Did McCain's lead in the polls terrify him? Is that why, when he had the chance to lock in his advantage, he branded himself instead as a desperate gambler and let Obama play the cool, collected leader?
A book about the 1988 election described how Michael Dukakis refused to respond to attacks, after taking a vacation that let him ponder his 17-point lead over George H.W. Bush. "Saying over and over that you were going to be president gave you a kind of runner's high; but when the cheering stopped, a certain hollow feeling set in, a sudden vertigo of the soul."
In 1992 Paul Tsongas also let his chances slip away. Revelations about Bill Clinton's womanizing and draft-dodging had propelled Tsongas to a 20-point lead in polls just before the New Hampshire primary. But Tsongas cut back his appearances as Clinton doubled his and cut the margin in half. Projected the winner, Tsongas let Clinton take the stage first to declare himself "the comeback kid" and lost his momentum.
Likewise, Al Gore could give rip-roaring speeches when nothing is at stake for him personally. But his inner demons took hold in 2000, when his three ridiculous debate performances against George W. Bush cost him the presidency.
McAwesome a choke dog?
AWESOME!!!!
5 comments:
I love dogs. Dogs are awesome. Choking sucks, but maybe someone would choose to choke, actually consciously decide to do it, if they thought going on was just too much trouble; to finish the meal, get the bill, figure a tip, pay with a valid card, drive home tipsy without tags. Hell, why not just inhale that next bite down your gullet and relax into oblivion and let your date worry about all that crap for the next four years while everyone keeps hounding her (or perhaps him) for that sales report and to call home once in a while - let them all deal with it, I can just go die quietly on the restaurant or senate floor. Sometimes, when every little thing is so hard, I feel just like McCain, so I don't blame him for bailing, especially as he meets more of the doofuses at rallies who are voting for him. It's awesome for him to take the easy and rational way out. It's guess its awesome for those around me with a dark sense of humor that I lack the means or balls to solve my own problems as decisively as McCain, and that his choke costs so much more than all of mine added together!!!
Who's Macawesome now? (you're supposed to say me)
Actually, aften reading your comment, I'm beginning to think that dude who used to be the front man for INXS just may be the most awesome choker ever!
This will be the only sort of blog allowed in a few more years. Because everything will truly be awesome, by law!
This blog is dead!
Awesome!
This blog will never die. Because it's so awesome!
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