TWO VILLAGERS BACK CHAIT'S ANALYSIS

Jonathan Chait wrote that the GOP has to concentrate on "personality" and "character" because its positions on almost all the other issues are unpopular with Americans, no matter how many times Sean Hannity, George Will and Hugh Hewitt say America is a "center-right" country. Last Sunday¹, Will and Sam Donaldson come out with the truth:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) And Obama clearly sensed that and that's why he had the meeting basically happen in public and I think he's also helped, George, simply by the fact that the race gets back to fundamental issues. The economy, the course of the country, when it was on personalities coming out of the Republican convention, Sarah Palin, he was hurting. When the race shifts, he does better.

GEORGE WILL (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) As we said last week, every day spent talking about Sarah Palin or anything but the economy is a win for McCain.

SAM DONALDSON (ABC NEWS)

(Off-camera) Yes, but the McCain ads are going to continue to try to make the race something about personality and something about fear from the standpoint of can you really trust this guy, Senator Obama?

They are not, as far as I can see so far, going to return to a question of the issues and let's discuss it.

¹ABC News Transcript
September 21, 2008 Sunday
SHOW: THIS WEEK 11:00 AM EST
THE ROUNDTABLE;
BAILOUT FALLOUT
ANCHORS: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
REPORTERS: GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (WASHINGTON, DC USA)
LENGTH: 3944 words