If Senator John McCain's presidential campaign were analogized as a football team, one could say that it was a team that focused on presenting a strong front of defense (foreign policy) while hoping to hold its own enough on offense (on issues like, say, economic policy) to fend off the young, upstart team (i.e., Senator Barack Obama) for a win in this Super Bowl of Elections.

Well, if that were the case, Senator McCain has to go deep in the playbook right now, hoping to find something that will help him convert on 4th down and long.

According to the latest CBS/New York Times Poll, he is down at least two touchdowns (Obama 53% - McCain 39%).

It isn't looking good. ...



So, what does he do, short of hiring John Elway or Ben Roethlisberger to quarterback the last 3 weeks of the campaign?

First, Senator McCain has to do a great (not just good) job of selling the benefits of his new economic plan to the American people this evening. With that comes an interesting but important twist.

He will need to show that this plan is not a reaction to Obama's success at connecting with the middle class (and the majority of voters) during this fall's economic crisis. Rather, it will behoove him to spin the newest plan as an evolution of his previous plans, selling the point that the multiple plans that he has authored are proof that he is a leader that listens to the electorate and revising his courses of action accordingly.

Did I mention that this is going to be a tough sell?

Unfortunately for Senator McCain, this campaign has quickly turned away from all of his strengths despite some creative (and bold) efforts on his part. Issues that he is strongest on (foreign policy) are ones that the American people are not focused on at this point of the campaign. The issues of Georgia-Russia, Iran and North Korea were lost on 2 storms: one that blew through the Gulf Coast and brought gas shortages to the Southeast; the other bringing financial ruin to several significant institutions to a point of unprecedented losses on Wall Street.

Even other "good moves" haven't worked out. A well-timed reverse in a football game is a great call if executed properly. However, if a teammate fumbles the ball, it can quickly become a reversal of fortune. Such was the case with McCain's choice for vice president, a tactful selection of a young, female reformer that subsequently fumbled away momentum and credibility once she was taken away from the teleprompters at the Republican National Convention. What little hope of Governor Sarah Palin surviving the scrutiny of media questioning during the Bristol Palin pregnancy bombshell dissipated after the Alaskan governor found her way beside Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric.

Even during the town hall meeting that McCain craved (to the point of wanting more occurrences throughout the general election campaign), the senator referred to the deft, likable Illinois senator as "...that one...", a statement that has been burned into the minds of anyone looking for clear signs of antagonism (and even racism) from the Republican camp.

So, is Senator McCain Captain Comeback or will he concede victory with his performance tonight?

Fortunately for him, 3 weeks seems like forever in the media age that we live in. It gives the McCain campaign enough time to allow the senator to project more of the John McCain that independent voters liked in 2000 – a true independent of the Republican Party that leverages conservative values with a streak of free-thinking that allowed him to successfully work with both sides of the aisle during his tenure in Washington. He will have to make sure that he is personal, humble, and tactful with his outward demeanor and verbiage this evening.

When he addressed campaign crowds recently to quell some tainted catcalls against Senator Obama's character (to which he incurred some boos himself in response), he provided a good start to rehabilitating the image of a humble, experienced, everyday American that served his country for years in the military and government. In order to sell this image as the best option for president starting January 2009, he still must do more.

He has to do this when selling his (newest) economic plan to America Wednesday evening. He will have to do this when he goes after the Obama connection to ACORN (which we all know must happen if he is going to chip away at this 14-point lead.)

In football terms, the offense must be aggressive and take calculated chances while the defense has to create some turnovers.

He must try to tactfully bring some of the conversation back to foreign policy (e.g., talking about the impact of foreign oil dependency on national sovereignty or infusing the recent Al Qaeda news into the debate banter.)

And while doing all of this, he must also not "turn the ball over", if you will. The typical rousing of voters with Bill Ayers references, "USA" chants, and alienation of Senator Obama at debates (i.e., not looking at him directly, calling him "that one") only serve to push the goal out further, not close the gap. The more we see this type of image for the McCain campaign, the less he looks like a maverick and the more he looks like the typical Republican. In a campaign where the current Republican administration is among the least popular (and many would argue, least competent) in American history, this is the last thing that the McCain team can afford.

One more fumble by the McCain campaign, in all likelihood, makes the Obama lead insurmountable.

Even Elway and Roethlisberger would have a hard time coming back from that.
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Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.

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