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Politics : John McCain for President -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: puborectalis who wrote (5730)	11/4/2008 9:54:37 AM
From: RetiredNow	Respond to of 6579

I think Mark Penn did a horrible job on Hillary's campaign, but I read this article with an open mind, because I didn't realize it was him until I read the blurb on the bottom. Anyway, he has a very interesting point about centrism and moderates in America. Candidates should stick to the center and Obama needs to take this lesson with him as he runs the country. Otherwise, even myself, a current fervent fan, can quickly turn sour. I don't want far left policies. I want centrism, maybe centrism with a right-leaning bias. Anyway, check this article out. A political lesson for America: stick to centrism ft.com By Mark Penn Published: November 3 2008 19:21 \| Last updated: November 3 2008 19:21 Just as governments in Italy, France and Germany have moved to centre-right coalitions, America is poised to elect its first centre-left administration in over a decade. While Europe is trying to reform work laws and reduce the role of the state in its economics, the US appears poised to do the opposite if Barack Obama wins on Tuesday. Mr Obama has proposed raising taxes on business and the top 5 per cent, increasing spending in a wide range of areas and requiring employers to provide healthcare or pay a tax to pay for it. The years of President George W. Bush’s laisser faire will be over. The last time America had a centre-left coalition was when President Bill Clinton won in 1992 with strong Democratic majorities in Congress. He and Tony Blair won initial victories by bucking their own parties. Just as Mr Blair stood for New Labour, Mr Clinton promised he was a New Democrat. Mr Obama has not explicitly said he is different kind of Democrat while embracing an agenda that contains a mix of the old and the new; his healthcare plan contains no universal mandate; he promises to lower taxes for 95 per cent of Americans and says he will draw down troops in Iraq, but send more troops to Afghanistan. But the history of 1992 contains a clear warning that a centre-left coalition can fall apart quickly if the policies are seen as too far left. In 1993, Mr Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy, adopted the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military, proposed and lost universal healthcare and adopted gun safety measures, banning assault rifles. In just two years his ratings plummeted to 35 per cent favourable and 65 per cent said they would never vote for him again. The mid-term elections brought a stunning loss of both Houses and the emergence of Newt Gingrich’s Contract for America. After that defeat, Paul Begala, Stan Greenberg and later Harold Ickes were shown the door as Mr Clinton faced the realities of governing with a new coalition. Determined to come back from these losses, Mr Clinton remade his presidency and governed from the vital centre. The result was welfare reform, a balanced budget that preserved entitlements, a more open economy that delivered prosperity and the successful use of force in Bosnia and Kosovo. In 2000, Mr Bush with his theme of “compassionate conservatism” ran as a centre-right candidate, tagging Al Gore’s populist themes as tax and spend liberalism. But Americans turned sour on Mr Bush when he dropped the compassionate part of his election philosophy. Between the Iraq war and moves to privatise social security, he faced the same result as Mr Clinton, but after he had governed too far to the right. In 2006 Republicans were swept out of both houses of Congress in large numbers. Unlike Mr Clinton, Mr Bush did not remake his presidency, did not show arch-conservatives such as Dick Cheney, his vice-president, the door, and the results have been devastating to him and his party. America is a country of about 40 per cent conservatives, 40 per cent moderates and 20 per cent liberals. The McCain campaign does not seem to be speaking to anyone but conservatives. Its “Country First” theme is conservative. He had a choice to put a centrist on the ticket but chose a member of the religious right in Sarah Palin. At the same time a wave of economic pragmatism has swept over the electorate. The US is facing an economic crisis and Mr Obama answered the 3am call on the economy with calm and confidence while senator John McCain flailed about. Moderates have moved to Mr Obama by nearly 2 to 1. In the final week, Mr McCain has used the standard Republican playbook of labelling Mr Obama as too liberal, with plans to raise taxes and redistribute income. So far the electorate is not buying it after the Bush years that were a giveaway to the wealthy. They are more worried about continuing Republican policies that have failed. These elections usually tighten in the end. All of the past three elections have seen significant swings in the final week as late-deciders have often voted Republican. We may see that, but it is unlikely to change the outcome. The real battle begins after the election. The key question is whether Mr Obama will find the new vital centre and hold it, or whether he learns the lessons of Mr Clinton and Mr Bush. That is the test of the next year and of America’s new centre-left coalition. The writer served as the lead strategist for Bill Clinton’s 1996 presidential campaign, and for Hillary Clinton’s campaigns for Senate and president. He is the author of Microtrends and is currently CEO of Burson Marsteller