VOLuntarilyConservative

This morning's revelation that the Tennessee GOP was bullied by several in their own party to back-off calling Democratic Presidential Candidate Barrack Hussein Obama by the name "Barrack Hussein Obama" is incredible. Kinda gives some credence to Hillary Clinton's feeling about the media and all of the powers of the universe being in alliance with her opposition, doesn't it?

There seems to be a theme developing here. Last night, the talk was about John McCain repudiating any mention of his candidate's full name after an intro by conservative radio personality Bill Cunningham in Ohio. Then comes his apparent role in the bullying of TN GOP. My reaction is the same as Stephen Colbert's on last night's "The Colbert Report" - "Senator, at long last do you have no balls?"



Not only was McCain's move spineless, it was yet another example of disastrous strategy. Embarrassing the most popular conservative talker in Cincinnati isn't going to help drive conservatives to the polls in a state many, including myself, have already written off for the GOP due to all of the scandals there. And this has been my whole point about the election - if McCain loses Ohio and its 20 electoral votes, where does he make it up, assuming that he can carry all of the states that Bush carried in 2004 (which he can't, but let's just pretend for purposes of this hypothetical)?

What blue states are so vulnerable that a poor, old GOP candidate who is scared to go after the Democratic challenger in any way except the war in Iraq can turn them red? I see few, and the ones that do don't come close to the 20 electoral votes McCain would need to make up for losing Ohio. Cincinnati is the most conservative city in Ohio (just ask Scribblings of the Metropolitician, who credits Cincy with cementing Bush's second term), so pissing off conservatives there pretty much ends any chance McCain has to win the Buckeye State. (And don't you think that Cunningham, who is on the air every day and has already said that he would vote for Hillary Clinton now in the general election, might mention McCain a few times in a negative fashion over the next 8 months?)

And now McCain is playing the heavy with the Tennessee GOP? Oh, I'm sure they're just itchin' to go to war and volunteer time away from their families, jobs, and communities to campaign for you now, Senator McCain. Perhaps you would like to take on Steve Gill here in Tennessee just for kicks.

Seriously, if this is the kind of campaign that McCain is going to run, GOP donors need to heed my warning and start concentrating on the Senate. McCain '08 has a good chance of making Dole '96 look energetic and charged.

UPDATE (9:58 A.M.) - Everyone is on this story, which is funny because I would bet Technorati's references to "Hussein" are the highest they have been since Saddam met the hangman's noose. Volunteer Voters has a major round-up (replete with links), and it appears that Terry Frank sees as much trouble with the Tennessee GOP's reaction than with McCain's actions. Dave Oatney, who knows Ohio better than any of us Tennesseans, ain't buying what McCain's saying about Cunningham.

Labels: 2008 General Election