by Matt Maerowitz

Created on: June 02, 2008   Last Updated: June 24, 2008

The Big Reason McCain Will Lose in 2008

In a grueling battle for the Democratic nomination, Obama finally came out on top. Many have argued that the bickering that went on for several months between Clinton and Obama over the nomination has doomed the success of the Democratic Party. They argue that McCain has an edge on the election because he was able to focus on the general election and campaign in the swing states while both Democratic nominees were struggling to capture the primaries. This article explains why this is not the case. In fact, Obama should have a clear and easy path to the White House.

Despite what some people have been saying, the reason for Democratic success has nothing to do with Iraq. Sure, the majority of Americans believe Bush failed in Iraq mostly by going in there in the first place. The problem is that we are there now and the question is not who could better wish away the fact that we sent troops in Iraq but rather who has the better plan on Iraq now that we are already there. Many look to Obama and point to the fact that he opposed the war from the start, but at this point, who honestly cares about what he would have done? We want to know what he will do now. I am not so naive to believe that Al Qaeda was in Iraq when we entered the country, but one thing we can be sure of is that they are there now. Thus, it seems clear that the United States must have at least a minimal military role in Iraq simply to quell the threats coming from Al Qaeda. In fact, Obama does not seem to be opposed to having military bases stationed in Iraq. Recently, Obama has been silent on the issue of Iraq and while he may plan to bring all of the troops home as soon as possible, who is to say that this will happen on day one? There is a reason for the Obama's silence on Iraq. The troop surge has reduced violence in Iraq as casualties are going down. In the end, it is not Iraq, but rather the economy that will doom McCain's chance of winning the general election in November.

The economy has been very poor in the past few months as the US dollar is getting weaker and weaker. While in actuality the Federal Reserve's monetary policy may be partially responsible for our dim economy, the public is primarily going to look to one person: the President. With the poor economy, George W. Bush is not only tarnishing his own image before he leaves office, but the whole image of the Republican Party. Come November, many people will see John McCain as a fiscal conservative not much different from Bush who has let the economy get to where it is. When your Party's President is in office, you have to pay the price of his unpopularity. While McCain is seen as a maverick in the eyes of many, he is still a Republican who has been endorsed by Bush. Many likely voters have been hit in some way, shape or form by the poor economy and their attitudes will be reflected in the polling booths in November. McCain better keep his fingers crossed that the economy has a massive turnaround if he wants to have any chance on capturing the White House.

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