Radio Australia Today Editorial

Seven Days To Go: It’s Still Barack Obama’s To Lose

28 October 2008

This is the serious time folks.

If John Mccain’s going to have any chance of winning the US presidency for the Republicans, he has to score some pretty big hits. Like today. Like now.

But every time I open the papers all I see is evidence of further slides for the McCain camp.

Take, for example, Clothingate. Sarah Palin came under scrutiny last week after it was revealed that the party has paid some ridiculous sum for her official “this little thing?’ clothes. Some suggested that the party’s funds would be better spent than to be poured into the hands of designers.

She relents, which you might think stemmed the damage, but then this morning there’s the photo showing Sarah Palin wearing jeans at a public rally. Now there’s an interesting, and dangerous, clothing choice. I say dangerous because everytime someone looks at Palin’s jeans, they will be given a mental pointer to the whole controversy which sparked the issue. She probably would’ve been far better to wear non-designer versions of what she wore before. But again, with Joe The Plumber being all the rage in Republican circles right, the ‘feral’ look might just be reinforcing John McCain’s ‘I’m one of you’ pitch.

Meanwhile Barack Obama is not putting a toe wrong. The papers continue to be on his side. Photos of Obama never contain embarrassing moments (like when John McCain was seen going off from one of the debates with his tongue sticking out). Instead the Democrat is usually seen in crowds of adoring fans. The message is positive.

When you’ve behind, like John McCain, behindness begets behindness.

Which makes things even harder for the Republican’s chances.

– Phil