Obama and McCain: Why Neither Can Win

Analysis by Alan Fram in the Wash Times:

The two candidates' problems start with the economy, which members of both parties agreed is the country's top issue. Neither man got even half the votes of his party's voters who worried most about the economy.

Compounding their problems: McCain conceded months ago that the economy was not his strong point, while Obama has run weakest with Democratic voters who say they've been hurt by the troubled economy, a growing group.

More here.

FWIW, RealClearPolitics has Obama over McCain in most polls, though not by a lot and they were all done before the primary season wrapped up. More here.

Comments

[Abdul]

Even if a Michelle Obama "Whitey" tape is real, McCain's "I don't know much about the economy" line may have been the dumbest thing to put one tape.

[John Thacker]

McCain conceded months ago that the economy was not his strong point,

I do find it sad that a politician admitting "I don't understand economics as well as I probably should" is thought of as this horrible gaffe that his opponent constantly references. It's true of virtually all politicians (and virtually all people for that matter), and I'd prefer a politician who actually realizes and is able to admit that he's not some sort of all-knowing god.

[Other Matt]

It's true of virtually all politicians (and virtually all people for that matter including a whole bunch of economists that should, by rights, know better), and I'd prefer a politician who actually realizes and is able to admit that he's not some sort of all-knowing god.

Fixed the part you left out, and I agree with your sentiment wholeheartedly.

[ed]

Yeah, but What Does Hillary Want? (tm)

Ughhh.

[joe mahoney]

What is sadder is that Senator McCain probally knows only a little less than Alan Greenspan or Secetarty of the Treasury Paulson; at least McCain knows he does not know which is more than Paul Samuelson or Robert C Merton could ever admit.

[Pablo Escobar]

Has anyone ever met a politician who actually knows anything about anything? It's very rare. Mostly they just know how to talk good and sell out their principles to form vote-winning coalitions.

Journalists and politicians are basically at the same intellectual level.

[Episiarch]

McCain conceded months ago that the economy was not his strong point

Now we just need Obama to admit this as well, and we're getting somewhere.

[Abdul]

Has anyone ever met a politician who actually knows anything about anything?

By all accounts, George Bush knows a lot about mountain biking.

And brush clearing.

[anangbhai]

Not to jump the gun but Colbert just got nailed by George Will. Holy effin shite, that guy's got my tip o' the hat cause Colbert usually mauls the free-market conservatives during his interviews.

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=171135

[JohnD]

It's heartening to see that quite a few of you realize that NO politician knows much about the economy. Not only do they not know, they don't seem to care. Case in point is the idiotic "rebate" and the Dems call to raise taxes..... really stupid.

[joe]

I think McCain's humility is quite becoming.

Virtually all of the people I've encountered who think they have a comprehensive understanding of the economy don't actually. Even see the Reublican House caucus during the floor debate over Clinton's economic plan in 1993? A whole bunch of politicians who thought they knew a whole lot about the economy, telling me that we were going to see soup lines.

[Steven Horwitz]

Best line I heard about the two candidates is something like the following:

McCain would get more votes if he weren't a Republican and the Democrats would get more votes if they weren't running Obama.

McCain's biggest problem is the Republican brand name. Obama's biggest problem is Obama.

[Reinmoose]

Obama has run weakest with Democratic voters who say they've been hurt by the troubled economy, a growing group

A sure sign that he's doing something right.

McCain may have admitted that he doesn't know much about the economy, but who does he have in his corner advising economic policy? Anybody know?

[joe]

Phil Gramm.

Getcher helmet on.

[Cinlee]

I love watching George Will own a debate. That is so sexy. I want him to talk geeky to me, then spank me and let me call him Daddy 🙂

[Cinlee]

damn, wrong post 🙁

[joe]

If there's a right thread for that comment, I don't want to read it.

[R C Dean]

Virtually all of the people I've encountered who think they have a comprehensive understanding of the economy don't actually.

Present company excepted, I'm sure. 😉

[Mike M.]

Heck, in one of the debates against Romney, McCain was essentially BRAGGING about not having ever worked for profit in the private sector, which is kind of a sad statement on the current direction of the Republican party.

To his credit, McCain at least legitimately knows something about the military and how military operations should be conducted. I still have no idea just what the heck it is that Obama really knows anything about, other than his vaguest platitudes about "hope" and "change".

[PapayaSF]

It's been said that this year the Republicans managed to nominate the only guy who can possibly win, and the Democrats nominated the only guy who can possibly lose. The fact that Obama and McCain are so close in the polls in this supposedly Democratic year is a very bad sign for him. At this point he should be 20+ points ahead.

And yes, I think it's slightly heartening that McCain knows he's not an expert on economics. Unfortunately Obama seems to think he is ("creating millions of 'green jobs,'" etc.).

[ChrisO]

To his credit, McCain at least legitimately knows something about the military and how military operations should be conducted.

Problem is, he has spent almost his entire adult life either in the military or in Congress, where the concept of the bottom line doesn't exist. I don't expect presidents to be economists, but it would help if they had actually had to produce something valuable for at least a few years in their lives.

Although Romney comes off like a goof, I think the Republicans would do well to look outside of government for better candidates if they truly want to reinvent the party and become competitive again.

[PapayaSF]

Problem is, he has spent almost his entire adult life either in the military or in Congress, where the concept of the bottom line doesn't exist.

Unfortunately, Obama spent his entire adult life in college, grad school, as an ACORN organizer, or in Chicago and Illinois politics, where the concept of the bottom line doesn't exist, either. So we're probably screwed either way. My only hope is that McCain is more likely to have associates who have a clue about economics.