Down in the polls nationally and in the battleground state of New Mexico, Republican presidential candidate John McCain revved up an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,500 in Mesilla Saturday, urging them not to give up on him.
While McCain and Sen. Barack Obama were virtually even in New Mexico in August, various polls show the McCain-Palin ticket began falling behind in September and is seven to 13 points behind in the state with a little more than a week to go before the election.
Texas, which has not gone to the Democrats since the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter, remains solidly behind McCain, who leads the Obama-Biden ticket by no less than 10 points.
That explains why Sen. Hillary Clinton was addressing more than 2,500 people in Sunland Park while McCain was 30 miles away on what was a busy Saturday that had him stumping in Albuquerque earlier in the day and on his way to Ohio, another toss-up state, afterward.
McCain's entrance
“We need New Mexico to win,” the Arizona senator said, touting his Southwest credentials. “I know the issues. I know water. I know Native American issues. I know public lands. I know we have to support our laboratories at White Sands and Los Alamos.
“Sen. Obama has never been south of our border. Sen. Obama does not understand these issues. I do.”
Accompanied by Republican stalwarts, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Pete Domenici, McCain stood by traditional Republican policies without referring once referred to President Bush.
He promised to take the country in a new direction but much of what he said tracked the Bush line, from victory in Iraq, to tax cuts for the middle-class and businesses.
“I intend to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home,” McCain said. “We’re going to double the child deduction for working families. Well cut the capital gains tax. Well cut business taxes to help create jobs and keep American business in America.”
He also promised to freeze government spending on all government programs except those like defense, veterans’ care, and Social Security “until we scrub every single government program and get rid of the ones that aren’t working for the American people.”
“I will veto every single pork barrel bill that comes across my desk,” he said.
McCain hit Obama and the Democrats again and again for backing proposals to raise taxes and spending.
“He believes in redistributing the wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs,” he said. “Sen. Obama is more interested in controlling wealth than creating it.
“He’s in the far left lane of American politics. He’s the most liberal senator in the United States Senate. So it should surprise you that his goal is to redistribute money instead of spreading opportunity.”
An energized McCain brought the crowd to a cheering frenzy with a final crescendo of verbal fireworks:
”I’m an American and I chose to fight. Don’t give up! Be strong. Have courage and fight! Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what’s right for America! … Fight to get our our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead! Fight for the ideals and character of a free people! Fight for our children’s futures. Fight for justice and opportunity for all! Stand up and defend our country from its enemies! Stand up. Stand up! Stand up and fight! America’s worth fight for! … We never give up we never quit! … Let’s go win this election and get his country moving again.”
When it was over, those who will vote for the Republican ticket or have already done so were heartened by McCain’s 18-minute address.
Lydia Ramos, a 56-eyar old resident of La Union and a former El Pasoan who had supported Hillary Clinton, said she was thrilled he came to Mesilla.
“He’s a kind man,” she said. “He has a soul and he’s talking to all of us. That’s important and we can’t forget that. We can’t forget the experience the man has. We can’t put a man in office that doesn’t have that experience. I’m not really sure what people don’t understand about that. I’m not going to leave this country to a candidate that doesn’t have that political experience.”
She said she turned her back on the Democrats when Clinton didn’t get the nomination.
“I switched over immediately to McCain because if the Democrats are going to think that poorly of Hillary Clinton who has more experience, then I don’t need to be with that party. I belong with the Republicans, but mostly McCain.”
Darrell Gumm, a 25-year-old El Paso college student who wll be voting in his first presidential election, said he thinks McCain is the candidate who will bring change, not Obama.
“He’s the one that’s going to move our country ahead,” he said. “I also think he supports our troops. We should keep our troops in Iraq till it’s safe to get out.
“I think Obama’s going to rush thing and he might make things worse than they already are.”
To reach David Crowder, write to dcrowder@epmediagroup.com or call (915) 351-0605
Brian Wancho
October 27, 2008
I'm curious why you used a connection to Bush to cast doubt on the promise of change. The positions that were mentioned are held by the Republican party in general - and Bush shares them as well.
Drawing the connection to Bush specifically and not just to the Republican party is a campaign strategy from the Democrats - and it leaked into your reporting.
David
October 27, 2008
McCain has his interpretation of "redistributing wealth," above. Well, here's MY interpretation!
I am one of those hard working people he talks about, and I am tired of the fact that even though the productivity of the American worker steadily increases, our wages stagnate or decrease --- while at the same time, the incomes of the richest in this country have increased to a point that is far beyond obscene.
When I was a kid, my dad worked for a company where everyone got profit sharing checks a couple times a year, and a nice Christmas bonus too. When's the last time you talked to someone who got a profit sharing check from their employer? Ten years ago? Twenty? Today, most people have never even heard of a profit sharing check because "profit" is something reserved for corporate executives and shareholders --- NOT the rest of us.
All that new wealth that our increased productivity helped create goes straight into the pockets of CEOs and their fellow executives.
So yeah --- damn straight --- I want a redistribution of wealth!
McCain says "let's create new business and new wealth." Why? Just so we can have another batch of overpaid CEOs who get rich off their employees and pay them just enough to keep them from revolting?
David K
October 27, 2008
David,
Sounds like you need to become a CEO and stop expecting people my like me to hand you money because you are jealous of the material holdings of others.
Think your job sucks now? Wait until your communist dream comes true and the government tells you what job you are allowed to have at what wage. Hope to god you don't live near a sewage treatment plant!
wake up.
If you don't like rich people, Hugo Chavez will gladly take your assets at the border and introduce you to socialism. Don't change your mind, though - communism kills!
vato
October 27, 2008
Nobody wants your money David K, you're small potatoes. You, like most Americans have no real clue or conception of the real disparity of wealth in this nation. But dream on about being part of that wealthy elite, that's the only way most Republicans stay Republican...wealth (psuedo) identification.
independent
October 27, 2008
Can't figure it out - an appeal to limiit CEO pay (in the fiscal rescue plan) and to share profits (a benefit common to firms who want to recruit the best), and you get labeled a communist?!
Too much of this stuff. Especially to a Republican like I have been. Enough childishness, anti-intellectualism, ignorance of the founding principles. one of which was dissent - and not rabble-rousing talk of communism and socialism etc. by people who respond to it as a loaded word and have no idea what it means.
Ours is a society, incidentally, as any student of history knows, of "regulated capitalism." The financial crisis, as Alan Greenspan also stated last week, was brought on by a lack of regulation of credit default swaps, various derivatives, and a failure of banker accountability to shareholders. To want to reform our system and better "regulate capitalism", which we have been doing since Teddy Roosevelt and the Progressives, is not communist or socialist.
Obama had a simple point about consumer spending, consumers having money to buy and stimulate the economy, all akin to Keynes' deficit spending, an accepted part of a modern economy.
The ranting and raving of these people has created a climate of poison, in which assassination lingers in the air, with plots besides the one disclosed today, still lingering, still unhatched.
McCain will show his dignity when he concedes early on Tuesday night. In the meantime: Go Obama!
David K
October 28, 2008
independent,
yes - "go Obama!" go to a socialist country where your ideals are used to supress the people to your will.
They're already cutting off media outlets for fair comment... Which is exactly the first thing every communists regime in the last 150 years have done on their way in. Spooky, isn't it.
I for one will read up on the Hitler Youth so I can help with the Obama Youth movement. Power is given to those who obey and crush those with independent thought in an communist country!
Will
October 28, 2008
David K,
I don't know if you've read a newspaper since 1991, but communism failed. The few communist countries left are undergoing massive democratic reform, or are about to.
So if there's no threat to the U.S. of becoming a scary, red Communist nation, what's with the McCarthy-esque fear rationale?
Brian Wancho
October 28, 2008
"Today, most people have never even heard of a profit sharing check because "profit" is something reserved for corporate executives and shareholders --- NOT the rest of us"
I would love to spend some time educating you. A few things to think about:
1. I don't know how old you are, so I don't know when your dad was receiving profit sharing checks But is it possible that it was before the corporate tax rate was raised? Guess what, profit sharing is still alive and well, but the federal government is the administrator of it.
2. Shareholders deserve the profits. Any American with a retirement account has a good chance of benefiting from this type of "corporate greed."
3. Executives and workers are subject to the laws of supply and demand. If comperable executives or workers are available who can do the same job for less, then the economics of the workforce will take over.
4. On the other side, if anyone is working in a job an they're not happy about their pay, it is more productive to increase their value as an employee (get training, work faster) instead of whining about it and getting a government-mandated raise.