WTF Fineman!! He obviously has bought into the Palin hype, and...

[Dawgs]

is claiming it's up to Obama to make it about the economy, not McCain.

Why is it always Obama's responsibility to make it about the issues, but never McCain?

[speedoo]

1. If you were McCain, would you actually want to talk about the economy? nt

[TheDebbieDee]

19. Exactly! McCaint doesn't want to talk about the economy

because he doesn't want to admit that his economic policy is to basically "stay the course" of the last 8 years!

[Middle finga]

2. The Bar raised so high for Obama and so low for McCain and

his new spokeswoman. You start to wonder is it because of Obama's race?

[AllieB]

6. The bar is always raised higher for Democrats.

Always. It's what the corporate media does.

[Wetzelbill]

13. It's always like this because Dems run on issues, Repubs mostly on persona

That's the only way somebody like Bush could beat Gore or Kerry. Look at the mythmaking on Palin already, did you see those "Super Woman" signs? What has she done to justify that? Nothing. It's all image. McCain has to run on his mythical image and paint Obama in a bad light. He has to. Republicans never want to run on issues, that's why they turn issues into slogans etc. Need an economic plan? Cut taxes. But just don't ask too much about it or they get into trouble because that's all they have. I think what Fineman means is you know McCain isn't going to bring it up at all - by design - so it's up to Obama to do so. I agree with that assessment.

[Middle finga]

17. good points

[Wetzelbill]

18. well you know, a broken clock is right twice a day

Thanks. :)

[krkaufman]

15. Not at all.

Simply a matter of Dems always having a higher threshold, and the newness of Palin. (It is unquestionably newsworthy that the Republicans have nominated a woman.)

[LisaM]

3. Because McCain doesn't want to talk about issues

So Obama is going to have to drive any discussions about it. McCain's campaign advisor already said that the election isn't about issues (translation: he wishes it weren't about issues).

[pdxmom]

4. Fineman is exactly correct. He's saying that this campaign should be

about issues, and specifically the economy. We know McCain isn't going to...he's going to make it about personality. They don't want to make it about issues. If Obama wants to talk about issues, then it is going to be up to him, because McCain's plan is to ignore the issues and make it about cult of personality.

[XOKCowboy]

11. Yep.. That's the way I heard it...

Now is the time to hit them with real issues and solutions because people are hurting and their tolerance for BS is getting thin. I can't wait for the debates.

[Raine]

16. Agree, that's the way I took it too. nt

[apnu]

5. Because McCain has no issues, and Fineman knows that.

Plus he knows the tone of this campaign is taking a tabloid filter and that just isn't right. It should be about the issues, and it is up to the adults, Obama and Biden, to make it so.

[Ashy Larry]

7. He's just telling you the reality of the situation.

That doesn't mean he thinks its fair or a good thing.

[Wetzelbill]

8. McCain isn't running on anything but myth and bio

His job is to run from the issues as fast as possible. It's up to Obama to make it about issues, not about persona. As long as McCain can shout around about being a Maverick, and remind people of Vietnam and paint Sarah as a reformer/Superwoman, he has a shot. But when he has to actually talk about policy, crickets chirp and he has nothing. Especially on the economy.

[still_one]

9. because that is the last thing mccain wants to talk about /nt

[depakid]

10. It IS the Obama campaign's responsibility not to be put on the defensive

which they seem inclined to do.

[elkston]

20. Wrong. They are totally ignoring Palin and this battle of personality

Its ALL about the issues to them. They are not taking the bait.

[depakid]

23. Loser strategy

It's like Democrats never lean.

Dukakis, Gore/Liermann and Kerry all tried the same high road thing and all lost (or had the election stolen).

[DCBob]

12. I like Howard, He is usually reasonable, fair and intelligent.

maybe this is an exception.

[krkaufman]

14. Yeah, good question. It may be based on conventional wisdom that ...

... challengers have to make the election about issues, while incumbents need to make it about the challenger.

p.s. I loved Fineman's comment that "Pat Buchanan isn't Sarah Palin", regarding whether the Palin buzz will go the way of the Pat Robertson and Pat Buchanan buzz in 1992. Turns out there's a chance she might very well be Pat Buchanan.

[Butch350]

21. I sure hope all you WTF' ers ** VOTE ** come GE day!!!

[quakerboy]

22. POW!! POW!!!

Thats why. Got any more questions?