Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain’s presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning.

“This election is not about issues,” said Davis. “This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.”

Well obviously. Elections are always decided on rhetoric and personality, never politics. My question is: aren’t these the people who should be trying to change that? The ones campaigning? Who are the ones making this election into a beauty contest? But regardless…

I’ve been dutifully following the GOP convention these past few days, often with teeth gritted. Are these the most gifted speakers they have on tap? I had to skip Elmer Fudd on Wednesday night, but I did tune in immediately following for Palin. I was impressed, not because of substance, but because she performed capably, on cue. She’s likable enough.

The time spent adapting the McCain camp’s “generic masculine Veep speech” (as described by Rick Davis, see above link) to Palin was time well spent. Squirreled away at the Minneapolis Hilton, she was able to personalize said speech and rehearse all of the day’s talking points. Palin’s introduction to the world worked but her barbs at “the opposition” felt generic and scripted. Her attempts at qualifying herself for the position were laughable (polling suggests Americans didn’t buy it); her claimed accomplishments dubious.

It is still anyone’s guess as to whether or not this VP choice will help or hurt McCain. It has solidified the “base.” But how much of an affect will that have? Primarily fundraising-wise I assume.

Whether or not Palin helps McCain depends on how undecideds and independents view her. She has exhibited personality, but still needs to prove how she’ll help McCain beyond the election. In the White House. I can’t see how she does.

Last night was McCain’s acceptance speech. Nothing of note here, we’ve seen McCain before and heard it all before. The issues he paid particular attention to seemed directed at the Republican base rather than voters at large (school “choice,” trumping up education as the be-all, end-all for our current economic woes and unemployment, oil drilling and nuclear power). McCain has lost my respect over the course of the past few years, and this campaign especially. He’s surrounded himself with the same group that got Dubya into office, and he’s won the nomination… But lost authenticity.

The McCain campaign has a real issue with choosing a central message. They have railed Obama for being inexperienced or lacking substance, with mixed results (Obama fell in the polls, but naturally McCain’s numbers remained flat). They painted McCain as a “maverick” (seemingly always with a capital M), but we already knew of this image (real or constructed). They have transitioned him from being the maverick to being the candidate for “real” change. Change has been the central message of this convention (besides the chest-thumping irrelevence of military service). Change is a hot commodity. Change change changity change.

Will anyone buy it coming from Republicans? It’s hard enough to swallow coming from the Dems.

Probably the most interesting thing to watch over the course of the Republican National Convention has been the dance around Bush and the past eight years of Republican rule. McCain mentioned him once, not by name. We’ve heard speakers repeatedly railing against lobbyists and big oil. Against the “Washington Establishment.” Are we ignoring the fact that Republicans currently rule that roost? Are we ignoring Palin’s hiring of lobbyists during her tenure as mayor of some dinky town in Alaska, or her support of the oft-mentioned “bridge to nowhere”?

McCain supported the surge… He also supported the initial invasion. That support resulted in the killing and maiming of hundreds of thousands, the displacement of a million-odd people. We got to lynch Hussein. That was fun, I suppose. McCain experienced war thirty-odd years ago, but he’s orgotten the gravitas involved in sending troops off on cowboy expeditions.

Energy policy? Who needs one? Palin has added drilling in Alaska to McCain’s offshore drilling mantra. Oil, nuclear, natural gas, “clean” coal, and more oil - with alternative fuels relegated as a footnote at the very end. An addendum. Such an energy policy surely puts fear into the hearts of oil company execs.

Oh, the good times watching the RNC. Listen to one Republican speaker demonize Obama for his talk of giving “windfall profits” from oil companies to Americans… And then the very next day listen to Palin receive wide applause for doing the same exact thing in Alaska.

McCain touts his foreign policy credentials, but tough posturing and the threat of force at the drop of the hat are no way to run this country.

(transcript)
Russia’s leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power. They invaded a small, democratic neighbor to gain more control over the world’s oil supply, intimidate other neighbors, and further their ambitions of reassembling the Russian empire. And the brave people of Georgia need our solidarity and prayers. As president, I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War.

Savaging Russia in one breath, talk of work to establish “good relations” in the next. Anyone see the problem here? Anyone?

McCain is not out of touch with reality because of his age. He’s out of touch because of his ideology.