Posted by
Diane Michelle Gollaher on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 6:07:29 PM
Perhaps the major attack line being used against John McCain is that he is a continuation of George W. Bush, an extension of his being, if you will. It is obvious why Senator McCain's opponents would use this attack - President Bush's approval rating aren't exactly stellar and most Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. There is also the octennial fidgetry that comes at the end of every presidential second term.
That being said, portraying John McCain as GWB number two simply won't work. It can't be done. At least it can't be done on a large scale. There are some people who will automatically connect McCain to Bush because they are both republicans. Some will connect them because of certain shared policies (predominantly Iraq). Aside from this, though, the strategy of morphing Bush and McCain into the same person is inherently flawed.
Every successful characterization draws upon previously held perceptions, readily substantiated facts or an artificially created alternate image. Now, it may be possible, after a great deal of effort, to create an alternate image that portrays McCain as some sort of lackey. But that is not the image that the public has of him after years of standing on principle and sometimes standing alone. Nor is it an image based upon facts.
It is true that, as a republican, McCain shares basic republican values. But this does not make him a duplication of Bush. McCain has been seen as a maverick and as a rival to Bush. Any attempt to equate them will ultimately achieve little success.