McCain now in control of campaign tone
For Illinois delegates, the 2008 Democratic National Convention was a "Tale of Two Cities" - Denver, Colo., and Springfield, Ill.
Denver was easy. Nearly, all Illinois Democrats bellowed and cooed their love, support and admiration for their party's presidential nominee and native son, U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
During the convention, the delegates ate breakfast together and heard countless speakers express their devotion to Obama. Little effort was made to be politically analytical - save for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley who in his own unique way of speaking gave terse practical advice to die-hard Hillary Clinton supporters.
Springfield in Denver was another matter. On Aug. 27, otherwise known as "Wacky Wednesday," top Illinois Democrats engaged in one-on-one hugs. Much has been written about this remarkable event, but from someone who has been to both party conventions since 1984 - it was by far the most unusual and dramatic political spectacle I have ever seen.
As for the upcoming Nov. 4 election, U.S Senator John McCain has to hit a home run at his party's convention this week. Why? Barack Obama has pushed McCain into an election challenge - no, not one based on the overused and now nearly a cliché word "change" - rather it's the word "turnout".
Obama's hard-nosed, Chicago-based political brain trust is literally modeling its fall campaign on Karl Rove's 2004 strategy to re-elect President George Bush. In brief, the Obama game plan is to register and then turn out on Election Day, millions of new voters who are either young, African-American or poor. His advisers see these folks as untapped Obama voters who in key battleground states could turn GOP "red" into Democratic "blue.
McCain cannot out-spectacle, out-orate or outspend Obama. The Arizona senator needs to find a rhythm and a theme that will generate excitement from his party's conservative base while at the same time counter the Denver Democrats' arguments that he is no longer a "maverick."
It will not be easy! President and Mrs. Bush are not Bill and Hillary Clinton - so McCain will not have the "soap opera" bounce from the overly hyped Obama/Clinton political reconciliation. He also won't have the demographic uniqueness of Obama's life story. Lastly, McCain will be burdened by the unprecedented unpopularity of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Yet McCain does have an edge - that is himself.
War heroes have always had a special place in the hearts of American voters. And McCain is a hero. As someone who has visited the so-called "Hanoi Hilton" in Vietnam, I can only imagine what it was like to be imprisoned there for more than five years - and more unbelievably - McCain's refusal of an early release because it was not his turn.
In my view, Republicans in Minnesota will attack Obama's inexperience and Democratic spending plans while praising the campaign of Hillary Clinton. But in the end it will be McCain himself that will determine his convention's success. Look for patriotism and pride to be mixed into McCain's own unique American biography. The ball is clearly in his court.
Author's note: The above was written Thursday night of the DNC. It is now Friday morning and McCain has picked his running mate.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has just been announced as McCain's pick for vice president - a stunning and risky move. By making this choice, McCain has decided to reinvigorate his maverick reputation while at the same time shifting the focus of the entire campaign,
Three final points:
• Democratic criticism of the Palin pick was predictable - no choice would go unchallenged.
• There is no truth to the rumor Palin has already changed her first name to Hillary.
• Hillary Clinton now becomes even more critical to the Obama campaign.
Paul Green is Director of the Institute for Politics and Arthur Rubloff Professor of Policy Studies at Roosevelt University.