John McCain: Kung Fu Fighting
october 13, 2008
Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight. Fight. Shall I keep going? John McCain came out with a new type of tactic today in a Virginia Beach speech today to try and convince Americans he’s the guy they need to elect. Basically, McCain ditched the negative for the most part and explained what he would do as President. The theme is that he’s a “fighter.” He was "Kung Fu Fighting." Click here to see McCain in action.
Read some highlights of his speech below and then some analysis:
The next President won't have time to get used to the office. He won't have the luxury of studying up on the issues before he acts. He will have to act immediately. And to do that, he will need experience, courage, judgment and a bold plan of action to take this country in a new direction. We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. The hour is late; our troubles are getting worse; our enemies watch. We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now. We have to fight.
I've been fighting for this country since I was seventeen years old, and I have the scars to prove it. If I'm elected President, I will fight to take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last. I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it.
Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 22 days to go. We're 6 points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, we've got them just where we want them.
What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I come from a long line of McCains who believed that to love America is to fight for her. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.
I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength.
I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will.
I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight.
Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight.
Fight for a new direction for our country.
Fight for what's right for America.
Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.
Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children's future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.
Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.
Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.
Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again.
Look, the McCain campaign is looking to somehow, someway come up with a compelling message that takes hold and resonates through these final three weeks. They believe they have had that hopeful message all along but it hasn't taken hold. (cue the media criticism and pro-Obama line)
The fighter image is a good one for McCain. After all, his POW days exemplify this characteristic. If they totally ditch the negative it is risky because it lets Obama off the hook a little BUT the polls clearly show that bashing Obama isn’t having the desired effect. For months the RNC and the McCain campaign have been making the case that Obama is a “scary liberal” yet voters overall don’t seem to buy it.
The bottom line is this: McCain is going to have to come up with a way to emotionally connect with voters on the economy. Maybe it’s a series of town halls; maybe it is McCain sitting at a desk with charts and a magic marker…who knows? All I know is that if McCain doesn’t connect on the economy, then it is dire straights. Click here for a musical interlude.
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