GOP ad assumes an Obama win?

[dudalb]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/obama.check/index.html

Either than was an incredibly badly written ad or some GOP candidates have decided it's time to distance themselves from McCain/Palin.

Actually, It is not a bad strategy in a close race. I am voting for Obama, and I have concerns about the Dems going wild with the credit cards.
Still this is a sign that things are not going well for the GOP...

[boloboffin]

McCain is telling people that he won't be at his own election night rally (http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2008-10-23_D940DUR00&show_article=1&cat=breaking). Out loud he is saying this.

John McCain's election night watch party might be missing John McCain. Instead of appearing before a throng of supporters at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix on the evening of Nov. 4, the Republican presidential nominee plans to deliver postelection remarks to a small group of reporters and guests on the hotel's lawn.

Aides said Thursday that the arrangement was due to space limitations and that McCain might drop by the election watch party at some other point.

McCain's remarks will be piped electronically into the party and media filing center, aides said. Only a small press "pool"—mostly those who have traveled regularly with the candidate on his campaign plane, plus a few local Arizona reporters and others—will be physically present when he speaks.

Markos at the Daily Kos called this a concession (http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/23/153446/90/696/640024) and a major slap in the face to his supporters. It's hard to see how it isn't.

[leftysergeant]

Maybe he wants to be able to have his hissy fit in private if he loses.

I also get the impression that he is getting tired of having to deal with people in an inoffensive manner when things don't go his way.

[ryanebelhar]

Rudy Giuliani has started accepting donations for a 2012 run, and Bobby Jindal already has events planned in Iowa (although not being advertised as a Presidential run)

[leftysergeant]

Either than was an incredibly badly written ad or some GOP candidates have decided it's time to distance themselves from McCain/Palin.


Actually, it is good strategic sense. They want to hold every Senate seat they can keep, because they know they are going to lose a few this year, and will no longer be able to stop things they didn't think up themselves by throwing a mass tantrum about it. If they get stuck with President Obama, this is their only hope to neuter him so that they can claim he is ineffectual in 2010 and take back the Congress.

Any Democrat falling for this gambit is being short-sighted. There is still the chance of a dirty trick here and there and a few people wrongfully thrown off the voting rolls handing us a majority in the Senate, but a lumpy old white guy and a blithering bimbo in the executive branch. It's a trap.

The best strategy is to just go for the gold. It will take long enough to turn the Supremes around that the harm of two branches of government in Democratic hands cannot do that much real harm. It might even be good for the country. If the voters don't like what happens from 2009 through 2010, they can change it then.

If we wind up with McCain, we are stuck with a more strongly right wing nut job Supreme Court for the next twenty years.