Thursday, January 31, 2008

An Underwhelming Debate — Or Even Worse...   [Victor Davis Hanson]

Aside from the problem of bad questions posed by the hosts, McCain should taper off on the surge stuff. Everyone knows he was its most ardent supporter, and deserves acclaim for that once lonely and critical task. But biting back at Romney over the governor's more circumspect and toe-in-the-water stance has already been done. No need to keep at it. Ditto whether military or Wall Street experience is more apt for a president. Romney's old attack ads are likewise ancient history-and ironic, since when he ran them, his nice-guy image was tarnished. No need to emulate that.

If they want to debate timetables, do it of the future—such as exactly when will the border be closed, and why the delay?

At this point the sole questions are simply can McCain show front-runner stature, calm, and magnanimity, and can he convince his base of conservatism (the two are often connected)? Doing so will win more votes in the remaining primaries than the debate infighting with Romney. Above the fray calm and statesmanship or even Olympian disdain in these debates far better help McCain than barroom brawling. Sparring with Romney on old, now largely thoroughly mined issues will only make that more difficult.

The campaign will be won or lost for McCain through convincing millions of conservatives not to sit out or go to a third party. And he can't afford to alienate talk radio, bloggers, or the cable news people who are the front-line pros against the Clintons, and who have spent years studying and analyzing them. One can see that dilemma with Limbaugh, whose gifts are now redirected largely against McCain rather than focused on Hillary or Obama. McCain will gain, not lose ground, by reaching out, even at this early juncture. In that regard the debate — the worst one yet for all concerned — was a setback. I'm surprised his handlers can't see that. Huckabee simply appeared an Edwardian man out.

And as the candidates go over and over these debating points, what goes unaddressed are rather serious questions — like the U.S. economy, the pathetic dollar, rising debt, etc. Dr. Paul, in this regard, had all the wrong answers, but alone raised the right questions. And if they want to talk about ethics, the gorilla in the 2008 living room is what exactly has ex-President Clinton been doing these years to raise tens of millions for his library and various foundations? It cuts two ways, if Ms. Obama or Ms. McCain were jetting to dictatorships and helping to close deals with petro-lords, then Hillary would be all over them — all a far more important topic than the surge vocabulary.

01/31 09:13 AMShare