In the current issue of National Review, John J. Miller writes that Mark Salter, who has helped John McCain write his books has much writing to do “between now and November,” including the presumptive Republican nominee’s speech accepting the party’s presidential nod at this summer convention in Minnesota. I trust Salter realizes that this is perhaps he important project on his plate.
As that speech is likely to get more media attention than any other scripted address John McCain deliver in the next six months, Salter needs write something which defines the Arizona Republican to the American people and rebuts Democratic attempts to discredit that good man. This speech must reassure an anxious conservative base while convincing independent voters who already have a high opinion of the Senator but are wary of again leasing the White House to a Republican.
To appeal to both groups, McCain can’t break with the Republican who currently lives there, but does need to distance himself from that good man, but flawed president.
In 1988, without repudiating the then-incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush attempted to distance himself from Ronald Reagan with his reference to “a kinder, gentler America.” Many conservatives (including this one) saw the line as an unwarranted jab at the Gipper, suggesting his America were harsher and meaner, but the tone of the speech helped the then-Vice President bounce back from a deficit in the polls to a lead which he would enjoy until November.
Salter needs craft a similar speech with a passage somehow acknowledging the incumbent’s shortcomings, but, at the same time, showing respect for his accomplishments and appreciation of his national security leadership. McCain needs make it difficult, it not impossible, for the Democrats to present him as promising a third Bush term. Tying McCain to W, they believe, will bring down the Arizonan’s high favorables.
Mark Salter clearly has his work cut out for him. He needs perhaps write a memorable line which would juxtapose McCain’s independence, the numerous times he has parted company with his party, with his commitment to essential Republican principles, notably a strong national defense and decreased federal spending.
Should Salter succeed, he could well help shift the dynamic of the fall campaign in favor of the Republican nominee. Given his wordsmithing skills, there’s a good chance he will.
GPW:
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on the other issue McCain might face: which McCain will we hear from? Will he address the changes he’s made in his positions? Moving from opposing the Bush tax cuts because they favored the rich (in his words) to supporting them as a campaign plank is an issue in the minds of Republicans (and possibly independents?). He has changed his position on torture, the “agents of intolerance” became an embrace of Hagee, amnesty, etc.
I’m not trying to debate these issues per se with you; I’m just curious if you think the changes should be highlighted as showing conversion to the GOP cause, or if they should be understated out of fear of alienating moderates.
Thanks.
Sorry, that first line was supposed to be :
…issue McCain’s speechwriter might face
Embrace of Hagee? I would hardly call accepting the man’s endorsement an embrace.
Dan, you’ve pretty much assigned Salter an impossible task.
I don’t think Senator McCain can pull it off, especially if the economy takes a real nose dive, and it’s on the brink despite two quarters of slow growth as opposed to recession, and if things get ugly in Iraq, and neither he nor President Bush has any control over that.
The worse things get, rightly or wrongly the more unpopular Bush will become, and McCain will have to put even more distance between him and Bush, jeopardizing critical support among some of the GOP base. Yet, he probably can’t win the independent vote unless there is a hell of a lot of space between McCain and the president.
That’s why I am convinced the next president will be a Democrat. And I pray, oh how I pray, that it isn’t the junior senator from Illinois.
Well good God! How much more distant can he get?
@3: He said he was proud of the endorsement, and Hagee has appeared at multiple campaign events with him. What would you call it?
oh lets play word games.. how informative.
Hopefully McCain will have seleted and vetted a strong Vice Presidential running-mate in time for the Convention speech. Then the Convention sppech can serve as a strong introduction to the 2008 GOP ticket, not just a re-launch of McCain. I’d even recommend breaking with traition and introduce your fuirst-picks for key Cabinet foreign and domestic post. Sell the whoel team adn present a concrete set of proposals backed by those who will help implement them.
Turn St. Hillarybeast’s “..hit the ground running on Day-One” boasts against her.