Here's how to beat John McCain...

[Bicoastal]

...focus on the torture issue.

Bring up the mistakes of Abu Gharib, Guantanamo, and extraordinary rendition, and then highlight McCain's sucking up to the Bush administration, hinting that he badgered them on camera on torture but didn't follow through in legislation, which he didn't. He gave Bush/Cheney the power to do whatever they wanted, but put on a show for the cameras so he'd look independent-minded when he ran for President...

That's how our candidate should do it--assuming they themselves haven't been voting similarly for the last few years of Senate service...

[Windy]

1. it won't matter if its a clinton on the dem side. Independents, repubs

and even some dems will support McCain over clinton. If its any of the other repubs, less likely.

[Hugabear]

2. There are a lot of rethugs who wouldn't touch McCain with a 10' pole

He's their version of LIEberman, many conservatives hate him with a passion. I've heard several state that if McCain wins the GOP nomination, they simply won't vote.

[Bicoastal]

3. But will they vote AGAINST a Clinton? n/t

[Hugabear]

5. Honestly, many rethugs view them as one and the same

I think they'd rather sit through 4 years of Hillary, and regroup for 2012 than vote for McCain.

[artv28]

6. McCain

they will vote if Hillary is the nominee. They hate McCain but hate Hillary more

[TwilightGardener]

4. Um...no. He owns the issue. Can't "Rove" it (hitting a candidate on his strength)

on this particular matter, because all it does it remind voters of his heroism and sacrifice. The people who are outraged about torture and Abu Ghraib and Gitmo are voting Dem anyway, so there's no need to take him on in this way.

[Bicoastal]

7. Then we might be screwed.

Democrats are wary of McCain, but we don't HATE him like we did Bush. And the Republicans HATE the Clintons just as much as we hated the Bush clan...

If Hillary Clinton starts to look like the winner, I'm praying for Romney to get the nomination on the other side.

[TwilightGardener]

13. We're not screwed yet. McCain has NUMEROUS flip-flops and inconsistencies

on many issues--remember that "Real McCain" video from YouTube? McCain is also Mr. 100 Years of War--not even REPUBLICANS like the Iraq war that much--it seems like once the Surge showed a little progress, he went overboard in his enthusiasm: "100 Years! 1000 Years! We're never leaving! We'll keep fighting "the enemy" FOREVAH, because if we ever leave, we surrender, and I won't let us surrender!!" All Obama or Hillary has to do is explain to the American people that we are not gaining a national security benefit out of Iraq, and that it's costing mucho tax dollars and American lives, and that it's not a "victory/surrender" proposition. Plus, he's also embraced almost everything Chimpy stood for--he'll try to act like the "maverick" again in the general, but we don't have to let him do it unopposed.

[Neecy]

8. I think it's better to focus on his warmongering....

His claim that we'd be in Iraq for a decade, his "bomb Iran" nonsense, his love of the surge. The country is tired of the mad bombers.

[MonkeyFunk]

9. The way to beat McCain is exactly the same

way Bill Clinton beat Bob Dole. Treat him respectfully, thank him for his sacrifices, and portray him as too old and too far out-of-touch with modern realities to be President.

And stand back and let them self-destruct.

[Bicoastal]

10. McCain was more heroic in his prime than Dole was.

Expect to see footage of his Vietnam imprisonment played over and over if he wins--that WILL be hard to beat, no matter how hard you try to spin it...

...unless we paint him as a good man but a hypocritical politican, which he is IMHO.

[MonkeyFunk]

12. Nah

They were both honored veterans with lifelong injuries - Dole's were even worse than McCain's.

McCain's history doesn't give him any more of a leg up than Dole's.

Both men were (relatively) moderate GOP Senators who "earned" the nomination. It didn't work for Dole, and it won't work for McCain.

[Ganja Ninja]

11. Go after him on his age.

Get him into an agreeable discussion about immigration.
Go after his support for continuing the war in Iraq while the economy is collapsing here at home.

[BenDavid]

14. In response to your going after McCain on the torture issue, I

believe you have something there. I saw this and will post it here as it relates to McCain caving in to bush on the torture issue.

When I went to school they taught us that George Washington chopped down a cherry tree or saying "I can not tell a lie". We also were told that Lincoln walked 10 miles to pay back a penny. Both stories are just political fables.

Now we are told that John McCain was a tortured POW. I wonder about McCain's history as a POW in light of him caving into Bush allowing him to keep torturing prisoners in secret torture camps. I think McCain's story is also a fable.

McCain is the son of an admiral and it is known that he got special treatment when he was supposedly held in North Vietnam as a POW. I think that maybe McCain either wasn't really tortured like the real troops were because if he were he wouldn't have caved in to let Bush do the same sort of thing that the Commies did to him.

Any senator who supports legalized torture is committing treason to the Constitution. Torture is an evil practice and America should not embrace it.

Marc

Something to ponder.....

[IsItJustMe]

15. As with anything in life, what can work for you can also work against you. Look at how Kerry was

swift boated over his military service. I am thinking that McCain's POW status could also work against him. I am not sure how, but in this crazy world of msm bull shit, I wouldn't doubt it.

[Johonny]

16. Go after his lack of appeal to his own parties base

Frankly it shouldn't be that hard to constantly mail out fliers from the Christian conservatives 3rd party candidates out there. Heck there might be even more come convention time. Do what the Republicans did with Nader. Fund them. You only need to remove 1-2 % of the base to severely hurt McCain in the general election.

[dorkulon]

17. Step 1: Find a good sized blunt instrument, like a bat or a billy club...

:evilgrin:

[beltanefauve]

18. Everyone who has posted

before me so far has emphasized issues of military service, torture, or Iraq. Problem is, since the beginning of this early campaign season, the number-one issue concerning Americans has shifted from Iraq to the economy. Democrats in general are more trusted with the economy than Repugs, and Mc Cain wants to make the tax cuts for the rich permanent. Emphasizing this could help us, somewhat. Immigration issues are a factor in regards to the economy as well, though I hate to see us go there, as "Immigration 2008" is basically the "Gay Marriage of 2004", a Republican-produced wedge issue. I also hate that the Repugs set the debate and we provide the reaction, instead of the other way around. But unfortunately, the campaign, be it the fault of the media or the American sheeple as a whole, is more about personality politics over issues or substance. The "American Idolizing" of our system really sucks!