The GOP frontrunner has all but locked up the nomination, and will likely go over the top on March 4th. Meanwhile Sen. Obama continues to fight a close battle with Senator Hillary Clinton (D - New York).
Senator McCain should use this time to define Obama. Here is why. Clinton is already well-defined by the right. Her negatives are constantly above 50%. Sen. Obama on the other hand is a relatively less well known politician on the national scene. His negatives are not high and likely soft. While he is focused on winning the Democrat nomination, McCain should begin to define him for the general election.
The popular critique of Senator Obama, one initiated, at least in part, by Sen. Clinton's campaign is that he is an empty suit. All fancy rhetoric with no content. Senator McCain should resist the urge to use this line. It ultimately complements Sen. Obama on his rhetorical skills. He doesn't need any more reinforcement, judging from the crowds at his campaign events.
Senator McCain's campaign should take an opposite line of attack. I would use something like this:
I am not going to call Senator Obama an empty suit. But I do question why a candidate would so passionately argue for unity and bipartisanship and then in the next breath advocate radical positions that most Americans strongly disagree with. For example....
As pointed out by a friend of Uncommon Sense, this line is a two-fer. First, it calls him an empty suit while pretending not to. Second, it positions him, if skilfully done, as far left of center of the electorate.
The opportunity to define the opponent in a Presidential campaign is the critical point. Senator McCain should not let this opportunity pass.
