Putting aside all the details of policy and political management (yes, I know I'm reversing myself here, but bear with me)... and taking a broad view of communications... it occurs to me that if the McCain campaign has an advantage, it's this: McCain, however much he talks about change, stands for stability. And simplicity. As in, "You don't really need to change anything. You don't need to make painful choices. You don't need to accept that things are seriously wrong. America can go on being America - same as it ever was." Or put another way, "I'll change Washington but not your life."
I don't favor simple, but simple usually beats complicated. The risk to Obama is that he comes across as complex and his worldview looks like it means pain for the end user. As in, "Things are difficult in intricate ways and we need to look at them carefully, and think hard about them, and give up things we like and change who we are in the world."
Want to bet on complexity/pain against the can-do spirit? I'm not sure I do. Bad news from my partisan perspective. We need the surgery but we're going to pick the hair tonic instead.
Then there's Palin. The other day I was trying to take down Clotaire Rapeille and his archetypes. Today I'll reverse that, too. McCain and Palin together look like the wise old man and the young woman. It's classic Jung food. Think that isn't going to resonate?
The wise old man goes walking with Sophia and they get together and tell you it's all going to be all right.
The alternative is Scary Exotic Guy.
I'd hate to think The Reptilian Always Wins.
But maybe it does.
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