McCain’s Artful Political Warfare

As a graduate of one of the military’s war college command and staff courses, it’s been amazing to watch the McCain campaign in action to date. During the period between the primaries and the conventions, they’ve been running a classic, pre-emptive guerrilla war against the Obama camp. During this time, McCain maintained a relatively low profile and husbanded his resources, only acting when the Obama camp made a move that could substantially widen the race. And, McCain always attacked Obama’s strengths, or “centers of gravity” in military parlance, and did so very effectively. Here are some examples:

Argument: Obama’s very charismatic and can turn out and excite huge crowds.
Counter-argument: So can Britney Spears. Would you want her as president?

Argument: Obama’s a once-in-a-generation orator capable of inspiring and exciting voters.
Counter-argument: He’s also an indecisive, long-winded stumbler away from the teleprompter, which is where he’d be most of the time as president.

Argument: Obama can really connect with ordinary people.
Counter-argument: Obama only cares about connecting when the cameras are rolling. Remember those wounded warriors in Germany he blew off?

Argument: Obama’s lived and traveled overseas, can identify with the rest of the world and Europe loves him!
Counter-argument: He spent how much time overseas? Is Obama American enough?

And finally, the misinformation (or an operational deception campaign?) surrounding McCain’s pick of a running mate, and final announcement the day after Obama’s nomination, have successfully strangled any Obama convention bounce in its crib. In fact, to date this strategy has successfully limited all of Obama’s surges in the polls.

Now, however,  Obama’s monopoly of the media has come to an end and the amount of coverage is evening out. McCain’s attacks will now coalesce around the big issue of the campaign among voters of both parties: change. Examine McCain’s comments when he introduced Governor Palin.

“I have found the right partner to help me stand up to those who value their privileges over their responsibilities, who put power over principle, and put their interests before your needs…I found someone with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies; someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past.”

Obama will continue to talk in broad terms about change, but the McCain camp will start asking about specifics and comparing records to prove who can deliver. After all, Obama’s record on change is weak thus far. For example:

• As a private citizen, Obama associated with a known terrorist, a child molester, a chairman of the Chinese communist party in America and an America-hating pastor. Obama only distanced himself from these controversial figures when public opinion turned against him.
• As chaiman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, Obama spent over $100 million dollars on projects in the school system in Chicago which yielded no measurable change in the view of auditors.
• As a candidate for state senate in Illinois, Obama chose to go along with his party and adopt the dirty tricks of the Chicago political machine to get elected.
• While in office as a state senator, the only noteworthy time he strayed from his own party’s position was when he voted–alone–against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act.
• While in office as a U.S. Senator, Obama voted with Democrats over 96% of the time as rated by National Journal.
• As the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for president, Obama chose a consummate Washington insider as a running mate.
• As the Democrats’ nominee for president, Obama demonstrated in his acceptance speech that he’s not interested in new ideas, he merely wants to recycle old ideas. The array of big government programs and policies he proposed look nearly identical to those of every mainstream Democrat candidate since the Great Depression.

In comparison, the McCain/Palin record is much more strong:

• McCain has been vocally at odds with his party over the years on issues like earmarks, campaign finance reform, illegal immigration and torture, and has worked with Democrats in the process.
• As the Republicans’ presumptive nominee, McCain chose a running mate from a state so far from Washington part of it is in the eastern hemisphere.
• Palin won every office she’s held without the assistance of her own party.
• As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin cut wasteful spending.
• As chaiman of Alaska’s Oil and Gas Commission, Palin exposed corrupt officials in the Alaska Republican Party and supported the opponent of recently indicted Republican Sen. Ted Stevens.
• As Governor of Alaska, Palin again cut wasteful spending.
• As Governor of Alaska, Palin worked with Democrats to pass effective ethics reform.

As a result, expect McCain to shift directions in the convention and press hard against Obama’s only remaining strong point. From a military standpoint, Obama made a critical strategic error with the pick of Biden. Obama tried to reinforce his key point of weakness instead of his key point of strength. Far from “rolling the dice”, McCain has made a bold move and reinforced his ticket as a proven agent of nonpartisan change, and executed correctly and aggressively, the strategy will keep Obama on the defensive until November and pay big dividends on election day.

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