McCain's unorthodox campaign
Such seemingly contrary tactics as focusing on national security and foreign affairs -- when voters are most concerned about the domestic economy -- have provoked consternation among fellow Republicans.
This week, when Barack Obama campaigns in Ohio and Colorado, John McCain will be visiting Colombia and Mexico. It's an unusual path for McCain to follow. But even more, it's a risky strategy for his presidential campaign.
Not since Richard M. Nixon traveled to all 50 states in 1960, fulfilling a pledge he came to regret, has a presidential candidate followed an itinerary that appears so at odds with his political needs.
For starters, and most obviously, there are no electoral votes to be had in Latin America or Canada, another country McCain recently visited. Even more puzzling to observers is McCain's emphasis on national security and foreign affairs -- Saturday he met with the leaders of Iraq and the Philippines -- at a time when domestic matters have surged to the fore of voter concerns.
"You can't shoehorn in an issue the American people aren't focused on every day at their kitchen table," said Matthew Dowd, who ran President Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, which centered on fighting terrorism at a time when Sept. 11 was far more resonant. "The danger is you miss being where people are at."
On Saturday, Obama announced his own foreign tour, a trip to Europe and the Middle East. There are risks for the Illinois senator, if he seems cocky or his journey takes on the air of a victory lap. But the trip makes sense politically, addressing a gap in Obama's resume.
McCain is attempting something far more difficult: driving the campaign in a direction that voters, at least for now, don't wish to go.
Strategists for the Arizona senator believe a big asset is his image as a strong leader who will keep America safe. Even with a mortgage crisis, rising unemployment and soaring gas prices, that attribute matters a good deal, McCain aides say. Moreover, they insist, most voters don't make the same domestic-vs.-foreign policy distinctions as political pundits.
Mark Salter, a senior McCain advisor, noted that the candidate had just finished a week-and-a-half campaign swing devoted to energy policy, telling audiences that ending the U.S. dependence on foreign oil was just as important for the country's economic interests as its national security. "These things are always related," Salter said.
So when McCain sits down with foreign leaders to talk about terrorism, the thinking goes, it helps voters envision him as commander in chief. When he travels to Colombia and Mexico, it highlights his record as a free trader and his moderation on immigration and, perhaps, garners favorable publicity in the Latino community back home.
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