Now, this is not to get ahead of ourselves. We've got a long way to go, and a media that seems to be giving Barack Obama MUCH more scrutiny than McCain. But that is not to say that things are going swimmingly for Mr. McCain.
On the heels of the acknowledgement that McCain basically wasted three months and had to change up his campaign teams, comes more freakouts from various GOP hacks.
First, we have Fred Barnes on Faux News basically begging McCain to start gay-baiting to have any chance to win. Especially cynical and disgusting. Watch it if you can.
Second, notwithstanding the (disputed) reports of problems with the Democratic Convention, the GOP has an even bigger problem: a potential rewrite of their campaign platform. They're very worried that McCain will make them seem less extremist than they usually sound. And they're prepared to go to the mat on the issue:
Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September's Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party's official declaration of principles.
McCain has not yet signaled the changes he plans to make in the GOP platform, but many conservatives say they fear wholesale revisions could emerge as candidate McCain seeks to put his stamp on a document that currently reflects the policies and principles of President Bush.
"There is just no way that you can avoid anticipating what is going to come. Everyone is aware that McCain is different on these issues," said Jessica Echard, executive director of the conservative Eagle Forum. "We're all kind of waiting with anticipation because we just don't know how he's going to thread this needle."
Awww, that's too bad. It's pretty funny that they're worried about appearing moderate. Anyway, next up we have the annoying William Kristol who actually writes a somewhat interesting column, begging for Mike Murphy to come on board:
But here’s what I gather from acquaintances and sources in and around the McCain campaign.
McCain is frustrated. He thinks he can beat Obama (politicians are pretty confident in their own abilities). But he isn’t convinced his campaign can beat Obama’s campaign. He knows that his three-month general election head start was largely frittered away. He understands that his campaign has failed to develop an overarching message. Above all, McCain is painfully aware that he is being diminished by his own campaign.
Pretty delicious to see Kristol reduced to whining and crying about how poorly the McCain campaign is doing. More interesting is that while he attacks Obama (somewhat half-heartedly) for alleged flip-flops, he is forced to admit that maybe Obama actually knows what he is doing. A sort of (shocking) grudging respect:
Even Obama’s adjustments for the general election — his flip-flops — have served in an odd way to enhance his stature. Some of them suggest, after all, that he is at least trying to think seriously about what he would do if he were actually president. So Obama has achieved the important feat, as the campaign has moved on, of seeming an increasingly plausible president. McCain seems a less plausible president today than he did when he clinched the nomination.
[snip]
With Murphy in charge, McCain will have the campaign team he wants. Then all they’ll have to do is come from behind to win against a superior organization, more money, a gifted candidate and a Democratic-tilting electorate. Oh well: no challenge, no glory.
All of this is to say that while there may be some concern about Obama from some corners, the GOP is having major problems. So instead of chicken-littleing every little thing, let's focus on getting Obama elected.
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