Why have Barack Obama and John McCain run such drearily conventional campaigns? Hard though it is to remember those halcyon days, informed observers once believed that Obama and McCain would barnstorm the country together, flying on the same plane and taking part in Lincoln–Douglas-style debates over war and peace and the meaning of life itself.
In fairness to both candidates, there has certainly been plenty of tactical innovation on both sides. Flush with money, the Obama campaign has embraced sophisticated technologies and management techniques. The McCain campaign has gone for death-defying stunts, up to and including the nomination of a largely unvetted unknown for vice president, that are far from dreary. Yet McCain is damning Barack Obama for wanting to raise taxes and increase spending, and for being soft on criminals and terrorists. Hardly novel. Remember that this is the McCain who opposed the Bush tax cuts for breaking the bank and for being too tilted towards the rich, which are all but identical to Obama’s objections.
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