I agree with the ranking of the errors listed as 3 and 4.
3. Failing to devise a comprehensive economic message until the final weeks of the campaign.
4. Failure to explain the Democrats’ role in the financial meltdown.
Error number one was McCain’s failure to have an adult conversation with the American public.
Here are the unemployment rates for G7 countries in 2006/2007. I do not have 2008 figures available. Unemployment rates in the United States are of course up but they are up everywhere.
Japan 3.9%; the United States 4.6%; United Kingdom 5.3%. Canada 6%; Italy 6.8%; France 8.3%; Germany 8.4%.
Error number 2 was coming to the first debate totally unprepared to answer Jim Lehrer’s first question. It was an opportunity to explain to the American public the role of the Democrats in the financial crisis. I don’t think that McCain is intellectually capable of explaining to the American public how Carter’s and Clinton’s CRA chickens have come home to roost. It was ridiculous that he didn’t put Obama on the defensive immediately by pointing out how much money he had received from Fannie Mae.
With the media pinning the debacle on the GOP the public needed to hear another narrative. Mitt Romney could have explained to the American public what happened. Unfortunately the GOP, as always, nominated the next guy in line, despite his admitted lack of expertise in economic matters.
In the result an American public concerned about the economy has elected a socialist. Good grief.
Finally, but for Palin wouldn’t have been this close.
