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The Note: McCain Seeks New New Start

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October 13, 2008 8:48 AM

ABC News' Rick Klein reports in Monday's Note:

These next three weeks -- and, perhaps, the next three decades or so of legacies -- comes down to a simple question: What does Johnny want?

Yes, he wants to be president. But underneath that question, things get trickier.

Does he want to run against Barack Obama or Barack Hussein Obama? (Is that choice still his?)

Will the campaign tone be set by John McCain himself, or McCain's party, some of McCain's strongest supporters, or McCain's running mate? (Which of those dogs pack the meanest bite?)   

Does he put forward a new, tax-cutting economic proposal to train his focus on the only dominant issue that's out there? (Answer Monday morning: No -- he'd still rather turn the page.)

Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.

Is McCain willing to lose a reputation to win a campaign? (And how many of his allies -- up to and including Sarah Palin -- know they have reputations that extend far beyond 2008?)

The Republican nominee trots out another new closing message Monday -- McCain the fighting underdog. "We've got them just where we want them," he plans to say Monday.

But he needs to break through is own clutter: Mixed messaging from his allies; a missing message on the campaign's big issue; a base that's threatening to bolt; a schedule that leaves him playing defense (in Virginia Monday); a running mate who's still answering (or not) key questions; a staff that's squabbling over the next move; a country that seems to be turning on him.

John McCain is, at this moment, losing: With a 90 percent wrong-track number, and President Bush beating Richard Nixon’s low, it’s Obama 53, McCain 43 in the new ABC News/Washington Post poll. 

"Though every race is different, no presidential candidate has come back from an October deficit this large in pre-election polls dating to 1936," ABC polling director Gary Langer reports. The Palin pop is long gone: "Just 29 percent of his own supporters are 'very enthusiastic' about [McCain's] campaign, the fewest since August and down a sharp 17 points from his post-convention peak." 

Three weeks out, "the two presidential nominees appear to be on opposite trajectories, with Sen. Barack Obama gaining momentum and Sen. John McCain stalled or losing ground on a range of issues and personal traits," Anne Kornblut and Jon Cohen write in The Washington Post. "Recent strategic shifts may have hurt the Republican nominee." And: "Among the reasons McCain's path to victory seems steeper is that the percentage of 'movable' voters continues to shrink."

Does he still have a chance? "The magnitude of Mr. McCain's task may leave him depending on a misstep by Mr. Obama or a national security crisis rather than on what he can achieve through speeches, advertising or a winning performance in the final debate on Wednesday," John Harwood writes in The New York Times.

Says former Bush strategist Matthew Dowd: "At this point . . . the campaign is totally out of John McCain's hands."

Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.

ABC News' Hope Ditto contributed to this report.

October 13, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Clinton, Bill, Clinton, Hillary, McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Palin, Sarah, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans, Washington, White House | Permalink | User Comments (102)

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How Many times does he have to restart? change his message, Didnt he just clean up his campaign over the summer? and hire new well I think he needs to start with his camapign they are horrible and making John look bad. And second Send that witch back on a broom to Alaska!apprently her witch pastor hasnt done a good job in releasing all the witches and evilness in her body!

Posted by: angie | Oct 13, 2008 9:54:08 AM

msa is going to have a miserable 8 years because Obama is going to be your president.

Posted by: mudge007 | Oct 13, 2008 10:00:07 AM

McCain's numbers indicate not merely public rejection of his immoral campaign, but more importantly rejection of the discredited policies of his war-loving, fear-mongering neocon "advisers".

Now perhaps Obama is free to reject them as well.

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/meet-the-new-boss/

Posted by: kafka | Oct 13, 2008 10:00:08 AM

Sorry Folks... McCain spun out of control again!!!
What a empty suite:

Late Sunday evening word emerged from McCain headquarters that, in fact, there would be no bold new economic proposal to throw on the table.

"We do not have any immediate plans to announce any policy proposals outside of the proposals that John McCain has announced, and the certain proposals that would result as economic news continues to come our way," said spokesman Tucker Bounds.

Posted by: becky | Oct 13, 2008 10:00:31 AM

Sign this petition if you think McCain should stop talking about Obama and William Ayers...and start talking about the economy instead:

http://www.McCainPetition.com

Gregg

Posted by: Gregg | Oct 13, 2008 10:02:28 AM

McCain's campaign has never had a consistent message...

1) experience (then he appointed Palin)
2) change (gettin' Mavericky)
3) country first (then the negative personal attack ads and rallies that have increased the fissure between us)

This is why McCain loses. His message keeps changing and he talks more about Obama than the economy.

The policy of deregulation and a very unpopular President (who he endorsed and voted with consistently) has been a drag on John McCain and his campaign.

Posted by: Issues Not Smears | Oct 13, 2008 10:03:43 AM

From PolitiFact re: Ayers and the Chicago Annenberg Challenge:

In short, this was a mainstream foundation funded by a mainstream, Republican business leader and led by an overwhelmingly mainstream, civic-minded group of individuals. Ayers' involvement in its inception and on an advisory committee do not make it radical - nor does the funding of programs involving the United Nations and African-American studies.

This attack is false, but it's more than that - it's malicious. It unfairly tars not just Obama, but all the other prominent, well-respected Chicagoans who also volunteered their time to the foundation. They came from all walks of life and all political backgrounds, and there's ample evidence their mission was nothing more than improving ailing public schools in Chicago. Yet in the heat of a political campaign they have been accused of financing radicalism. That's Pants on Fire wrong.

Posted by: Paige | Oct 13, 2008 10:07:10 AM

Here, Senator McCain, the instructions on how to reboot your campaign. It's real easy, doesn't matter that you hardly know the first thing about computers and such.

Just hit , , .

Don't forget to click your heels. Before you know it, you'll be in a happy place.

Posted by: rogerthomas | Oct 13, 2008 10:08:08 AM

Posted by: Obama's "Tax Cut" = Welfare and Socialist Re-distribution of Wealth | Oct 13, 2008 9:15:37 AM

Under the Obama tax plan the wealthy will pay the same they paid under the Reagan administration.

Posted by: Vanessa | Oct 13, 2008 10:13:40 AM

I would NOT vote for someone who hides their true color. I want Obama to explain to me the connection between him and his Kenyan cousin, Bill Ayers, and Rev. Wright and HOW those connections affect his judgement.

I love how these LEFTIES morons are running around claiming the victory when the people (one with the brain) have NOT voted yet.

There are MORE craps will spill out.

The ACORN Voter Fraud (http://www.foxnews.com/video2/live.html?chanId=1) testimony!

What else should we know?

Posted by: Voter In America | Oct 13, 2008 10:19:03 AM

I'm sure McCain is praying for a national crisis to up his standings in the polls. Knowing the neocons flare for unending war and unnatural exuburence of national pride as well as the Bush administration's desire to perpetuate their all powerful president and VP roles, nothing would surprise me.
I hope nothiing bad happens, but we have lots of enemies thanks mostly to the Bush Administration policies.

Posted by: eyeonyou | Oct 13, 2008 10:20:07 AM

Bill Kristol called McCain's campaign "pathetic" on FOX and today says McCain needs to start over and ditch the ayers attack stuff, it didnt work.

Posted by: bubba | Oct 13, 2008 10:21:37 AM

A victory by Barack Obama will endorse his tactics in silencing critics, which should concern all non-leg-tingling media in this country. In fact, Michael Barone points out that it will merely be the next step to the Left’s “progressive” march into killing free political speech — or at least that speech with which they disagree:

“I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors,” Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. “I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.” Actually, Obama supporters are doing a lot more than getting into people’s faces. They seem determined to shut people up. …

Obama fans jammed WGN’s phone lines and sent in hundreds of protest emails. The message was clear to anyone who would follow Rosenberg’s example. We will make trouble for you if you let anyone make the case against The One.

Other Obama supporters have threatened critics with CRIMINAL prosecution. In September, St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch and St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce warned citizens that they would bring criminal libel prosecutions against anyone who made statements against Obama that were “false.” I had been under the impression that the Alien and Sedition Acts had gone out of existence in 1801-02. Not so, apparently, in metropolitan St. Louis. Similarly, the Obama campaign called for a criminal investigation of the American Issues Project when it ran ads highlighting Obama’s ties to Ayers.

These attempts to shut down political speech have become ROUTINE for liberals. Congressional Democrats will re-impose the “fairness doctrine” on broadcasters, which until it was repealed in the 1980s required equal time for different points of view. The motive was plain: to shut down the one conservative-leaning communications medium, talk radio. Liberal talk-show hosts have mostly failed to draw audiences—bad ratings--and many liberals can’t abide having citizens hear contrary views.

Posted by: Obama is Crushing Dissenting Views--Expect Much More if He Wins | Oct 13, 2008 10:22:22 AM

When the conspiracy base is all ya have left, thinks aren't good for Camp McCaign.

Posted by: wow? | Oct 13, 2008 10:23:24 AM

Oh BTW, have any of Obama supporters count Votes from the dead or 7 year old a part of your voting process?

Is this vote often, vote again thing?
This is CHANGE we REALLY need.

Expose Obama as FRAUD for who he is.

I am STILL waiting for his birth certificate to prove that he is ELIGIBLE to run for this OFFICE.

Don't tell me that he ALREADY showed it.
I can duplicate that SAME certificate and put on the website, too.

How convenience!

Posted by: Voter In America | Oct 13, 2008 10:23:57 AM

Love the conspiracy. Folks ya can't vote without an ID.

Posted by: hmm | Oct 13, 2008 10:24:59 AM

McCain = DISHONORABLE; Palin = SCARY!!!

Posted by: Howard Gallas | Oct 13, 2008 10:29:31 AM

mudge: If you are indeed correct that Obama will win, I will be having a great time because I intend to go on welfare. It will be a much better deal for me under Obama's plan. That's what he wants anyhow - everyone to be dependent on the government. That way they have more control over you. You want socialism, go vote for him. If he wins, I will take advantage of that system as many others will. And it will blow up in his face. So I win either way.

Posted by: msa123 | Oct 13, 2008 10:31:36 AM

Gregg,

Are you AFRAID that the TIE would tank your candidate?

You LEFTIES are so STUPID!

Why wouldn't we talk about Obama's ties with the terrorist Bill Ayers?

That's the MAJOR issue since the DEMS created the economy crisis to benefit Obama.

Obama supporters are either DUMB or NOT getting it. Even former Pres. admitted that: "I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

What part of responsibility don't you get it? You want me to name a few names.

Here they are: Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Maxine Waters, Gregory Meeks, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid.

SPIN that!

Posted by: Voter In America | Oct 13, 2008 10:33:20 AM

Roger: "Don't forget to click your heels. Before you know it, you'll be in a happy place."

I like that! That should be Obama's new campaign slogan! That is exactly what his followers seeem to be thinking and are saying!

Posted by: msa123 | Oct 13, 2008 10:34:08 AM

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