McCain: Economy 'In Shambles'

The McCain campaign, after another shake-up last week, has re-launched the candidate this week, supposedly with tighter message control. The results have been poor so far, with the released of McCain's re-hashed and re-panned economic plan yesterday, and a speech in which he declared, "All of us know what is happening to the economy. It is slowing."

That assessment was widely ridiculed in the media as a gross understatement. Apparently, someone managed to beam "Countdown" back in time to the McCain campaign of several days ago, as they shot their new campaign ad, "Love."

He believes our world is dangerous, our economy in shambles.

Is he running for president, or auditioning for "Mad Max?"

The rest of the ad is no treasure, either. Check it out.



Here's the script for the ad. The second half of the ad seems to have been taken from Hillary Clinton's vault.

ANNCR: It was a time of uncertainty, hope and change. The "Summer Of Love."

Half a world away, another kind of love -- of country.

John McCain: Shot down. Bayoneted. Tortured.

Offered early release, he said, "No." He'd sworn an oath.

Home, he turned to public service.

His philosophy: before party, polls and self ... America.

A maverick, John McCain tackled campaign reform, military reform, spending reform.

He took on presidents, partisans and popular opinion.

He believes our world is dangerous, our economy in shambles.

John McCain doesn't always tell us what we "hope" to hear.

Beautiful words cannot make our lives better.

But a man who has always put his country and her people before self, before politics can.

Don't "hope" for a better life. Vote for one.

McCain.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.

First of all, I hope that this ad puts to rest the myth that McCain doesn't exploit his military service. Carpetbagger has a nice recap on that subject. If he keeps going to this well, he risks drying it up. He should stick to letting others call him a hero. It's not like they ever miss a chance.

Second of all, even if you agree with McCain on the substance, this ad is piss-poor marketing. He hitches his maverick appeal to this unappealing sentence: " John McCain tackled campaign reform, military reform, spending reform." He comes off like the meanest dad on your block, who wants to cut your allowance and keep you from hanging around with your friends.

This would all be forgivable if the ad actually had any substance to it, but it doesn't. All you're left with is a cranky guy, who disagrees with himself and makes fun of "hope."

McCain is a better politician than this. Perhaps he didn't shake his staff up hard enough last week.