Trotting Out the Old GOP Jalopy

Sullivan thinks that McCain's new ad deploys anti-hippie messaging in an effective fashion. I'm of two minds about it. This is not re-introducing McCain, or "regaining the McCain brand" (per Sullivan), this is about re-introducing the old Nixon/Jesse Helms/Lee Atwater formula. And why not? It's been spectacularly successful: while there's a tendency to believe Democrats lose elections based on "cultural issues" like guns and gay marriage, in fact the seminal Republican triumphs in 1972, 1980 and 1992 were not based on particular issues but more on a general backlash against the perceived excesses of the 1960s combined with a law-and-order sensibility that had some racial politics mixed up in it. "Cleaning up that mess in Berkeley," Ronald Reagan called it. (This is one reason why it's pointless for Democrats to choose a smattering of "cultural issues" on which to tack to the center.) So the McCain spot would have been great in 1980... but in 2008? In this day and age "hippie" connotes a retro fashion statement or a joke. I guess this is proof that McCain considers old people his base, or that he's running the right campaign but a quarter-century too late.

Forget Mike Murphy... John McCain just needs to add to his senior staff someone - anyone - under 50.