rather vote for somebody than against somebody. My vote will be a bit of both.
Selling visions requires sales and marketing skills, just like selling cars: you have to make them feel that the new car will make them happier. Reagan knew how to sell freedom, and he knew what Obama knows: mass market politics is sales and marketing (including packaging). I think that notion is beneath a man like McCain's dignity. To his credit, he is not "a natural politician." (Sarah Palin is, which is why they want to destroy her.)
Now to my morning links:
Can you imagine if this were an Obama effigy? (I thought the current theory is that nooses were racist.)
What the Weather Underground had in mind. Insane sociopaths.
Dean Barnett: A real writer whose outlet was blogging.
What's wrong with the idea of energy independence?
2008 Economics: The two middle classes
Why Obama's health plan would make businesses sick
New book by James Kalb: The Tyranny of Liberalism: Understanding and Overcoming Administered Freedom, Inquisitorial Tolerance, and Equality by Command (h/t, Vanderleun)
The interbank markets are recovering. That is good news.
