The Republicans appear to have hit the panic button. There are plenty of signs of this. Some are having nightmares imagining President Obama in charge.
The Republican talk radio circuit seems to have only Ayers to talk about. Sean Hannity is getting desperate.
The McCain team seems to have completely run out of ideas that they had to resurrect the Ayers issue — something the Clintons tried and failed to gain traction on. As their ship appears to be sinking McCain and Palin are grabbing Ayers for survival. Cindy McCain is blaming Obama for endangering her son in Iraq!
Check out Charles Krauthammer saying that McCain should have jumped on the Ayers association sooner and that the ad in North Carolina was not racsict!
McCain has only himself to blame for the bad timing. He should months ago have begun challenging Obama’s associations, before the economic meltdown allowed the Obama campaign…
McCain had his chance back in April when the North Carolina Republican Party ran a gubernatorial campaign ad that included the linking of Obama with Jeremiah Wright. The ad was duly denounced by the New York Times and other deep thinkers as racist.
(btw, notice the “should have” tone. Is this race over?)
David Brooks wants to return to the drawing board of conservative ideology. Check out his piece in NY Times today — plenty of could have, should have and other soul searching comments.
This year could have changed things. The G.O.P. had three urbane presidential candidates. But the class-warfare clichés took control. Rudy Giuliani disdained cosmopolitans at the Republican convention. Mitt Romney gave a speech attacking “eastern elites.” (Mitt Romney!) John McCain picked Sarah Palin.
Senator McCain’s performance in the second debate simply didn’t help his campaign regain momentum. Now it appears to be on a free fall.
Revving up the base is hardly a sensible strategy at this late stage when it might make more sense to reach out to independents and undecided voters.
The Democrats must be wishing that it were November 4 tomorrow!
Pakora Korner 