Screwed. Either McCain pisses the hell out of his base tomorrow or he alienates independents

[cali]

Poor, pitiful McLame. He's stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Wingnuts across the net and the right wing press are telling him in no uncertain terms that he has to go ferociously after Obama or incur their (greater) wrath. But if he satisfies his base by trying to savage Obama, he'll turn off undecideds and some of his weaker supporters. There's a reason the top of the ticket doesn't do the dirty work- voters don't like it. They're a bit finicky that way. They may buy into negative attacks but they don't want to see the nominee doing it.

Poor Johny Mac.

[Alter Ego]

1. Yup. There's a reason that Joe Biden appears so much more ferocious

than Obama does at rallies. Both have passion, but Biden's is at a baser level--and he's allowed to do that.

Obama channels his passion through his oratory--Biden just gets really, really pissed off.

[Clio the Leo]

2. The whole thing is perplexing.....

..... any idiot watching the little line graph thingy in the first debate could clearly see that when McCain said anything negative about Obama, the undecided voters watching (whom CNN had as their focus group) didn't like it.

I may have to volunteer to run McCain's camp out of sympathy, even *I* could do better than the gang he's got.

[JSK]

3. Whatever he does

Barack will handle it masterfully. But I'm still nervous.

[Mike Daniels]

6. I can't imagine that Obama/Biden would have called out McCain if they weren't prepared

to hit back at anything he could come up with.

Ayers is dismissed by showing how McCain's supporters served on a board with Ayers.

Wright - little trickier because McCain's supporters weren't his long time minister. Palin's got minister problems of her own but she's the VP so can you really go after her in a presidential debate?

Rezko leads to Keating 5

I'm sure there's more but I imagine for every attack the Obama camp has a counter punch.

[hogwyld]

16. I think the Obama campaign has the

nuclear answer ready. If you watched Biden's interview on Hardball, he mentioned that if McSame brought out the dirty laundry, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Remember, Biden and McLame have been in the senate together for 26 years, and I'm sure he knows a thing or two.

[H2O Man]

4. The very definition

of a "no-win situation." Top republicans recognize that McCain & Palin equal a ball & chain on congressional republicans. There is conflict in their party that is just below the surface of what the media reports.

[rucky]

5. Plus all the Republican columnists that already scolded him for going negative.

[Viking12]

7. ..but the base will hold their noses and "Vote for Palin"

His VP pick provided a bit of a buffer between him and the mouthbreathing Freepers.

[cali]

8. but that's not enought. he needs more than the hardcore base.

[Viking12]

9. True enough. I was just pointing out that Phailin gives him a bit of leeway.

[cyndensco]

10. And to add fuel to the fire...

mccain announced he was going to "whip Obama's you know what." So he goes in there tomorrow night fighting and he turns off independents and rational republicans. If he chooses NOT to fight, his base will be totally pissed - this time he actually will have wimped out on his promise.

Pundits have portrayed him as being discouraged by the tone of his campaign. What will they say if he falls in step with it.

You're right, Mccain is screwed. :applause:

[grantcart]

13. I thought he was going to say 'whippersnapper'

[JuniperLea]

14. "whip Obama's you know what"

Yeah, that was a really stupid thing for him to say. Promises, promises.

[grantcart]

11. uhhh oops

[JuniperLea]

12. That old fool would show up in his pajamas if he didn't have keepers

He could easily go off script and against the advice of his word wranglers. He and Palin seem to forget that when they are talking to their base, they are talking to their base. When they talk to everyone, it's a whole 'nuther Oprah. Palin has a bad case of the "perries" as shown by her talking out of turn to some of her supporters, but I'm betting McCain thinks his "friends" are giving him good advice.

Rock. Hard place. Yep! *snicker*

[occe]

15. Good insight

Never thought of it that way, but you're right.

[Arugula Latte]

17. You are wrong.

Technically, McCain is "Screwn." ;)