McCain has made many mistakes this campaign season, but there’s one 24 hour period that stands out in my mind. Funnily enough it all begins with David Letterman. Had it not been for Letterman showing the shot of McCain not flying back to Washington immediately the tactic of “suspending” his campaign might have worked. This stunt – which came across more like a lie – began McCain’s downward spiral.
I actually understand what set McCain on this course. After having admitted the economy wasn’t his strong suit and stating the fundamentals of our economy are strong he desperately needed to do something to prove he understood the crisis facing our country. I confess to holding my breath, my nerves shot, as I wondered what he would do to save the economy and subsequently create momentum for his campaign. Unfortunately, for McCain, I wasn’t the only one watching with bated breath.
And what did we get for our nail biting, edge of the seat sitting, rapt attention? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Are you kidding me? You pull a stunt like this I want something for my time, and so, I suspect, did most Americans. Top it all off with McCain’s vow not to leave Washington – not even for the debate – until the situation was “fixed” and you end up with the perfect storm. Everything that followed these 24 hours was merely storm wreckage.
RECIPE FOR A PERFECT STORM
1. LIE TO A COMEDIAN. Huge mistake. Never lie to someone who is witty and funny. They’ll destroy and expose you with a smile.
2. RUSH IN TO SAVE THE DAY WITHOUT A PLAN. Even better, rush in without your party’s agreement to make you look like a hero.
3. THROW DOWN ULTIMATUMS THAT YOU END UP BREAKING. Okay, I’ll cut him a little slack here. After all, how was he supposed to know Obama wasn’t like every other Democrat. Obama was supposed to cave, damn it! He was supposed to follow McCain’s lead or else risk his patriotism. I’d pay good money to have been a fly on the wall at McCain headquarters when Obama called their bluff.
4. END UP ACCOMPLISHING NOTHING AFTER YOU MADE AN ISSUE OUT OF SAVING THE DAY.
A lot has happened since those 24 hours, but I contend that most, if not all, that has transpired can be traced back to that point in time. It was during this time frame the “McCain is erratic” meme took hold. It was also at this point his Maverick image became tarnished.
McCain imploded in those 24 hours. His constant overuse of the terms Maverick and Reformer combined with his incessant referencing of his POW experience only succeeded in diluting their impact. Latest case in point: Joe the Plumber. In the space of 90 minutes McCain took a decent “man on the street” story and bludgeoned us with it. If “Joe the Plumber” and “McCain the Maverick” are a joke it’s because McCain made them one. And it all began the day McCain truly lost the election. Every thing he’s done since has simply been an attempt to change the perspective on what happened during those 24 hours.