Obviously the McCain campaign has a lot of oroblems, but here's my question:

[Erin Elizabeth]

why are they only talking to their base, their guaranteed votes?

It's LATE IN THE GAME. Those aren't the people you want to be talking to right now. In either party, you have those people's votes before you're even running!

It'd be like Obama and Biden trying to convince you to vote for them when you've been on board for over a year or something. Makes no sense. You'd be all "hey, dudes, no I'm good, but hey talk to my neighbor over here--she's ripe for the picking" right?

What you are supposed to do at this point in any campaign is get those independents and *hopefully* even start peeling voters off the other guy's total. THAT is what this stage of the campaign is about. Obama seems to know that. His campaign knows that.

The LAST freaking thing you want to do is ignore those people. No, scratch that--the LAST thing you want to do is freak those people out by showing off the major ugly in your base for all the world to see. That's the biggest mistake you can make. Independents don't get into that red meat shit. That's part of what being an independent is about. They don't care about party affiliations. They don't care to hear accusations and blame. They want to hear what YOU are going to do about what is going on.

They SURE don't want to see hate rallies and potential lynch mobs at your appearances. And I understand he's older, but McCain makes about one appearance for Obama's every three or four. That's also a big mistake.

I swear this has got to be one of the worst national campaigns I've ever seen. Ross Freaking Perot did a better job in the 90s with his poor clueless VP dude and his freaking pie charts. It's like watching a horse with broken legs try to hobble around and you're just hoping to God someone shoots it and soon.

[Lex]

1. Precisely.

That very thing has had me scratching my head for 3 weeks now. Apparently they are worried their BASE won't turn out??!

[Indiana_Dem]

7. I think that was it. Their base was not rallied. nt

[Bluzmann57]

2. The national media covers every word he says

As well as every word Palin says. So why not just speak to the base and get free coverage?

[Erin Elizabeth]

6. Which is why it's even more important to not have their

rallies look like hate fests and potential lynch mobs. But they do. Stupid mistake on their part, that's for sure.

[RagAss]

3. ...and the answer is.......

"Because everyone else will boo the shit out of them."

[sandnsea]

4. And yet they still have 45%

If 45% of your body was as rotten and diseased as those who will vote for McCain, despite how twisted their campaign has become, you would be in the ICU. Our country is in critical condition.

[SheilaT]

5. They're stuck in the campaign plan

that worked before this.

Not to mention, that Kerry, and to a lesser extent Gore, kept on trying to appeal to the Republican base, rather than coming out strongly for true Democratic values. It made me absolutely crazy. There was no way a Democratic candidate will EVER be able to turn the Republican base, and they did not win the middle ground that might have been theirs.

Now, nearly all but the hardcore base have turned away from the Republican party, and so the same old strategy that worked before simply isn't going to accomplish anything this time around.

The other thing to realize is that people inside a campaign, not matter what kind of good polling they may actually be doing, are not fully connected to the outside world. It becomes very easy to delude yourself that you'll win, regardless of how things are going. And they're so used to winning, they don't see what has changed. IMHO.

[JBoy]

8. Simple return on investment.

At this point, they're more likely to "gain" a vote by investing effort in ensuring their base shows up, than by investing the same effort trying to convince an undecided to vote for them. If they had their base fully mobilized and committed already, they would be at the point of diminishing returns with them, and it would be more effective to target undecideds.

They're screwed.

[Erin Elizabeth]

10. Oh wow, that is a good point.

They are well and truly screwn aren't they?

[JBoy]

12. It gets worse -

Their efforts to mobilize their base (picking Palin, not talking about the economy, and the latest race baiting) are in effect raising their cost to secure an undecided, if they ever get to the point of targeting them.

[Barack_America]

9. Downticket races.

They need to get the base to turn out for them too.

[Erin Elizabeth]

11. Too late!

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!

[many a good man]

13. The plan was for Sarah to talk to the base while McCain courted independents

Unfortunately, the only crowds are at Sarah's events.