How Republican Consultants have Messed Things Up

Sometimes you wonder what world these political consultants live in. They've made so many fundamental errors in the Republican campaign, it almost makes me pity them. However, their errors can be condensed into two...the mishandling of Sarah Palin, and the mishandling of John McCain.

Number one error: Sarah Palin. By shielding her from the press and any meaningful exchanges, Republican consultants have made her so nervous, that when she does speak to a reporter, it's an unmitigated disaster.

From her history, she seems like a competent person. How much better would it be to let her make a few mistakes at the beginning and then trust her to learn the ropes. She seems like a quick study.

Number two error: Putting McCain in a strait jacket. McCain was beloved by the press and the public for his freewheeling honest style. In their obsession about staying on message, the handlers have made McCain into something he never really was, a standard politician. Their claim about maverick is now based in the past and not the present.

How much better would it be to let him make a few mistakes, that can even be endearing to the American people. It's the reason why he got where he is today. Instead, by bottling McCain up, you create explosions of independence that are risky and will eventually lose the campaign.

By repressing McCain and Palin, the handlers have created an untenable situation. You must let people be who they really are, and let the chips fall where they may. By imposing the strategy for George W. Bush on an entirely different ticket, the handlers have created an unmitigated mess.

He Who Laughs Last

Not to belittle the horrible week our country has experienced, but let's be real. Politics is politics, and the new focus on the economy has turned the tables on the McCain campaign. The problem about relying on personalities (Rick Davis, McCain's campaign chairperson, said their campaign was not about issues), is that when real life intrudes, when issues rise to the forefront, there's nothing left but fluff.

Even worse than having no issue background is to be on the wrong side. McCain, and Republicans at large, favor deregulation of the financial sector, and that deregulation was largely responsible for the financial meltdown we experienced this week. You can't just erase twenty years of your life, change positions, and expect noone to notice.

I have faith in the American people. They may have been duped by George W. Bush for eight years, but eventually they catch on.

The Republican diversion-distort-smear campaign will no longer fool the American people. As the urgency of real world problems intrudes upon the campaign, they will be forced to take stands on the issues, face up to previous errors, and be held accountable. They will have no place to hide any longer.

Justice will prevail, and we will pass the torch to a new generation, a new Kennedy, to lead us.

10 Palin Errors in Interview with Charles Gibson

Sarah Palin made many errors, both strategic and tactical, in her interview by Charles Gibson. Here are just 10 of them:

1. When asked if she felt ready to become President of the United States, Sarah Palin showed no appreciation of the magnitude of the job. She should have expressed humility. Instead, she talked about her "wiring."

2. When asked about the Bush doctrine, she tried to bluff her way through it. Instead, she should have asked Charles Gibson what he meant. This is not a common term, and a little honesty about her unfamiliarity with it would have been in order. Instead, she showed insecurity about her knowledge of foreign affairs.

3. When Sarah Palin was pressed about "The Bridge to Nowhere," Charles Gibson was gracious and asked if she wanted to revise and extend her remarks. Instead, she stuck to a story that is clearly contradicted by the facts, newspaper articles and even a photograph showing her wearing a sweatshirt supporting the bridge.

4. Another opportunity missed: Sarah was asked about earmarks she supported, such as one to study the mating habits of crabs. She could have acknowledged that the spending was ridiculous; instead, she passed the blame to educational institutions.

5. When asked about support for an Israeli attack on Iran, she repeated the same phrase several times, "Israel has the right to defend itself," instead of engaging in Charles Gibson in a conversation of the matter. This gave the impression of someone studying for a test instead of a mature understanding of the issue.

6. Throughout the interview, Sarah Palin looked nervous and uptight.

7. Sarah Palin called Charles Gibson by his nickname, "Charlie." She should have shown more respect and called him "Mr. Gibson." Her choice of the other moniker seemed an ineffective attempt to curry favor.

8. When Sarah Palin was asked about three things she would change in Bush economic policy, she seemed unable to answer the question. She fudged the answer in a "blizzard of words" and then the items she cited were not real changes.

9. Sarah Palin's attempt to win Hillary Clinton supporters seemed insincere. She should have mentioned some of their policy differences and then, perhaps, noted some Hillary people were supporting her anyway.

10. Sarah Palin failed to enunciate an overall worldview or philosophy. She wasted an opportunity to defend conservative thought in general and show a sophisticated understanding of how her stands on the issues tied together . Given the amount of time she spent preparing for the interview, you would have thought she would have done more than just respond to the questions on an piecemeal issue-by-issue basis.

There's one major theme common to almost all these points. If Sarah Palin had really acted like the normal Mom she claims to be, and not a talented politician, she would have been more honest and she would have been capable of admitting when she was wrong

Sarah Palin is a Distraction

As Bob Herbert noted in The New York Times, Sarah Palin was selected to provide a distraction from the issues in this race.

What did the Republicans avoid by choosing her? Well, they didn't discuss the foreclosure crisis. They didn't discuss health care. They didn't discuss education.

Instead, they made the race a referendum on character and personalities, the very thing they accused Barack Obama about.

However, this change of focus comes with some very real dangers. How well can we evaluate a person in just 60 days, especially when she is being kept under wraps and shielded from the press corps? She does have a compelling life story; the problem is that the story is so compelling, it distracts people from the real concerns they should have for the next occupant of the White House.

The Republicans may not know how to govern, but they sure know how to campaign. By making Sarah Palin inaccessible, they are keeping the distraction going. Each time she does make an appearance, it will generate increased scrutiny and increased distraction. Now, she is going to be interviewed by Charlie Gibson of ABC News, and how many people will watch that?

The real question, in my opinion, is whether the American people will be fooled again. They voted against Al Gore's sighs, against John Kerry's windsurfing, against Michael Dukakis riding around in a tank. When will they vote on the real issues that affect their every day lives?