BARNES CONFIRMS CHAIT

Jonathan Chait in The Big Con pointed out that the GOP can't win on the issues, so it has to rely on character attacks and Fred Barnes confims Chait's claim¹:

BARNES: I think he does need to fill in that side of the ledger. But you have to remember one thing, and that is why what McCain is doing now is important -- you may not agree with it, but in playing on this issue that Obama is a lightweight and he's inexperienced and he's not up to being president.

The president is different -- electing a president is different from electing somebody to any other office in the country. You know, we don't elect, as parliamentary governments do, a party leader. We elect a person.

And people -- and it's so important in the presidency that you -- things matter other than just politics and other than your substantive agenda. It's your character. It's your judgment, as Tom Daschle would say as well about Barack Obama.

Your character, your judgment, your basic honesty, your temperament, your experience -- all those things matter more in the presidency, and we often get presidents elected at a time when politics is running in favor of the opposite party. Eisenhower got elected in a Democratic era. Clinton got elected in a Republican era.

So whether you're playing on that issue, as McCain is doing, saying that Obama is a lightweight, not up to the office, is entirely legitimate in a race for president, because that's -- those characteristics matter so much.

I agree with Barnes and I think the Obama campaign really needs to attack McCain on his temper and rudeness.
¹Fox News Network
August 3, 2008 Sunday
SHOW: FOX NEWS SUNDAY 9:00 AM EST
Fox News Sunday Roundtable
BYLINE: Chris Wallace
GUESTS: Fred Barnes, Mara Liasson, Bill Kristol, Juan Williams
SECTION: NEWS; Domestic
LENGTH: 3808 words