Today it was announced that John McCain is pulling his ads and campaign staff from Michigan and canceling a campaign event planned for next week in Plymouth, essentially giving up hope of winning the state's 17 electoral votes. Until recently many people saw Michigan as an important swing state where McCain had a chance to play offense, given his 2 primary victories in 2000 and 2008, and force the Democratic candidate to defend a "blue" state that John Kerry won in 2004. Both campaigns have blanketed the state's airwaves and made repeated campaign appearances. Obama especially seems to have focused heavily on the state, coming here to receive the important endorsement of John Edwards and then returning to get the endorsement of Al Gore.
According to Five Thirty Eight, the polling average in Michigan is Obama +4.9. New polls have shown Obama with a double digit lead, increasing what had been a fairly consistent lead, except for the bounce McCain received with the announcement of his VP selection and the GOP convention. With the economy coming into play as the major campaign issue, McCain had no chance to win in the state most affected by the failed philosophy of trickle down economics which supports tax cuts for the wealthy and falling wages for workers along with the disastrous effects of globalization which promotes trading high paying American jobs for cheap products made overseas.
Obviously, many Tuesday morning quarterbacks will wonder what nominating Mitt Romney might have done for the campaign campaign. However, I think it's safe to say Romney wouldn't have guaranteed a McCain win in Michigan and certainly wouldn't have garnered the enthusiasm among the right wing base of the Republican Party like the Palin pick was designed to do. However, he may have been able to handle the media and campaign independently of McCain who has been forced to stick close to Palin, thus reducing in half the number of campaign stops the ticket can make in swing states.
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As the words "cut-n-run" echo through my mind, I have to ponder the meaning behind this "decision" to move troops out of Michigan.
I am reminded that trying to avoid the first debate by responding to the urgent need to save our helpless Senate did not reduce the number of unpleasant TV commercials or redneck testimonials.
I am also reminded of the reluctance to shift troops from Iraq (where killing their president and saving us from attack with WMD-toting Al Quedas has become ancient history). I suppose that the definition of a conservative still includes resistance to change, so this shifting of troops is more likely to indicate some milling around and surging to-and-fro.
One would suspect that the rhetoric of explanation will now declare "Victory in Michigan" as the reason for this maneuver, since the McCane-Fey campers wouldn't think of ending any conflict without a "victory".
Has anybody else connected the dots and wondered if the image being formed in Michigan is similar to the futue "Victory in Iraq" that nobody has yet been able to define?
btw
Spare me any convincing arguments about how the aging McCane and his Tina Fey impressionist are not trickle-down reproductions of GWBII and Halbert N. Cheney.
I voted YESTERDAY, and personally delivered my Absentee Voter Ballot to the Hastings City Clerk!
McCains white flag of surrender has irked many of the downticket GOP candidates who now will be without date for campaign events.
As a matter of fact I find it funny that more are upset over the fact that Palin will not be appearing here than they are about McCain.
John McCain = Art Garfunkel
It is perhaps unnecessary to note that in the autumn games, the "reverse" is normal, and so Democrats should not be surprised to see the "ball-handler" emerging from an unexpected direction, just as they thought the play was over.
Up-the-gut, and off-tackle, "straight talk" hasn't worked, so what do you suppose the coach of the red team will call next?
Obviously they are going to call for the flea flicker. Winning ugly is the plan of the day.
I think the funniest event of this campaign, so far, is that when McBush cut-n-run-off from Michigan, he left his trusty side-kick choking in his dust, without even leaving a note.
If that doesn't inspire the SNL writers for this weekend, I will chalk it up to their being overwhelmed by juicy material.
To maintain the football thread, McBush took his ball and went home, leaving Sarah holding the sack.
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