Adam Nagourney gamely presents the McCain plan to win, and I’m not too impressed. The game isn’t over yet, despite what some pundits will say, but the Republican nominee’s plan to bet it all on Pennsylvania and hope something good happens in Ohio and Florida is a long-shot. But what struck me was Nagourney’s discussion of the campaign message, which consists of harping on Obama's spread the wealth remark and Biden's acknowledgment that a foreign policy crisis will arise early in an Obama presidency. (Incidentally, I think the same idea is applicable to McCain too; our foreign enemies will gladly test a 72-year old whose gut foreign policy instincts tend towards overreaction).
But here's the thing about this message: It's two attacks. The McCain campaign isn't bringing anything to the table, and it's not offering a plan. Voters already believe that McCain is attacking more than explaining, and Obama continues to win on the tax issue. This end-result of this campaign seems to have little to do with McCain’s message and everything to do with the events of the coming ten days.
— Tim Fernholz
