One way to do that is to proudly admit that he is a Republican and that he understands that businesses and political interest groups speak for the stockholders, employees and other constituencies which they represent. He can show that he hears their voice and acknowledges it by taking their money and running to represent their interests — which are the interests of all of us who work and want to prosper in this nation. Even if doing this leaves McCain underfunded relative to Obama it will reassure a lot of voters that he's serious about winning and knows that the best interests of the people lie with capitalism and the private sector.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
1 - LittleOrby
It's arrogant to lecture McCain on this matter. Why McCain helped frame the Campaign Finance Law, which I might add is working so well.
The real dilemma for Republicans is, should we support Bevis, Butthead or Barr.
2 - Dave Nalle
Well, Orby, it may seem arrogant, but the way I see it we each as citizens have a right even an obligation to advise our potential leaders.
Dave
3 - Krutic A
I agree. Obama is basically on his way to 'buying' this election.
McCain has to raise enough funds to stay in the game and $84M won't be enough by any means.
4 - Dave Nalle
Obama raised $280 million just in the primary. This may be the first election where the total spending of all candidates by the end tops a billion dollars.
The problem for McCain is that the only way a GOP candidate can raise that much money is with corporate and lobby contributions, so he needs to find a way to spin those groups as patriotic and representative of the people - which I think he can sell to the Republicans and Independents who would support him. He needs to go big as the pro-business, pro-economy candidate.
He needs to put a big name economist or businessman on his team immediately. If he were alive I'd say put Milton Friedman on the team. Sadly, no one still alive has the same name recognition as Friedman. The only economist I can think of with enough name recognition is Francis Fukuyama, and he's just too controversial. Despite turning against the neocons, he's still an anti-sovereignty globalist and that would just kill McCain with a lot of people.
The only alternative would be to go with a business oriented celebrity. McCain ought to be joined to Arnold Schwarzenegger at the hip from now until November.
Dave
5 - Baronius
"One way to do that is to proudly admit that he is a Republican..."
Dave, you said a mouthful in that one line.
6 - Lee Richards
Dave,
McCain would inevitably look like the "before" bloodless and helpless weakling victim to Arnold's "after" muscleman champion. It couldn't help him at all to cozy up to someone who emphasizes his great-grandfatherly appearance.
As to campaign funds, Obama has one-upped McCain. If McCain goes for private money, he is announcing that when it comes right down to it, his strongest principles are tissue and his ideals are built on sand.
He can't get by with saying, "he did it first, so I'm going to do it too." That only makes Obama look tough and decisive and McCain seem wishy-washy and lacking confidence. A presidential campaign isn't the best time to announce,"I screwed up with my signature legislation, campaign finance reform."
"If he were alive..."(#4) is a beautiful, crazy line. If we could put dead people in office, I've got a bunch of great names to suggest.
Obama is too far to the left, but McCain isn't independent enough to counter that with voters who aren't staunch Republicans.
7 - Dave Nalle
You've got a point on the physical disparity between McCain and Arnold S.
As for the appearance of waffling if he goes for private funds now, he can address that just by assuming his peevish old dude personna - he does it pretty well.
Dave
8 - Cindy D
...corporate and lobby contributions...he needs to find a way to spin those groups as patriotic and representative of the people
bwahahaha!!!
"Private funds from individuals? Th, that's not financing we can believe in!"
Really though, I am not sure I understand the difference in strategy. He has so many lobbyists working for him and raising money for him now, it seems it is his strategy. I'm missing the part where he would add this as a new strategy. What's the difference 134? 192? 257?.
McCain Has Had At Least 134 Lobbyists Running His Campaign & Raising Money For Him
9 - Cindy D
...corporate and lobby contributions...he needs to find a way to spin those groups as patriotic and representative of the people
bwahahaha!!!
Really though, I am not sure I understand the difference in strategy. He has so many lobbyists working for him and raising money for him now, it seems it is his strategy. I'm missing the part where he would add this as a new strategy. What's the difference 134? 192? 257?.
McCain Has Had At Least 134 Lobbyists Running His Campaign & Raising Money For Him
10 - Al Barger
I say McCain should stick with public financing. Besides the fact that he would be flip flopping on his signature issue, he'll get more mileage out of attacking Barack as the money candidate trying to buy the election, and most especially Obama's utter hypocrisy on the issue. Showing up the messianic candidate for the lying political hack that he is would do him more good with ME at least than the money.
Plus, there are still the 527s that will likely be doing the dirty work anyway, without McCain having to get his hands dirty talking about Rezko, Rev Wright and the Weather Underground.
I'm not a bit of a fan of Gov Schwarzenegger at this point, but you're wrong about him making McCain look puny. That might be the case if no one knew them, but absolutely everybody on Earth knows that Arnold is a pumped up gym bunny who plays a tough guy in the movies - while of course John McCain is the real deal, a real fearless tough guy.
11 - Dave Nalle
Cindy, right now he has yet to officially declare that he's going to be relying on private money. The lobbyists involved at this point are there for their political expertise, not as a source of funds.
The line between lobbyist and political adviser is very narrow. It's easy to call these guys 'lobbyists' because they have served in that role, but in fact they are also former government appointees, legislators and experts in various fields. Calling them lobbyists is a cheap way to strike at McCain, but it really misrepresents their role in the campaign.
Technically Bill Clinton is now a lobbyist. Did Hillary get criticism for being married to him on that basis?
Dave
12 - hud
Is this satire?
McCain only supported Campaign Finance "Reform" in 2000 because it covered his ass from the Keating Five scandal, and it made the media love him (at least, for an evil Republican).
Eight years later, the media doesn't love him anymore because they found someone else further to the left (and black! and a Democrat!) to fall in love with.
So now he's screwed. The conservative base rightly distrusts him, the media has thrown him under the bus in favor of something new, and he can't even raise any money.
He's fucked. Karma wins again.
13 - Dave Nalle
Hud, if he's fucked, then we're all fucked, because the alternative is Obama.
Dave
14 - Dr Dreadful
Never thought I'd see the day when conservatives would be crying foul! over a liberal eschewing public funding...