For months, John McCain and the GOP asked for it. On its primary website, the Republican National Party set up a counter to track how long it had been since the last time it happened. McCain's supporters in the Senate called for Barack Obama to halt all criticism of the War in Iraq until it took place.
But now that Obama has begun his overseas tour, McCain is scrambling. The Arizona Senator's advisors are dismissing Obama's tour of the Middle East as a "campaign stop." The GOP has released one attack ad after another, including one current headliner that claims, "Obama to Face Skepticism During Mideast Trip." The problem is, they've been wrong, at least so far.
Obama's trek through Iraq, Jordan, and Israel (he'll visit Europe in the days to come) has been nothing short of a shining success. He received a major boost when Iraq's government drew tentative plans for US troop withdrawal that were largely consistent with the plan laid out by Obama. Moreover, Obama's obvious popularity- among throngs of cheering US servicemen and women as well as foreign well wishers- lends itself helpfully to the Illinois Senator's commander-in-chief credibility.
Back home, the McCain camp seems to have been stunned by Obama's direct hit. Aside from what The Nation called "desperate" political attacks, McCain has scheduled hastily planned visits to battleground states where he's currently trailing his younger opponent: Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine, and New Hampshire. While there, McCain plans to speak on domestic issues, especially the economy.
The lesson for the McCain camp and the GOP may be this: be careful what you wish for. Obama's visit to the Middle East and Europe has produced effects that not even the most optimistic of Obama's predecessor's could have predicted. Images of adoring crowds and gracious foreign leaders are being broadcast on the home front, where voters are getting a good look at just what kind of foreign policy leader Obama might be.
Essentially, the trip may have robbed McCain of his core issue. Republican strategists have long conceded that domestic issues are not McCain's strength. Rather, the campaign worked to paint a picture of a war hero who will stand firm in foreign policy and command the US with strength on the foreign stage. Domestically, polls are showing that a majority of Americans tend to side with Obama- especially when it comes to issues like the economy, which has struggled under the current Republican White House.
Now, with Obama's bolstered foreign policy credentials, that may leave McCain with little electoral ground to stand on. With his secret weapon neutralized, he's forced to revert to his less-reliable positions. That could leave the Arizona Senator more vulnerable to attacks, more prone to mistakes, and more desperate to score points on the campaign trail without his ace in the hole.
