GOP Needs Campaign on "Character," Not Issues

On a radio interview on KDKA in Pittsburgh today, John McCain once again revealed the GOP strategy in dealing with virtually all issues. Asking about the charge he is not attuned to the average American regarding the state of the economy, here's his response:

"McCain: Well you know I have town hall meetings all the time, everywhere across this country, and I hear from people....

And in all due respect my friends, I know what it's like to not have a house, I know what it's like not to have a kitchen table. I know what it's like not to have a table or a chair. For five and a half years, I sat in a cell with nothing but concrete floor and three boards to sleep on."

As usual, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo gets it. Here's his take: "This underscores again the degree to which the McCain campaign wants the discussion about the economy to morph into a conversation about character, rather than a discussion of, you know, actual policy differences. Dems say McCain's policies show that he's out of touch with the real needs of working people. McCain replies that his POW past shows he knows what it's like to struggle, which he hopes will settle the question of whether he's out of touch or not."

Last night one of the Democrats' shrewdest strategists, Rep. Ari Emanuel, said that his greatest concern is that the his party's commitment to draw a stark contrast between the track record and current positions of the two parties will somehow get sidetracked. He is right to be concerned.

- Richard Holcomb