In many ways John McCain is the best of candidates and the worst of candidates. He is the worst of candidates because in many ways he is trying to reinvent the campaign wheel. He is the best of candidates because it appears as though the campaign is going to allow boots on the ground, and the rank and file ‘worker bee’ to step in and really get to work.
We need to face the fact that the GOP is woefully behind the Dems when it comes to an online presence. With the exception of the Ron Paul Bots, the party has yet to exploit the internet and its seemingly endless fund-raising opportunities. Barack Obama is using this to his advantage, squeezing small dollar amounts out of large numbers of donors (maybe). His FEC reports may, once analyzed, point to something else entirely. His campaign is setting up credit card auto pay in small amounts. This is being used by thousands of donors, many giving as little as $10 to $25 a month. An interesting aspect of this is the fact that his campaign may be talking these people into doing something like this on more than one credit card.
The implications for the GOP could be disastrous if we do not change our ways and modernize our way of thinking. This is precisely what a group of us are attempting to do. If we cannot get the rank and file every day members of the Republican Party to perhaps re-think the wheel a little, I am afraid we are going to go down in flames this November. Both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee have funding problems, with the Congressional Committee being woefully under funded to the point where I’ve heard some 27 challengers could be left out in the cold to flounder for themselves. From what I gather, RNC funds are going to be diverted to McCain. Now that he has announced he will be taking public funding for the General Election, I don’t know what the implications for fundraising are.
All the talk is about Barack Obama and his money. We know he’s raised upward of $250 million. That is daunting until we realize that, according to the last FEC report, ending March 31, he has something like $51 million in the bank. The problem with that figure is the fascinating little fact that during the month of April alone, Obama has spent something like $2.2 million a day in Pennsylvania, alone. If you add that up, we’re talking something close to $42 million. He is also spending like a drunken sailor in Indiana and in North Carolina. If this is true – do the math. We can assume he will pull in a good $30 million in April. Still, his flagrant spending is going to put a dent in his bank account. I am hearing rumors that he will eventually capitulate and take federal funding. Frankly, I don’t see how he can continue milking his constituents. His large donors (over 55% of his base) are tapped out. Unless he has his small donors set up on credit card auto-pay for an unforeseen future, the economy alone is going to put the skids on some of his small donors.
Article comments
1 - Canadian Bawt
Are Ron Paul bots putting signs all over the over passes, and along the highways too? McCain is merely a plant put there to fall against the planted Billary Clinton.
2 - Ray
You disrespect the supporters of an honorable man that dares to stand up for what the Republican party is supposed to be. Shame on you! A cheerleader of a losing team should welcome reinforcements. Big-government fake Republicans beware. Your proverbial feet will be held to the proverbial fire. The revolution continues.
3 - El Bicho
"during the month of April alone, Obama has spent something like $2.2 million a day in Pennsylvania, alone. If you add that up, we’re talking something close to $42 million."
Wouldn't it be more like something close to $60 mil since April has 30 days?
"George Soros has pledged a small fortune and plans to facilitate the procurement of $40 for MoveOn to hit John McCain."
Wow! No doubt McCain is quaking with fear because for $40, the gang at MoveOn can all get Starbucks and really focus their attention after that morning caffeine rush.
4 - Tigrefan98
Well said SJ. I honestly think the cash itself is less important than the quantity of voices for McCain, if we have an effective online movement we can accomplish similar goals with less.
People really WANT 'straight talk' not just from the candidates but from their supporters, I was so turned off by the ridiculousness of the Obama and Paul people, I assume many undecided voters will be too. Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar..
5 - Ray
The Ron Paul supporters are telling it like it is, *despite* the media blackout of Ron Paul. This is why nearly one in six Republican voters in Pennsylvania chose Ron Paul. I agree that Obama supporters are ridiculous. Ridiculousness abounds in the Obama, McCain, and Clinton camps. These people think that they can go on with business as usual, as foreigners now refuse to buy our treasury bonds. The coming depression will wake some of these ridiculous people up, probably.
6 - Cannonshop
Most of this just looks to me like good advice for organizing and campaigning. You know, that whole "Get Involved" schtick.
Given that:
1. Ron Paul won't win the nomination. PERIOD. McCain's got it, and that's all there is.
2. Between Hillary and Barack, neither one of them is someone I want to see in the White House MORE than John McCain (which is really saying something, given that I'd rather have John Edwards in the oval office than John McCain, and I'd have a hard time not voting for Dean over him.)
3. American voting patterns are such that if McCain (the presumptive Republican Nominee) is to be elected, it must be by overcoming the American tendency to swap parties in power every eight years. McCain doesn't have an amazingly, overwhelmingly popular same-party President to coat-tail in the way George Bush Sr. did in '88, and barring Obama or Hillary getting caught committing a felony on live national television, the odds are the next POTUS is going to be a Democrat... because the current one's a Republican and publically despised.
The only way that John McCain has a snowball's chance in hell, is if he can manage to produce a VERY active, and ATTRACTIVE (meaning tactful, polite, pleasant, desirable-for-day-to-day company) grass-roots support. And that in turn, means "Getting the damn supporters out there to talk McCain up."
7 - spinnikerca
Cannonshop - I agree the only way McCain can win is if somehow he gets enthusiastic supporters who honestly like him working for him with the grass roots.
How many of those exist in the GOP, maybe 3? (His mother is Republican, right?)
Sorry, we decades long GOP member 'bots' for Ron Paul have better things to do with our time.
Ron Paul 2008
8 - davidpeace
John McCain is a very angry man. Given his lamentable treatment, including, sadly, torture, when he was a POW, it is hard not to see why. That being said, do you really think it is a good idea for a man, who apparently sometimes gets out of control, like him to be president? Nevermind his statements which can basically be interpreted as more of the Bush agenda. We are all affected by our own history. There is no way we cannot be. Given his history, the thought of him being president doesn't exactly warm my heart.
9 - Dr Dreadful
Being angry doesn't necessarily disqualify someone from the presidency. The thing is one's ability to focus one's anger, which McCain hasn't demonstrated any great ability to do.
I have a mental image of LBJ - another angry president - being held down in the Oval Office by his Secret Service agents, struggling to reach the Football on the other side of the room...
10 - huckabill
The first order of business is some good ads.. .like these.
11 - Arch Conservative
I'm only 31 but I seem to remember an anecdote about LBJ picking up his pet beagle by the ears.
The refusal of Ron Paul supporters to support Mccain is meaningless.
Mccain will be the next president. My vote for him in November will be based solely on the hope that after he picks Mitt Romney as his veep...........you all know what I'm thinking............
F-ing mccain....there would be some great entertainment value while it lasted though......can you just imagine mccrazy saying that hugo chavez can go fuck himself in a crowded roomful of press when he think's the mic is not on
priceless
12 - Dave Nalle
With the Dems having so much money and both houses of Congress, McCain is actually in the position of being the dark horse insurgent candidate, which can be a very strong position to run from.
And BTW, we HAVE had angry presidents before. And IMO presidents just like the people have good cause to be angry. Let's not forget that the guy who founded the Democratic party was one very angry and irrational SOB known as Old Hickory.
Dave
13 - SJ Reidhead
Dave;
Excellent comment. I think the real problem is the fact that we are dealing with people who have either forgotten history or have never studied it. Or, they could be ignoring it. I would like to think the latter is the reason they are so - silly - but unfortunately I no longer give people the benefit of the doubt on this.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
14 - bliffle
I think McCain is attackable on too many fronts. And the republican support may be faint. IMO many republicans are willing to renege on the Iraq Invasion with Mccain, whereas they were not, out of personal pride, while Bush was in office.
15 - George
I'm not really sure how you can refer to us as Ron Paul Bots. Ron Paul is the only candidate who is consistent, and who looks beyond the surface.
Anyone who votes for John McCain is a robot. The only thing he TRULY stands for is "being the most electable".
Also, did you know that Carly Fiorina, the same lady who ruined HP and laid off tens of thousands of hard-working Americans, is running McCain's campaign finances and is being considered for a VP or Cabinet position?
Carly also said that there are no longer any jobs which Americans have the "right" to.
Do we REALLY want these two people "saving" our economy?
Imagine how the economy would thrive if we eliminated the IRS, as Ron Paul wants to do?
16 - Dave Nalle
I think McCain is attackable on too many fronts. And the republican support may be faint. IMO many republicans are willing to renege on the Iraq Invasion with Mccain, whereas they were not, out of personal pride, while Bush was in office.
I think McCain is effectively running as a third party candidate. He has as much support from Dems and independents as from Republicans, and with that moderate coalition he could well win the White House out from under Hillary or Barack just because he's seen as more pragmatic and less ideologically extreme.
As for Iraq, it's a meaningless prediction, but I have more faith in McCain getting us out of Iraq with reasonable speed than I do in Hillary or Barack. McCain is pragmatic, if nothing else, and he's bound to realize that there's very little benefit in being in Iraq longterm.
Dave
17 - Dave Nalle
I'm not really sure how you can refer to us as Ron Paul Bots. Ron Paul is the only candidate who is consistent, and who looks beyond the surface.
The term 'PaulBot' may not necessarily apply to you, George. It was coined specifically for those Paul supporters who would post off-topic screeds over and over again like robots in support of Ron Paul. Those thinking people who support Ron Paul are a different matter and shouldn't be dismissed as PaulBots.
Anyone who votes for John McCain is a robot. The only thing he TRULY stands for is "being the most electable".
He also stands for being less of a socialist than anyone the Democrats are offering, which isn't a bad thing.
Also, did you know that Carly Fiorina, the same lady who ruined HP and laid off tens of thousands of hard-working Americans, is running McCain's campaign finances and is being considered for a VP or Cabinet position?
You mean the woman who showed the guts and fiscal responsibility to save HP from bankruptcy by reducing overhead? Sounds well qualified to me.
Carly also said that there are no longer any jobs which Americans have the "right" to.
I didn't realize you were a Buchananite, a Bircher or some sort of protectionist socialist. I thought you were a libertarian. Which of our fundamental rights guarantees us a job? Where for that matter is employment promised in the Constitution?
Imagine how the economy would thrive if we eliminated the IRS, as Ron Paul wants to do?
You don't need Ron Paul to eliminate the IRS. In fact, you're far more likely to achieve that goal if you pursue it independently without pinning your hopes on a candidate who has chosen to marginalize himself at the political extreme.
Dave