Clemency suggests

Email registration

Free weekly email update

Great products and special offers for Spectator readers

Click here for great value reader offers and events

Click here for the latest Spectator Wine Offers

How Obama plans to take on McCain

James Forsyth

Thursday, 14th February 2008

Barack Obama’s recent remarks suggest that he thinks that John McCain has two big political vulnerabilities: his acceptance of the idea that US troops might be in Iraq for 100 years and his current support for extending the Bush tax cuts despite his earlier opposition to them and his age.

Probably the biggest risk to the McCain campaign is the 100 years quote. When seen in context what McCain is saying is actually perfectly sensible, he is not talking about US troops fighting in Iraq for 100 years but having a presence there in the way that they do in Japan, South Korea and Germany. But the line can be used by Obama to suggest that McCain is never going to end the war.

On the tax cuts, McCain’s defence is that to rescind them would be equivalent to raising taxes which he opposes. McCain’s Brezhnev doctrine of tax cuts probably gets him round this charge especially as he can dismiss worries about the impact of these tax cuts on the deficit by stressing his support for spending restraint.

If I was on the McCain campaign, I’d be far more worried about the Iraq line than the tax cuts issue. McCain needs to urgently find a way to simply and appealingly communicate the substance of his point.

Previous Back to Americano Next

Blogs: Coffee House | Trading Floor | Clive Davis | Melanie Phillips | Stephen Pollard

Actions: Print this article | Email to a friend | Permalink | Comments (4)

Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Ganpat Ram

February 14th, 2008 3:15pm

looks like james Forsyth, after so much eager gloating over the defeatr of Clinton by Barack the Whizz Kid - yipee, yipeee, the HATED CLINTONS bites the dust ! etc - has suddenly realised that Obama is a far greater threat to McCain than Hillary might have been, that handing the leadership of the West to someone so appallingly untried and inexperienced as Obama, coming in on a wave of insane euphoria by crazed followers, is a far greater disaster for every sane Westerner than poor old Hillary ever could be. So now Forsyth is desperately afraid ancient McCain will crumble before Obama, too. Too bad, Forsyth. You haven't much foresight, do you? Moral: Never call in the crocodile if you are bothered by a dog.

tim

February 14th, 2008 3:47pm

Yes I have noticed a shift with this last entry. Suddenly James has become adviser and strategist for McCain. Ah. I know why. The Leader in the Speccie is all about wonder boy. McCain will keep troops for a 100 years. James cites Japan, where I reside, as an example of US troops in a foreign country for a long time. He did not mention the absence of them in Cambodia or Vietnam.

TGF UKIP

February 14th, 2008 9:27pm

The line McCain can pursue to turn this to his advantage is "America under President McCain will see this through. America will not run away no matter how many votes such a promise might bring. No Surrender" Indeed, "No Surrender" might be a great rallying cry for the McCain campaign. (The Rev. Paisley hasn't registered copyright has he? Even if he has I'd wager he would waive it for McCain) "No Surrender" would isolate the Obama policy for what it is.