McCain's Tough Sell In "Forgotten" Locales

Washington Post: Candidate's Economic Plan Might Not Sway Residents of Kentucky Coal Town

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Juliet Eilperin and Michael D. Shear.

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Sen. John McCain stood before a small crowd in this tiny Appalachian town with the same mission he has had all week: convincing what he calls "forgotten" voters who are traditionally hostile to his party that he is a different kind of Republican.

"You just expect us to show a decent concern for your hard work and initiative, and do what we can to help make sure you have opportunities to prosper from your labor," he told a packed courthouse Wednesday, not far from the coal mines that provide most of the jobs here.

Earlier this week, McCain sought to assure African Americans in Selma, Ala., that he is committed to helping places ignored by "sins of indifference and injustice." On Tuesday, he sympathized with workers in the fading factory town of Youngstown, Ohio. And on Thursday, he is scheduled to tour the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, where residents continue to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

McCain is reaching out to voters in these Democratic strongholds to try to build the broad, center-right coalition that aides believe is necessary for him to become president. Advisers do not think Republicans alone can elect McCain, given how many have become disenchanted with President Bush and his policies.

McCain's "Time for Action" tour is less about specific proposals; those will come later, advisers said. The important part, they said, is for McCain to lay the groundwork in places such as Inez to credibly claim that he cares about the people who live on the edge of the modern economy. In effect, McCain is launching Version 2.0 of Bush's "compassionate conservative" campaign.

McCain is not likely to have an easy time of it. Appealing to blacks and rural Democrats may be difficult as job losses and gas prices have made the economy the leading issue on voters' minds. McCain's economic plan is heavy on tax breaks for big business and admonishments about not relying on the federal government for help. He proposes a cut in corporate income taxes from 35 to 25 percent, help for companies who depreciate equipment and other incentives.

"The Democrats do more for our area," said Rhonda York, who works for a day-care provider and is married to a coal miner. "Right now, it's extremely hard, with four dollars for gas."

In his speech Wednesday, McCain offered none of the promises of government help that President Lyndon Johnson did when he declared war on poverty in Inez 44 years ago. Instead, McCain vowed to enact tax cuts that he said will spur job growth, incentives for companies to bring high-speed Internet here, and job training for displaced workers.

"Government can't create good and lasting jobs outside of government," he told the crowd. "It can't pay lost wages. It can't dig coal from the earth. It can't buy you a house or send all your kids to college. It can't do your work for you. And you've never asked it to."

In courting union members and Democratic steelworkers in Youngstown, McCain said, "You know how it feels to hear that good things are happening in the American economy; they're just not happening to you."

Nowhere is that clearer than in the region around Inez, a town of 650 in the middle of a mountain pass whose Main Street stretches a few blocks. According to 2005 Census Bureau statistics, the median household income in surrounding Martin County is $22,368 and 42.2 percent of residents live in poverty, compared with a national household income of $46,242 and 13.3 percent poverty rate.

The house that Johnson visited four decades ago still stands a few miles outside town, with a corrugated tin roof and skinny wood beams. But that sort of building is the exception now. Martin County Judge Executive Kelly Callaham complained that when reporters visit, "They go to where the chickens are on the porches, and they don't go up to the nice places."

Yet, the signs of a worsening economy are everywhere. Shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday, word spread that area gas stations were raising the price for unleaded from $3.45 to $3.59 a gallon, prompting some residents to rush to fill their cars.

James "Moose" Maynard, a retired school bus driver who sat sipping his morning coffee at Grandad's Diner, said he was hoping one of the presidential candidates would address financial hardships.

"I wish somebody would get in there and do something about these gas prices. I wish somebody would come in here and do something about the economy," he said. "I'm disabled, on a fixed income and diabetic. It makes it hard."

McCain has proposed a short-term salve: a summertime holiday during which the 18-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax would not be collected. For a family that fills a 20-gallon tank once a week, that could save about $43 over three months for each car they own.

McCain also proposed on Wednesday a "People Connect Program" that would encourage companies to connect rural communities to the Internet with high-speed access to spur economic growth and jobs. And he promised to support new programs to lure people into teaching.

He was greeted with whoops and cheers by a crowd in the courthouse as he pledged to return to Inez if he becomes president.

"If I'm elected, I will come back here in the course of my administration, hold another town hall meeting, and invite you to hold me accountable for the decisions I have made and the promises I have sworn to keep," he said.

But many locals said they were skeptical of whether McCain's policies would help lower-middle-class Americans. Even sympathetic Inez residents questioned whether McCain's economic policies would benefit the region.

Callaham, a Democrat, said he backs McCain because he believes the senator would be a more vigorous supporter of the region's coal industry. But Callaham said he remains worried that the senator's policies tilt toward the richest Americans.

"I'm not the top 3 percent, and that's an issue I really have a problem with Bush, who has catered to the top 3 percent of the country," he said.

When it comes to McCain, Callaham said, "That's an issue he's going to have to skate around."

Robert Gordon, a senior fellow at the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress, said the average family in Martin County would receive nothing from McCain's tax cut, which excludes families earning less than $25,000 a year. "It's admirable that John McCain is visiting 'forgotten places,' but his economic plan forgot about the people who live there," Gordon said.

Shear reported from Washington.

[herewego78]

"However government can, and does have a policy of closing jobs down in American and sending them overseas, a policy of the current administration."

"A vote for the Bush/McCain team, a team which gives tax breaks for big business, will not stand up for American workers, WILL send more jobs out across the seas. "

So let me get this straight...You feel that the government should tax corporations heavily, in fact increasing taxes on corporations as proposed by Obama and Clinton. And THEN you are surprised that many of these very corporations are outsourcing their jobs? How could you blame them? The government does NOT send jobs overseas. The corporations who cannot afford to run their businesses in do. When corporations are taxed 35% to run their business, of COURSE they''re going to go elsewhere. The best way to "stand up for American workers" is to give the corporations that provide jobs tax breaks. Increasing taxes just makes it more difficult for a corporation to take care of their employees. I work for a large corporation and KNOW for a fact that increasing the taxes they pay would hit me hard in the wallet. And why would the government WANT jobs to go overseas? How ridiculous is that? The whole post is ridiculous. Use some common sense maybe. Why does everyone have this weird instilled hatred for big business? Who do you think provides the jobs?

[element51]

tuffone3....I can envision your solution to poverty. Simply exterminate anyone who earns below a set amount. The old, the sick, the injured, the mentallly challenged. Just wipe em out. No more social security, medicare, disability payments, adc, free education, any of these democratic social programs. Get rid of em. Keep all your money and if someone dies from hunger you can P on their grave. Doesn''t that sound exciting. And I bet you have a reserved front row seat in church every Sunday. Yes, a compassionate conservative. Keep up the good work sunshine. John needs your support.

[jersupporter]

John McCain Will Stop Earmarks, Pork-Barrel Spending, And Waste. He will veto every pork-laden spending bill and make their authors famous. As President, he will seek the line-item veto to reduce waste and eliminate earmarks that have led to corruption. Unlike Senators Clinton and Obama who have sought a nearly combined $3 billion in earmarks, John McCain has a clear record of not asking for earmarks. Earmarks restrict America''s ability to address genuine national priorities and interfere with fair, competitive markets.

[jersupporter]

Can ANYONE tell me exactly what McSame stands for? Honestly now can you answer what his solution will be for SOCIAL SECURITY?? How about MEDICARE? We already KNOW he intends keep Trickle Down, regardless of the fact that it has NEVER, NOT ONCE worked. No Republican President, forget the hype, has EVER produced a BALANCED Budget under it. Folks don''''t you think it would be smart to KNOW where he stands on all these things before we say yes or no to him? Sieg Heil Bush Posted by MCVet
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Here ya go you can read for yourself - although it will not matter for you http://www.johnmccain.com/mccaineconomics/

[Gary Kempf]

Evidently this post offended CBS, because they deleteted it. So in the spirit it was tended, I will post it again.

Well when shoveling sh*t, offering it as a golden opportunity. It is a hard sell....

[mcvet]

Can ANYONE tell me exactly what McSame stands for? Honestly now can you answer what his solution will be for SOCIAL SECURITY?? How about MEDICARE? We already KNOW he intends keep Trickle Down, regardless of the fact that it has NEVER, NOT ONCE worked. No Republican President, forget the hype, has EVER produced a BALANCED Budget under it. Folks don''t you think it would be smart to KNOW where he stands on all these things before we say yes or no to him? Sieg Heil Bush

[bogusbones]

hello - my name is john mccain. i''m a republican, yes the same party that has igored the poor for oh well over a hundred years, about the time i was born. but i''m here to tell you we''re going to continue this war, throw your sons and daughters into the pit of hell, ignore them when they come home from war and raise your taxes so we can add more misery to your miserable, god-forsaken lives. thanks for your vote.

[mcvet]

McCain''''s not going to be able to satisfy everyone. No politician can do that. But he does have some very good ideas.

Hillary''''s probably going to win the DNC nomination, after a bitter fight that goes all the way to the convention. You''''d be a fool to believe that the power-hungry Clintons will let this go. It''''s everthing they''''ve worked for. Then McCain will have to endure everything that Obama is enduring now.


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Posted by mike71067 at 11:25 AM : Apr 24, 2008
+ re

Like what? We HAVE his record and the RECORD of the Party he LEAD right in front of us so tell me and everyone else what does he propose that does ANYTHING differently? He sat Right THERE IN THE SENATE While the WORST in History pushed through department heads that were INCOMPETENT.. he did NOTHING. He sat right there in the SENATE while we were LIED to 935 times about a war we didn''t have to fight. I could go on for a few hours but the RECORD isn''t good at all. I haven''t heard ONE THING of any change in those courses to speak of!! Sieg Heil Bush

[homespunlady]

NEXT UP.

McCain is AGAINST the bill to end PAY DISCRIMINATION.

Technically HE "DIDN''T VOTE" to cover his assets but DID STATE he WAS AGAINST IT.

YEP, he SURE SAYS ONE THING BUT DOES ANOTHER - JUST LIKE HIS "fearless WAR leader" BARSTOOL BUSH.

[singingrick]

Good news!

McBush said he''s got a plan to create 5 hundred thousand new jobs!

Unfortunately, they''re all in the Iraqi army.