McCain Campaign: Too Aggressive, or Not Aggressive Enough?

The question has been looming over the McCain campaign for weeks now:  How aggressive should they be?  It's clear that the Republicans attending the McCain rallies want blood, but is that really the right way to go?  John McCain is walking a thin line between angering his party y not being aggressive, and angering the crucial swing voters by being too aggressive.  Is there a happy medium to this?  Sort of, but not one that is at all plausible for the McCain camp.

One of the dominant issues for the Republican party in this election is unification.  Specifically, we have seen (in recent years) the disintegration of the GOP die-hards that have commanded elections throughout recent elections.  What the Republicans are suffering from his the same thing that the Democratic party went through, really starting after F. D. Roosevelt.  The party is intact, of course, but the voters lose their fire, and the potential to win a national election dwindles without that fire.  Since 2004, we have seen a surge from the Democratic party, but a sort of recession from the Republicans.

What does this mean for Senator McCain.  He needs to re-light that fire, but he needs to do it in a way that is respectful enough to appeal to undecided voters.  Therein lies the problem.  The GOPpers at McCain rallies want nothing more than to see Barack Obama crash and burn.  Fair Enough.  But the crowds have become ravenous.  Infamous lines like "He's a terrorist!", "He's an arab", and "He's a ______" (insert racial slur here) have been nothing but common to these Republican rallies, and McCain wouldn't try to stop them until recently.  Arguably, if he ahd stopped the personal attacks when they started, we wouldn't be seeing so many of them.  However, that boat is long past, and we are seeing one of the most energetic crowds in election history show up at the GOP rallies.  And there is no shame, these people will say ANYTHING about Obama.

The recent cry has been for McCain to step up his attacks, and going into Wednesday's final debate, the nation is on the edge of their seats to see if he does that.  If he does, it's sure to appease the angry Republicans, but how will it affect the swing voters?  Pundits take both sides, saying it could either help or hurt him, really depending on how he goes about with his attacks.

It's all up to McCain.  After Wednesday's debate, we'll have a good idea as to where the campaign is heading for the final stretch, but as of now it feels like it will be an aggressive finish.