News Compass

Copy Cat McCain: Stealing Obama's Message of CHANGE

Is McCain Stealing Obama’s Message?

by

Bonney Kapp

Read here on FoxNews

Barack Obama basically won his party’s nomination by campaigning on the broad themes of hope and change. At first he was a long shot candidate, but his promise beat out Hillary Clinton’s reliance on experience.

While McCain has also promoted his experience thus far, he’s beginning to rely more on his “maverick” image to appeal to conservative Democrats and independents.

During his convention speech Thursday night, he embraced the call for change, sounding more like an eager novice than a 26-year Washington veteran.

It’s change fever, and Obama, feeling as though his platform is being encroached upon, had none of it today at a town hall meeting in Terre Haute, Indiana.

“Everywhere I go we’ve been talking about change - that’s been the theme of this campaign. And we must be on to something, because I notice now everyone’s talking about change now,” he observed to about a thousand Hoosiers gathered in a show barn to hear the Democratic nominee.

"John McCain has said that change is coming! That’s what he says. Now think about this coming from the party that’s been in charge for eight years — they’ve been running the show! Been up in the White House. John McCain brags, ‘90% of the time I have voted with George Bush. He and I we we’re right there!’” Obama said.

“And suddenly he’s the change agent?” he asked rhetorically.

Obama has spent the entire general election campaign tying McCain to George Bush, saying if elected it would be “four more years of the same.”

Which is why he mocked McCain’s call for change today.

“Maybe what they’re saying is ‘Watch out, George Bush,’ you know, except for economic policies, and tax policies and energy policies and health care policies and education policies and Karl Rove-style of politics. ‘Except for all that, we’re really going to bring change to Washington! We’re gonna shake things up!’” he said sarcastically, before ticking off his own definition of change on the issues.

Obama also accused Governor Sarah Palin of faux-hawking change.

“I know the governor of Alaska has been, you know, saying she is change, and that is great. She is a skillful politician. But when you’ve been taking all these earmarks when it is convenient and then suddenly you are the champion anti-earmark person, that’s not change. Come on! I mean, words mean something. You can’t just make stuff up,” he said - a rare reference of the GOP’s latest star politician.

As he wrapped up the hour and ten minute event in rural Indiana, Obama told the audience not to get distracted and to understand that - yes - “we’ve got one good shot at bringing about the change that America needs.”