News-Record.com

The News & Record’s Voterspeak panel talks about the McCain campaign.

QUESTION: “As polls show Sen. Barack Obama taking a wider lead over McCain, what would you do if you were running the Republican’s campaign to improve his position in this final week before the election?"

And Voterspeak says:

Jeff Bartolet, 38, Republican: "Understanding that nearly 25 percent of the probable voting population are undecided and that only a small percentage have already cast their votes, I would encourage McCain to map out a detailed plan to stabilize the economy making public his advisory group of highly skilled and influential people, while providing accurate evidence how Obama, Frank, Dodd, etc., contributed to this economic mess and yet are arrogantly blaming Bush. At the same time, he should launch a massive grassroots get out the vote on election day campaign appealing to social and moral conservative who make up a major voting bloc in this nation.
"In my personal opinion, polls should be expelled from the political process at least one month in advance of an election. They have proven to be biased and propangandistic (if that’s a word). And 1000-2000 people from selected pools of people should not determine who will lead this nation for millions of voting Americans."

Phyllis Davis, 64, Republican: "McCain would have to repeatedly emphasize that Barack Obama has no interest in Traditional American Values such as “work hard and you will be rewarded”. He and his running mate would constantly remind the American voters that Obama would disarm our nuclear capabilities at the same time terrorist nations are expanding their nuclear weapons capabilities.
"And of course keep reminding the public that Obama will be raising taxes on the middle class to fund the redistribution of wealth. (The rich will find ways around paying)
And last hope that main stream media will go back to investigative reporting!!"

Kendall Garvin, 29, unaffiliated: "The first thing I would do is to remove McCain’s negative ads against Obama and the democratic party and instead simply focus on McCains’s experience. McCain wants to show he has more experience, since he has been in the senate much longer than Obama. Therefore, he should speak about some things he has done in the senate in plain English that Americans understand. In other words, not simply mention he’s a maverick by standing up to his party, but some other specific things he has done in the senate and house of representatives.
"The ads against the democratic party stating that the government will be all democratic is probably not helping gain a substantial number of votes. Those ads simply speak to his core base of people who are going to vote Republican because of party loyalty. It’s probably not going to do much to persuade “swing” voters."

Trevor Hamm, 25, Democrat: "If I were running the Republican campaign, I would develop a clear vision about where they wanted to take the country as it relates to the economy, energy policy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then I would focus all of their efforts on trumpeting that vision instead of talking about Joe the plumber and continuing to try to come up with things to make people afraid of Obama."

Mike Kelly, 60, Republican: "I would have unceremoniously fired me long ago. McCain’s efforts to get elected have been unfocused and scattershot, wandering amoeba-like across the country.
“McCain is now doing what he should done from the onset of this race. His strength lies in more intimate venues where he can press the flesh and speak earnestly and passionately about a few key issues. He has found a few chinks in Obama’s armor, and he has hammered away at those with some success."

Marlene Costa Nielsen, 67, Democrat: “If I were Senator McCain’s campaign manager, I would drop scare tactics and negative ads and give the nation a little straight talk about his priorities should he become president. I would also eliminate the Joe the Plumber reference which has become trite and annoying."

Kate Peeples, 27, unaffiliated: "I would tell McCain first of all, stay in Ohio. And second, lock Sarah Palin up in a room that is nowhere near any cameras or microphones."

Deonna Kelli Sayed, 34, Democrat: "I think I’d take a philosophical perspective if I were a campaign manager. John McCain was once someone respected across the aisle. He also had a bipartisan following among voters. Then he went weird, perhaps taking advice from the wrong people and running a campaign that did nothing to advance his unique accomplishments. I feel for McCain: if he doesn’t win, this legacy will be tainted by his conduct and the Palin factor. This is a disgraceful way to go for a man with a career like his.
"On the tactical side, I’d reign Palin in and have her stop speaking off-the- cuff. I would have McCain talk about how this campaign has side- swiped his real personality and purposely reach out for the disenfranchised republicans instead of appealing to the more conservative demographic."

Ruth Mary Weston, 54, Democrat: "I think it’s too late for Senator McCain to reclaim his former aura of integrity, but that’s his only hope. As a fervent believer in election reform, he is obviously uncomfortable in the mud pit. More Americans than usual are paying attention to this election, and they’ve already seen the puppet-strings of the campaign handlers calling McCain’s dance.
"But we are a nation that believes in redemption. We’re ready to embrace a prodigal son who admits his error. He should recover the inspiring principals and rhetoric of past campaigns. He should embody the honorable America he envisions, not the ignoble one that disappoints him."