McCAIN "CHANGES" HIS APPROACH

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. So when John McCain's entire stump speech repertoire has been rewritten to copy Obama's focus on change, one would have to think that he is flattering Barack to the point of being the next Obama girl. But is he really? Check out the first video below to see who he really imitates, almost word for word.....

So, the Democratic observation is, John McCain represents four more years of the eight dismal years of failure under the Bush administration. Change? or more of the same? Republican political shill for McCain Mark Sanford, in an appearance on CNN, was asked for one difference between the McCain economic plan, and the Bush administrations plan, which has racked up eight years of unbalanced budgets, soaring prices, increased unemployment rates, and a record deficit, despite inheriting an economy with a surplus.

Obviously, he could not. In fact almost across the board, McCain is what he always has been, George Bush's number one fan. One way he sought to distance himself from McCain was to proclaim his hatred of earmarks. Remember his speech..."I will veto any pork barrel ear marked bill, and you will know who is responsible?" Great words, but what does it say for his words when he nominates the queen of the pork, Sarah Palin, supporter of the bridge going to nowhere? Requester the following year of the highest dollar amount per capita of any state in the union?

McCain also claims, among many other mistruths, that the Obama tax plan would raise a litany of taxes to everyone. Click on the link here, and get a non-partisan view (http://www.factcheck.org/) on the truth in regards to his plan. The blue box you will see is the GOP half truths and lies. Below it, will be the truth, completely debunking the McCain rhetoric blasting off on the Obama tax plan. Lies and half-truths? Do these represent change, or more of the same? You be the judge and jury on this one....

So why has McCain changed his focus from experience to change? For one thing, his VP choice has no experience, or extremely limited experience to say the least. A college student at 6 different institutions in 5 years, finally earning a bachelors in sports journalism at the University of Idaho didn't help either. Her resume is paper thin, to say the very least.

So can a political inside for two decades plus, claim to be an "agent of change?" McCain is gambling that he could steal the change issue for himself -- a crazy brave, characteristically reckless, inconceivably difficult maneuver -- by picking an authentically independent, tough-minded reformer. With Palin, he may just have a slim chance on change.
The problem is the inherent oddity of the incumbent party running on a desire to change the very government they have controlled for nearly a decade. Here are Republicans, the party that controlled the White House for eight years and both houses of Congress for five, wildly cheering the promise to take on Washington. I don't mean to be impolite, but who's controlled Washington this decade?
Moreover, McCain was giving up his home turf of readiness to challenge Obama on his home turf of change. Can that possibly be pulled off? The calculation was to choose demographics over thematics. Palin's selection negates the theme of readiness. But she does bring important constituencies. She has the unique potential of energizing the base while at the same time appealing to independents. In short, she may pull Clinton supporters and quiet the far right base of the party, and that means evangelicals, "my friends."

The gamble is enormous. In a stroke, McCain gratuitously forfeited his most powerful argument against Obama. And this was even before Palin's inevitable liabilities began to pile up -- inevitable because any previously unvetted neophyte has "issues." The kid. The state trooper investigation.

Palinesque issues seem to be popping up almost daily. The right has responded by keeping Palin away from the press entirely. But, they cannot do this for the entire nine weeks leading up to the general election. McCain's only hope? Palin has to do in 9 weeks what it took Obama a full year...become a "celebrity," and envirgorate the party / ticket.