McCain Just Not In It To Win It

McCain's campaign staff has to be pulling their hair out. Yesterday he conceded that Obama is "absolutely" qualified to be president:

But, he said, "I believe that my talent and my background and my experience, which has led to my judgment, ... qualifies me more."

In his first Sunday talk show appearance since locking up the GOP nomination last month, McCain criticized Obama and others for making too much of his comment that the United States could remain in Iraq for 100 years, or a period similar to the length of the U.S. presence in Germany and South Korea.

McCain's Mr. Rogers impression is exactly the wrong strategy. When asked if Obama is qualified to be president, the correct answer goes something like this:

"I respect Senator Obama's leadership and how much work he's put into this race, but his positions make him unfit for the presidency--especially his stance on Iraq. Our mission in Iraq and against terrorism around the world is fundamental to our own security and to our obligations as a democratic society. Obama's withdrawal policy puts us all in danger and that makes him unqualified to be president."

God-willing he'd have a stack of other Obama policies he can disagree with and discuss. Otherwise, it looks like his whole argument is simply "I'm older; it's my turn." That's not an inspiring message.

The transcript of McCain's appearance on Fox News Sunday is here.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 01:24 PM

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