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LawPundit Predicts a McCain / Palin Presidential Election Victory

By Andis Kaulins

For months, we have supported Barack Obama in the US Presidential campaign. This we have done for many reasons. As a graduate of Harvard Law School and as the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review, Obama had what were arguably the best educational credentials of any candidate. Any opponent of Barack Obama who does not recognize that he is a very smart man - regardless of his color - is foolish and disqualifies his own judgment. Obama's Presidential campaign is modern and upscale. His online website is fantastic. His online campaign financing at the grass roots is phenomenal. His organization is terrific, far better than that of his opponents. After seeing him win the Iowa primary, we were so convinced that he would win the Democratic Party nomination that we proclaimed after Iowa that "Obama Will Win", and he did.

Barack Obama is the Tiger Woods of American politics - but even Tiger has an Achilees "knee".

In an election against the current Republican establishment, we were sure that he would stand a good chance to be elected President of the United States, and there is no doubt in our mind whatsoever that he would make a fine Commander-in-Chief.

But the story does not end there. Elections have many invisible components.

This in fact is an extremely unusual election, especially because Obama's opponent, war hero John McCain, as well as his recently selected running mate, Sarah Palin, are Republican Party mavericks who are in their own way nearly as anti-establishment as Obama himself. Indeed, the major reason that McCain emerged as the Republican Party candidate was precisely because he did not toe the party line. He was clearly not a yes-man for the Bush establishment. Still, both McCain and Palin as political types represent the mainstream mindset of the American people, whereas Obama and Biden do not, and that is the Achilles "knee" of the current Democratic Party tandem. Their ideas are good, but whose "champions" are they?

Added to that is the recent remarkable improvement in the McCain campaign strategy, which reached its apex with the selection of populist Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential running mate.

Initially, McCain's campaign was poorly funded and poorly organized. The McCain website in the early months of the campaign was a disaster and reflected McCain's advanced age. The whole presentation was stodgy and outdated, with no hint of elan or liveliness. Who wanted a rickety "old codger" as President?

But McCain has proven to be a late bloomer as a learner. He may have been a poor student in his younger days, and he will never achieve intellectual greatness, no one doubts that, but he has learned in his mature years that "learning" and "the ability and willingness to learn" are among the most important qualifications for anyone seeking to occupy the nation's head office.

Grow or die.
Learn - or be left behind.
Leaders of nations are in this regard subject to the same rules as their subjects.
Time waits for no man - or woman.
You have to keep up.

The developing political result is that the McCain campaign has been learning its lessons from Obama's model campaign machine. As far as state-of-the-art campaign methods are concerned - Obama has been leading, and McCain has been following. That has not changed. But McCain IS LEARNING. And, now, HE IS WINNING.

The new McCain website now finally has some pizzazz, ala Obama.

The initial and defective McCain slogan "Ready to Lead" has been replaced by the perfect motto "Country First", which is embellished by the words "Reform, Prosperity, Peace". That is what the people want, so that is what you tell them you are going to give them. Moreover, in the case of McCain and Palin, you have no doubt that the sentiment is sincere. Whether Obama or McCain can deliver on their promises, is another thing altogether.

Whereas Obama was the first to sell Obama gear (t-shirts, etc.), McCain has hopped on board this inevitable new political advertising tool and his staff has among other things now come up with the great t-shirt logo: Great AmeriCain Hero. Wonderful idea. Great marketing.

The McCain campaign has even adopted Obama's very successful brand of "Change", and McCain has stated that "change is coming":

"I'm very proud to have introduced our next vice president to the country, but I can't wait until I introduce her to Washington.

And let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me first, country second crowd: Change is coming."

By that, of course, McCain means that change is coming in the persons of John McCain and Sarah Palin, and not in the persons of Obama and Biden.

Accordingly, we have a remarkable "change" in the Presidential Election campaign of McCain, which must be a source of tremendous frustration to Obama and his campaign crew.

Essentially, the McCain campaign has pre-empted the issues and the methods that the Obama campaign initially developed. Regardless of which Presidential candidate the citizens vote for, CHANGE is promised. Regardless of which Presidential candidate the people vote for, REMOVAL of the establishment is promised. This takes the wind out of Obama's sails. Both parties are offering more or less the same promises. The campaign result is that the actual vote of citizens is reduced more and more to a question of personalities and emotions, rather than issues, and this is then a vote in which McCain and Palin clearly hold the upper hand, since they both represent middle America better than Obama or Biden. If all other things are equal, then who is the average American likely to vote for? We think that the answer is clear. We think that the voter in the booth is going to be thinking something like this: "I am voting for change ... I am voting for ........ McCain and Palin. They are Americains, like me."

Accordingly, we predict here that the McCain and Palin ticket will win the election and that John McCain will be the next President of the United States. We think that Barack Obama is running a wonderful compaign which will serve as a lesson for all political candidates in the future, not only in the United States but around the world, but in this election the opponent now has the better cards, using Obama's own methods against him. Is imitation at the root of all progress?

Frankly, if I were John McCain and if I won the Presidential election, the first person that I would actively bring into my administration would be Barack Obama, and I would make sure to find places for those highly competent people in his campaign staff. The COUNTRY FIRST can use that kind of talent.

Full post as published by LawPundit on September 09, 2008 (boomark / email).