Republicans: McCain campaign can't compete with Obama's ground game

By GottaLaff

If only the Republicans had a longer primary! Never mind that John Sidney McCain had the months-long advantage of having been the nominee-in-waiting. That doesn't matter now. What does matter is that, during that protracted battle with Hillary, Barack Obama got to sign up all those new voters. And please, disregard all those talking heads playing up the Democratic party's disunity and infighting, because now it looks as if everything was hunky-dory:

Republican strategists say John McCain faces an uphill battle in the general election because the long Democratic primary allowed Barack Obama to target scores of new voters.

Of course. ::smacks forehead:: It has nothing to do with being an inferior candidate with a laughable running mate. What a fool I've been to think those thoughts!

Even though Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) clinched the nomination months before Sen. Obama (D-Ill.), he has not created the same campaign organization to attract new voters in November, these strategists say.

"If Obama's registration drive is successful, it's going to be hard," said Charlie Bass, a former congressman from New Hampshire who heads a coalition of centrist Republicans.

Yeah, there's that.

Bass, speaking here at a forum organized by the National Journal, said getting voters to the polls would be his "top concern" if he were working for the McCain campaign.

He's right, you know. Getting reluctant McCain voters to the polls is not unlike getting a reluctant toddler to eat spinach... smothered with mushrooms... and raw onions.

As a result, McCain will have to rely largely on outside interest groups with large followings, such as the National Rifle Association and religious organizations, to bring their followers the polls. That task has been made easier, they say, because conservatives are now energized by the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. [...]

David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union (and columnist for The Hill), said the McCain campaign cannot compete with Obama's ground game.

How nice that he noticed. Please do go on, Mr. Keene:

Keene said keeping up with Democrats in states and local districts would require enormous amounts of money and attention to detail.

"They're trying, but they're behind and they're not going to catch up," Keene said.

David Keene is a very wise man.