McCain’s empty campaign

Monday, Nov. 3, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

No matter how often Republican presidential candidate John McCain crisscrosses the United States masquerading as a maverick, he cannot escape the fact he is actually an assembly line version of President George W. Bush. As the general election wraps up Tuesday, McCain has failed to make the case that he is much different from fellow-Republican Bush, who will leave this country worse off than when he took office in 2001.

McCain is certainly no Barack Obama, his Democratic opponent. Obama is the only candidate in the race who will deliver the positive changes in domestic and foreign policy that Americans deserve.

When McCain stops in Las Vegas today in a last-ditch effort to rescue his sagging campaign, the real news will be what he won’t tell Nevadans.

He won’t tell Nevadans that he voted with Bush 90 percent of the time over the past eight years.

He won’t tell Nevadans that he has ignored scientific evidence in supporting a nuclear waste dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, a dump that Obama opposes.

He won’t tell Nevadans that American troops should be withdrawn from Iraq before the end of the 21st century.

He won’t tell Nevadans that his economic plan doesn’t go beyond extending more tax breaks to Big Oil and further enriching wealthy Americans.

He won’t tell Nevadans about his lack of sufficient judgment to occupy the White House, with the selection of running mate Sarah Palin representing Exhibit A.

Palin, the Alaska governor who will be in Reno and Elko today, clearly is unfit to lead the nation should something happen to McCain. There is no question Palin has energized the far right wing of the Republican Party, but she has turned off everyone else, which means the vast majority of Americans.

She has a shallow grasp of foreign affairs and can hardly back up her claims of being someone who could clean up Washington when her own ethical conduct as governor has come under a cloud.

What McCain will likely tell Nevadans is that he will “change” Washington, but he has yet to disclose what he means. We’re still waiting.

He has said he is a tested leader, but when he suspended his campaign this fall to give the impression that he could solve the nation’s financial crisis all by himself, he emerged appearing foolish and erratic. If anything, he fueled divisiveness among congressional Republicans on the federal bailout legislation and left Americans with the impression that he was in way over his head.

A vote for McCain is certain to have the effect of moving the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court farther to the right if he is given the chance to replace retiring justices. That would be bad news for those who treasure civil rights, environmental causes and consumer protections.

Bereft of ideas, McCain’s campaign has been reduced to empty slogans and name-calling. He has stood by as his surrogates and their far right-wing mouthpieces on television and talk radio spread ugly rumors about Obama, employing scare tactics that represent signs of desperation. That is precisely the business-as-usual approach to American politics that has turned off the public.

McCain represents the face of the past. Obama represents the vitality of the future.

It has been absolutely amazing to see how Obama has energized voters — witness the record numbers of new voter registrations occurring nationwide. He is getting people excited again about national politics.

One way the Democrat has accomplished this is by preaching an inclusiveness for all Americans — not just blue states versus red states, Democrats versus Republicans or liberals versus conservatives. His message is one of unity.

Equally impressive has been how Obama has maintained the high road throughout his campaign, resisting numerous chances to resort to gutter politics. McCain is certainly no Obama.

Obama has clearly demonstrated in the past year that he is fit to occupy the Oval Office. He is cool under pressure, something the temperamental McCain is not.

Most of all, he has a comprehensive package of solutions to problems, both foreign and domestic, which represents the type of forward thinking this country needs. McCain is certainly no Obama.

Obama wants more tax cuts to go to working men and women. He wants access to affordable health care for all Americans.

He wants to pursue a progressive strategy that will rely more heavily on renewable power sources such as solar, wind and geothermal energy and less on fossil fuels. He wants to reverse global warming and clean up our environment.

He wants to make it easier for everyone to pursue the American dream through access to higher education. And he wants to restore America’s global reputation as a goodwill nation.

Let’s give Obama the chance to usher in a new direction, one of hope and opportunity for all Americans.