4 Reasons the Weak Economy Is Now Helping McCain

Thoughtful reflections

I started the process looking at the issues & philosophies presented by both candidates. I liked what I heard from Obama, but wanted more details to support his positions. I waited, I looked, I dug around and didn't like the patterns I was starting to see.

The programs, in general are good ideas - but most are so large that it would take a lifetime of dedicated effort - by the masses to implement. Not to mention be so over-encompassing and potentially extremely expensive, if it were to be accomplished.

Most of these things he presents are things that should be done, but need to be implemented on a more micro or local level than at a macro or national level. Yes, the ideas are great - but is really outside the scope of the federal government to implement. It would be good to present them to the governors and have them take the ideas to their states and work together to accomplish those goals.

Fresh ideas are welcome - and need to be driven from the local and state levels with coordination at the national level - that may work. However, it's outside the scope of the President to implement. It would have been nice to see Obama start pushing his ideas in the Senate, working within committees to affect at least some of the change he proposes. It would be nice to see examples of completed work, instead of starting something and having others to complete it for you.

In Chicago, he left before he saw some of the projects he started get to the implementation phase. In Illinois, he barely made any mark on legislation - voting present, rather than for or against. He rarely pushed an idea through to completion, but rode on the coat tails of others.

This is more a follower, albeit a motivating speaker, using others ideas rather than his own. I'm not sure he's really qualified to lead anything other than a revolt - which is essentially what he's doing.

Doug of OH @ Jul 15, 2008 16:01:30 PM

The most shocking part...

What I find most shocking is that you posters -- who likely are among the best-informed portion of the electorate -- are too blind to look past party labels. Over and over, the posts on blogs like this praise Obama and condemn McCain without providing any kind of rationale for either stance. The most I have ever been able to discern from reading comments from other voters is that Bush = Republican; Republican = bad; Obama = not Republican; Obama = good.

It's pretty clear to anyone who has reads or watches the news that G.W. Bush is reviled by the large majority of Americans. But are we, as a voting public, so close-minded that we can't consider any possibility that, even within political parties, complex issues like economics, foregin policy, and the environment can accomodate dozens of stances? Were Ted Kennedy and Joe Lieberman merely alter agos of one another because they were both Democrats at the same time?

In the 1800s, when information about politicans and elected officials was relatively difficult to acquire and usually out-of-date, voters elected slates of candidates rather than individuals because the party label was a "brand name" that compensated for the lack of information. The present age of 24-hour news channels and internet coverage should have lowered that information barrier and afforded every interested citizen the opportunity to educate themselves about their candidates. Instead, blog-readers post that Obama would be a good president because he went to Harvard and that John McCain is old, and that Obama will (magically?) fix the economy and that John McCain will (single-handedly?) launch World War III.

Seriously? Is this the best political discourse to be expected from people who clearly have an interest in politics and the ability to read, write, and think idependently? I'd like to think that most voters aren't this simple-minded, but the repeated blind support or condemnation of candidates makes me seriously doubt that -- at least when it comes to voter education -- we're any better off than we were in the 19th century.

Publius of DC @ Jul 15, 2008 13:48:48 PM

You should heed your own words.

"The situation has become chaotic and almost impossible to predict in view of all the emerging variables." after which you write: "McCain may now have a roughly fifty-fifty shot at victory." Um, no. And polls taken in July always accurately predict the results in November, right? The US will continue in the tailspin we are currently in, with major banks tanking and GM and Chrysler insolvent and bankrupt. The Republicans will most likely cease to be and go the way of the whig party. If we're in as bad shape as I predict by November, the real danger is that the GOP will be replaced by a radical ultra-nationalist party. This party will explain to all the formerly "rich" Americans who like WalMart, watch Nascar on a 50" plasma screen in their split-level ranch houses, while working menial low-wage jobs, how immigrants and liberal politicians are responsible for all their problems.

Our current crisis is the result of a profound failure of leadership, a lack of vision, and a financial industry that has completely detached itself from reality in the past 25 years. The spector of peak oil and the end of cheap energy spell the demise of the Post WWII living experiment we've undertaken. And what a mess we've made of it. Whoever ends up in office will find themselves mostly powerless to change the course we're on: it's too late, and whatever is attempted will be too little. Unfortunately, I don't think either of our candidates is quite ready for the new paradigm we're entering. McCain is a cold-war relic and not the brightest light on the best of days, and Obama, the smooth operator, will most likely NOT want to be the one to tell the American people that, guess what? We're poor, our housing and financial services industries, which our post-industrial economy is based on are toast, and you'll no longer to be able to afford gas, oh and by the way there's nothing we can do about it!

Charles of @ Jul 15, 2008 13:39:26 PM

American idiots

I dearly hope that McCain loses in November. The last thing we need is more of the failed policies that have lead us into this predicament. It was a Republican congress paired with a Republican President that started these wars, eroded our Constitutional rights, and lowered critical government oversight. Not to mention decreasing taxes and growing the size of government in the midst of setting new records for debt and budget deficits. Brilliant thinking. What could possibly go wrong? I thought "unsustainable growth" was a fallacy.

There seems to be no bound to human greed or stupidity.

Tim,

Let me know where you're heading, I'd like to hitch a ride...

Nick of NY @ Jul 15, 2008 13:22:19 PM

No Way

The pundits might seem desperate to spin every aspect of this campaign into McCain's advantage, even the economy! The fact is, we've been riding the GOP's boat, and headed straight for the chunk of ice. McCain's just gonna keep going and hope that the hull is stronger than the iceberg, and all of us whining nervous nellies are just experiencing a psychological recession. Obama wants to go around the damned thing.

I think if you have a portfolio of stocks and live a white collar life, this period of economic adjustment does not seem like such a bad thing. Laying off workers and opening up sweatshops will mean a higher return in the long run. But if you aren't rich, there are real stakes to this recession. So I understand why pundits share McCain's satisfaction with the model... and are eager to use our suffering as leverage to cut taxes on their high salaries and investment portfolios.

But I am going to bet that most Americans can see through this.

Bt of MI @ Jul 15, 2008 13:21:01 PM

racial economics

No mention was made about the underlying doubt of many: that of having an African American in the White House leading our country in these times.

Obama's "changes" (flip flopping) in his efforts to embrace everyone and his history as the most liberal senator in his short career still leave many confused as to who he really is. This lack of knowledge plus the new democratic "do nothing" congress leaves the underlying doubt a more formidable but secret reason for not electing him.

Charles Patterson of CA @ Jul 15, 2008 13:17:04 PM

America is getting dumber.

It's a proven fact that the more educated a person is, the more likely that person is to vote Democrat. The reverse is also true. Take a look at statistics for states that are the least educated. The majority of them voted Republican in the last two elections. It is also true that less educated people tend to reproduce more than educated people. Higher educated persons tend to have two or less children while the less educated have several children. So, in fact, America keeps getting dumber. Dumb people vote Republican and repubs are winning more and more elections because they now have the majority of voters. This sounds like a slam on republicans but if you do the research the facts back up this claim.

heygirl67 of OR @ Jul 15, 2008 13:13:14 PM

corporate taxes over taxpayer-funded federal programs.......

Corporations don't pay taxes. If you tax a corporation they always just pass the cost on to us or cut costs by laying people off/cutting benefits.

Nolan C of AR @ Jul 15, 2008 13:12:51 PM