After 148 years, the two-party system is an endangered species. The Republican presidential ticket appears to be running on a repudiation of the outgoing administration, the bureaucracy that it either created or failed to rein in, the supposed corruption of its own elected officials in Congress and the State of Alaska, an imagined era of bipartisanship and sound government during the Clinton Administration and a weak impression of the “fight for you” populism of Senator Clinton’s primary campaign.
What is the Republican history and tradition that is left to run on?
Based on population age distributions, approximately 44% of potential voters have never either never voted, never voted for a Republican or the only Republican President that they have ever voted for is George Bush. The remaining 56% breaks out: old enough to have voted for Ronald Reagan (or George H.W. Bush in the election he won), 19%; for Richard Nixon or Gerald Ford (the appointed incumbent), another 26%; and for Dwight Eisenhower (or Herbert Hoover) the remaining 11%.
Excluding the current administration as a reason to vote for McCain/Palin, leaves only implausible slogans.
A vote for McCain will give us the government that Bob Dole would have brought us.
Vote McCain–give George H.W. Bush the second term that America so badly needs.
John McCain! Another Ronald Reagan.
A vote for McCain is a vote to bring back the Ford years.
John McCain, the sagacity of a Nixon.
McCain, Barry Goldwater for a New Century!
John McCain will bring back the prosperity we had in the Eisenhower years.
Sam Maverick wouldn’t brand his cattle, and John McCain won’t brand his politics. Like no-name products, he may hope that this comes across as “just as good without the added costs.” That only works for commodities, and a presidential candidate is the least commodity like product imaginable.
Post a Comment