Talent goes on the attack, sort of
WASHINGTON–It was ex-Sen. Jim Talent’s turn today to play GOP attack dog, as Democrats lap up most of the media attention in the midst of their party’s national convention.
But two years out of Washington politics hasn’t done much to sharpen Talent’s bark or bite. In a conference call with reporters organized by the GOP, Talent was critical of Obama, to be sure, but he was genteel about it.
Asked about Obama’s campaign strategy of courting traditionally conservative rural voters in states like Virginia and Missouri—modeled in part measure after Sen. Claire McCaskill’s winning campaign against Talent in 2006—Talent said it was a good idea.
It might not work, Talent quickly added, but it was a “common sense” move. “It’s a good tactic, but it’s just a tactic,” Talent said.
“What you tell people is not the same as what you persuade them of,” Talent said, arguing that the public still has “significant” questions about Obama.
Asked if McCaskill’s early and full-throated endorsement of Obama will give the Illinois senator a boost in outstate Missouri, Talent said yes, with caveats. Endorsements are “a factor” that voters consider, Talent said, “but then they get pretty quickly who you are and what you believe.”
Talent was also straightforward when asked about the state of McCain’s campaign in Missouri. Noting that McCain’s presidential quest was on the verge of collapse early in the GOP primary, before making a rebound, Talent said “they’re making up lost ground” and the operation is coming together well.
“But there’s a lot of work and a lot of things that need to be done,” he said. “We have a hill to climb but I’m more and more confident that we can climb it.”
Talent did argue forcefully that Obama has failed to address questions his readiness for the job and that the choice of Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., as his running mate has only put an exclamation point on the issue.
“It’s almost a closed issue with the American people,” Talent said of Obama’s thin resume. But, he added, “that doesn’t mean he can’t win the election.”
To have unemployed Republican Senator Talent commenting on anything can only be ironic.
Of course he provided President Bush with the template for the inept Katrina response, when at the outset of the 1993 flood he at first saw no urgency. Of course once the flood threatened the corporate jets at Spirit of St Louis and some of the wealthier areas, then it became a problem. Jim Talent is proof that being a “good person” doesn’t necessarily make you a smart one.