McCain Adviser Caught Stating Conventional Wisdom
Sen. John McCain’s advisor Charlie Black gets caught for being a little too straight with his straight talk:
But he starts by deftly turning the economy into a national security issue – and why not? On national security McCain wins. We saw how that might play out early in the campaign, when one good scare, one timely reminder of the chaos lurking in the world, probably saved McCain in New Hampshire, a state he had to win to save his candidacy – this according to McCain’s chief strategist, Charlie Black. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an “unfortunate event,” says Black. “But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who’s ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us.” As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. “Certainly it would be a big advantage to him,” says Black.
Terrorism plays into Republicans’ hands according to conventional wisdom. Anyone who thinks otherwise hasn’t been paying attention to national politics since Sep. 11, 2001. That’s not to say the awful scene of Americans killed by Islamist terrorists would automatically ensure McCain a Presidential victory. There certainly could be the thought that President Bush had just gotten lucky since Sep. 11, and his (and the nation’s) luck ran out.
What would be more likely is voters would gravitate towards a candidate with actual experience dealing with life and death issues instead of yearning for the former community organizer.
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“The Evolution of John McCain“
