Why McCain is surging

According to Dick Morris, John McCain needs to focus on three issues to keep the Obama campaign on the defensive: taxes, terrorism, and energy. McCain has made huge inroads with likely voters on the issue of energy. Michael Steele's line at the RNC last week in St. Paul, "drill, baby drill" has become McCain's mantra...Why has John McCain surged in the polls? First off, his selection of Sarah Palin to be his VP running mate was a stroke of brilliance. Palin is new, she's fresh, and she excites the base. In fact, McCain has been able to raise quite a bit of money since the campaign announced Palin. Second, the McCain campaign has put the Obama campaign on the defensive. Former San Francisco Mayor, Willie Brown, summarized it best: "if you're playing defense, you're not playing offense". As long as the Obama campaign has to explain its positions, it will remain on the defensive. Finally, Obama himself over the last six weeks has been a problem. Granted, he gave a dynamic and uplifting acceptance sppech at the DNC in Denver, but he continues to flail on the stump, especially when he doesn't have a teleprompter in front of him...Oprah Winfrey has stated she will not have Sarah Palin on her show. Even though Winfrey publicly supports Obama, she said it would be inappropriate to have any politician on her show before the election. Winfrey's stance has obviously alienated some of her viewers, especially in Florida, who are already petitioning the show to have Palin on...A New York Times report back in the summer of 1984 hailed Walter Mondale's selection of three-term Congresswoman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate as a step in the right direction and a breath of fresh air. Fast forward twenty four years and the same New York Times criticized McCain's choice of Sarah Palin...The old media continues to criticize Sarah Palin. The latest digs are about Palin's church and her view of "God's plan". It is becoming quite obvious that neither the Obama campaign or the old media knows how to deal with the "Palin phenomenon".

There are 56 days until the presidential election. And, it's been 2,753 days since there's been a terrorist attack on US soil. Good day and God bless!