McCain's Sloppy Attacks

By Patrick Appel
Dickerson thinks McCain's attack on Obama over gas prices shows a lack of discipline:

McCain is attacking too much and indiscriminately. The barrage undermines his brand, takes time away from telling voters what he might do for them, and looks awfully old-timey in a year when voters want a new brand. He should go on the offensive, yes, but in targeted forays...Perhaps McCain could go after Obama more often and more vehemently, as the goaders would have it, if he were better at it. But most of the time he's not. When he's angry, he can be withering, but that's usually in private. Plus, he's not angry that often. When he attacks Obama on tax cuts or energy, he sounds as if he's phoning it in. Voters get nothing to grab onto or legitimately fear. For McCain, who likes to have fun campaigning, the negativity doesn't look as if it's all that fun.