It would be refreshing if the old John McCain of political legend were to resurface this week at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.
We miss the old McCain, the one reputed for being a maverick, an occasional party rebel, a straight-talker, a coalition-builder. In short, a politician who is not annoyingly political, but who can work with both sides of the aisle.
But party conventions are nothing if not political, and McCain, when he gives his acceptance speech, can’t afford to risk further alienating the right wing of his party. The strident right already is skeptical that he is truly as conservative as his campaign would like America to believe.
At some point, though, he needs to separate himself from that pole of the party. The convention is a good time to begin that process.
His surprise running-mate choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could have been a small step in that direction. It does address one concern about the Arizona senator, who turned 72 on the day he introduced Palin. She adds youthful balance, as well as a governor’s wider range of experience to a campaign heavy with senators. (If only she had a little more experience.)
As the Republican convention begins, what else must John McCain do to address voters’ concerns? National security is the senator’s strong suit. He speaks from experience. But he needs to go beyond praise for the troop surge and offer some criteria for determining when it’s finally time to sharply reduce that commitment.
He said early in the campaign that he is not especially sharp at economics. He must outline an economic policy that goes beyond tax breaks, and an energy policy that embraces more than offshore drilling and a gas-tax holiday.
He needs to curb his impulsiveness, and maybe curb his advisers, too. The sharply negative, old-politics tone of the recent campaign is wearisome.
The polls, though, say the voters are swayed. McCain narrowed the public opinion gap on Barack Obama after his campaign advertising turned more negative.
Television spots have more of an impact on voters than four-day pageants. And a party’s most active and loyal supporters don’t mind attacking the other side. Many relish the prospect. But that’s a job for surrogates.
The Democrats clearly have established their theme: McCain is no “maverick” but only an extension of a failed, unpopular incumbency.
McCain must differentiate himself from President Bush. That is his most difficult but most important job.
