VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 13, 2008
McCain Unveils Tough New Rhetoric
Republican Presidential Nominee Vows To Fight For New Direction As Polls Show Him Behind Obama
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Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., waves to the crowd as he arrives at a rally at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Va., Monday, Oct. 13, 2008. (AP)
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"We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change," McCain said while campaigning with running mate Sarah Palin in this once reliably Republican state that has become a battleground this year. "The hour is late; our troubles are getting worse; our enemies watch. We have to act immediately. We have to change direction now."
The Arizona senator insisted he understood Americans' concerns about the deepening financial crisis, even as fears about the meltdown have moved voters firmly in Democrat
The repudiation of the Republican incumbent's economic policies came as McCain has struggled to find a message that would reverse his sagging poll results nationally and in some battleground states. Yet, McCain echoed a line from President George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, about Democrats "measuring the drapes" that proved ineffectual for the GOP in 1992 and 2006.
"Sen. Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Sen. (Harry) Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq," McCain said, targeting the prospect of one-party government with references to the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.
In 1992, President George H.W. Bush told a Houston rally when he went to the Oval Office he expected to find Democratic candidate Bill Clinton "there measuring the drapes. Put those drapes on hold, it's going to be curtain time." Clinton unseated Bush.
In October 2006, President Bush said congressional Democrats "were measuring the drapes" and planning to take control of Congress. A month later, Democrats won the House and Senate.
McCain acknowledged Obama's lead in the polls. "The national media has written us off," McCain added. "But they forgot to let you decide."
"What America needs in this hour is a fighter," he said, adding that he knew Americans were worried about the direction of the country.
"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," McCain said, a clear reference to his 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. "I'm an American. And I choose to fight."
"In the face of growing unease in the Republican Party about his campaign’s response to the economic crisis, McCain used his speech today to try and recast his message," said CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "Hewing to his conservative economic platform of lower-taxes, free trade and fiscal discipline, McCain resurrected his call from the Republican convention, urging his supporters to 'fight' on and once again raising questions about Barack Obama's experience. But those arguments haven't worked so far, it's uncertain that finding a new way to frame them will make any difference."
He renewed his pledge to freeze federal spending, renegotiate distressed mortgages to help middle class homeowners, and cut taxes. He also vowed to bring more experienced leadership to the White House, because "the next president won't have time to get used to the office."
McCain compared Obama to Herbert Hoover, the Republican who was president when the stock market crashed in 1929 triggering the Depression.
"The last president to raise taxes and restrict trade in a bad economy as Sen. Obama proposes was Herbert Hoover. That didn't turn out too well," McCain said. "They say those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Well, my friends, I know my history lessons, and I sure won't make the mistakes Sen. Obama will."
In fact, Obama's tax plan calls for reductions for Americans making less than $200,000 a year.
McCain's retooled pitch comes as Republican campaign veterans say he needs to do more than just attack Obama in an economic environment that favors Democrats.
Obama leads in enough states to be within reach of the 270 Electoral College votes needed for victory while McCain is being forced to defend Republican turf where polls show the race close. That's partly because of Obama's well-funded onslaught of TV ads and extensive network of field troops registering and canvassing voters; McCain trails on both fronts.
It was a measure of McCain's troubles that he was campaigning Monday, just three weeks before the election, in Virginia and later in North Carolina, both normally solid for the GOP nominee but in play this year. (Read more campaign news in Virginia from CBS News and around the Web.)
And Democrats were eyeing GOP-leaning West Virginia as a possible place to eek out a victory; Obama's TV ads meant for Ohio have bled into the state and there are indications that economic fears may be starting to tilt the state toward the Democrats. Palin landed in West Virginia over the weekend before traveling to campaign in Ohio.
Introducing McCain to the Virginia crowd, Palin sought to temper the sometimes volatile outbursts from supporters against Obama that marked the ticket's rallies last week.
The Alaska governor never mentioned the Illinois senator by name or his connections to 1960s-era radical Bill Ayers, a reference she made repeatedly last week that incited the crowds.
When supporters started chanting "No-Bama, No-Bama," Palin jumped in to say voter anger was driven by economic woes.
"There's anger about the insider dealing of lobbyists. Anger about the greed on Wall Street. Anger about the arrogance of the Washington elite," she said.
McCain and Obama will debate Wednesday at Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y. CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer will moderate the 90-minute forum.
Still, McCain promised to run a "respectful" campaign in the weeks to come.
"I respect Senator Obama, we will conduct a respectful race and be sure everyone else does too. But there are stark difference between us," McCain said.
On Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a top adviser to McCain, said the presidential candidate was considering a reduction in taxes on investments, including a possible cut in the capital gains tax. But campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said McCain would not announce any specific proposals during campaign stops Monday in Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. He added, "We will likely have further proposals this week as economic news and conditions change."
Graham, on CBS News' Face the Nation said the GOP candidate was considering policy proposals that would cut taxes on investments.
"I think it goes along the lines of now's the time to lower tax rates for investors, capital gains tax, dividend tax rates, to make sure that we can get the economy jump-started," Graham said. "It will be a very comprehensive approach to jump-start the economy by allowing capital to be formed easier in America by lowering taxes."
McCain already has laid out proposals to address the crisis, including a $300 billion plan for the federal government to buy distressed mortgages and renegotiate them at a reduced price.
©MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- McCain won this one. Olamo has no history and what he does have is an interest to spend our Tax money on the Dem. congresses crazy Ideas. We need real leadership at this time not a pretty hollywood pantywaist. Show your Vote at PitbullPalinORG
- Reply to this comment
- McCain won this one. Olamo has no history and what he does have is an interest to spend our Tax money on the Dem. congresses crazy Ideas. We need real leadership at this time not a pretty hollywood pantywaist. Show your Vote at PitbullPalinORG
- Reply to this comment
- I got some short sweet winning rhetoric for John McCain. Its called the "Middle Class." McCain cannot even bring himself to utter these words. Why? BECAUSE IN HIS LITTLE REPUBLICAN NEOCON DEREGULATED THOUGHT PROCESS, THE MIDDLE CLASS NEVER COMES UP!
So is it any wonder that every plan and proposal that he promotes, while sounding good on the surface, winds up being, when you look at the nuts and bolts, just another scheme to further enrich the rich and to further screw over the middle class? - Reply to this comment
- Palin said "Anger about the arrogance of the Washington elite". John has been in Washington for how many decades? He certainly has experience being one of the Washington elite. I guess she knows what she is talking about. You cannot be both and outsider and an insider. Pick one John.
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- And McCain spilled the beans to the Viet Cong...a real terroist group.. If McCain wants to connect an 8 year old Obama to a terroist group t i t for tat...
McShame gasping for air since his palin b i t c h ain''t workin! - Reply to this comment
- "What America needs in this hour is a fighter, McCain said, adding that he knew Americans were worried about the direction of the country."
Okay, today he seems to think that he is going to ''fight or have us feel sorry for him'' until we change our minds and vote for him. Sorry, that is just NOT going to work.
We have basically made up our minds and due to his insistence on keeping the UNQUALIFIED AND UNINFORMED IDIOT Palin on his ticket [when he is too blind to realize he cooked his goose the moment she was interviewed by Gibson and Couric while trying to answer their simple questions but was proven to be a person with no knowledge of the nation or world} and when he has vascillated with knee-jerk reactions and answers every day ''proving'' he really is erratic. So I have to say he can fight all he wants, but it will be to no avail. After 8 years of Bush [McCain voted with Bush 90% or more of the time], our country cannot stand another Republican rule where we could end up over the cliff at which we are now teetering.
No, I don''t think so, not this time! - Reply to this comment
- And McCain spilled the beans to the Viet Cong...a real terroist group.. If McCain wants to connect an 8 year old Obama to a terroist group t i t for tat...
McShame gasping for air since his palin b i t c h ain''t workin! - Reply to this comment
- And McCain spilled the beans to the Viet Cong...a real terroist group.. If McCain wants to connect an 8 year old Obama to a terroist group t i t for tat...
McShame gasping for air since his palin b i t c h ain''t workin! - Reply to this comment
- Telling the truth in straight is what is needed, let it step on the toes that need stepping on. You''ll know when they start squalling......ROBERT DUVALL just did in Virginia. The dude rocks!
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- GOP has ran up 11 trillion dollar deficit under last three republican presidents. Maybe the "Tough New Rhetoric" will distract the American voter from the damage this has created long enough to get him elected.
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- From bad to worse. Candidate McCain is opposed to everything maverick McCain ever stood for. Now he is just showing himself as an angry spiteful old man.
This is what you get when wingnut fundis control the party. - Reply to this comment
- From bad to worse. Candidate McCain is opposed to everything maverick McCain ever stood for. Now he is just showing himself as an angry spiteful old man.
This is what you get when wingnut fundis control the party. - Reply to this comment
- John "has them right where he wants them"...????
The McCain Rope-a-dope. Yea right. - Reply to this comment
- how about this
- Reply to this comment
- This is a picture of Palin''s daughter shooting the Bird, at the rally yesterday. If she can''t control her children or home how is she going to run a country.
http://www.mediatakeout.com/2008/27370-lmao_look_at_what_sarah_palins_daughter_is_doing__thats_a_little_bad_azz_kid_.html - Reply to this comment
- Who else, my friends but the GOP will give 11 trillion dollars worth of deficit with nothing to show for it?
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- To read about the REAL John McCain, check out this link:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
To read about the REAL Sarah Palin, check out this link:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin - Reply to this comment
- RepForBarack at 09:38 AM : Oct 14, 2008 wrote:
"Are you as old as McCain KyRock1?"
I''d say he''d be close to it - if he doesn''t like rap music, he can always turn down his hearing aid. - Reply to this comment
- KyRock1:
Oh, throw a bit of Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, the Clash and the *** Pistols in there as well.
You''ll probably hate that as well because you''re too old and senile to appreciate variety.
Nevermind - you can always move to Alaska so that you and Palin can be nearer to each other. - Reply to this comment
- Are you as old as McCain KyRock1?
- Reply to this comment
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