Who believes John McCain is going to ride the Iraq dead horse all the way to a loss in November?

[NNN0LHI]

Hand up waving wildly! I DON'T!

We can't depend on this issue. Once McCains internal polling shows his stay in Iraq for however long it takes position is a sure loser McCains position on Iraq is going to change.

Nixon did. He said he had a secret plan to win in Vietnam and bring our troops home and won an election with that. He really didn't have any secret plan but he still won using it. Heck even some anti-war liberals fell for that scam and voted for him. Expect something like that from the McCain camp soon.

Don

[ryanmuegge]

1. The electoral map favors him, though the polls don't.

I think he's got an advantage, actually.

[loyalkydem]

2. if you listen

to all his talking points, that's all he's going to run on.

[bow-tie]

3. What else has

he got? His record? LOL. I hope he picks "old joe" for Veep. Wooden stake in the heart for sure.

[Mz Pip]

4. I wish I cold be more optimistic.

I think gass prices are going to be the real sleeper issue this election. With John McCain calling for more drilling, I think this will reasonate with people. People are not happy about gas prices and if McCain is offering a solution (regardless of its viability) he might get more support than we are counting on.

Democrats will have to come up with an energy plan that makes sense to Americans and get out in front on this issue.

[ryanmuegge]

6. The speculators will back off in time for the election, just as they did in 2006.

Bush and McCain will make the Democrats cave (the Democrats are such fucking pussies that it won't take much, I'm sure) into some energy or drilling-related legislation. Prices will drop, and the Republicans (assisted by big media) will take credit for the price reduction. Enough of the public will buy that it was the Republicans' legislative or (in Bush's case) regulatory action that caused the price drop, giving McCain the win.

Big media has been planting the seed by saying that McCain is starting to "get traction" and take an advantage on the gas price issue (the assumption being that McCain has an advantage on the substance, and is thus the better candidate). If something is repeated enough, it will be believed, internalized, and adopted as unquestionable gospel by enough people to turn an election in a country where they are already so close (this is the corporate media and RNC's main strategy, of course). It's amazing how the media gave McCain the advantage on the gas price issue in the matter of one day, despite a TOTAL lack of quantitative or empirical public opinion evidence. As with nearly everything, the media just create perception out of thin air.

No matter what actual policy the Democrats come up with, it won't do any good in winning them the election if nobody hears about it (since specifics of policy is not allowed, under any circumstances, to be discussed in big media's programming). The Democrats' policy will be blacked out by the media, even if it is solid.

Why do you think one of the main RNC talking points regarding drilling is that it'll cause the speculators to back off, thereby creating a short-term price reduction? They're planting the seed. It's all planned. Some meaningless governmental action will be used by the Republicans as a cover for the speculators simply backing off in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election.

The electoral map that already favors McCain, this strategy, and Obama's race (the fact that he HAS to win a few states in which race will play a big role - West Virginia and other Southern states) will be enough to tip the balance in McCain's favor for the win.

[AndyTiedye]

5. They Have the Mighty Stupidity Machine and Diebold