It's clear that McCain is going to use a "Rose Garden" strategy where he isolates himself and Palin from any real press scrutiny. The idea is to make the ticket look more presidential by restricting media access to only events the campaign can completely control (e.g. townhalls where the audience is 100% Republican faithful, TV interviews with softball hosts, etc.)
The Obama campaign needs to call him on it. Not because calling him on it will make McCain change his strategy--it probably won't--but because calling him on it reinforces two themes the Obama campaign has been developing over the past few weeks: McCain and Palin are out of touch with the American people, and McCain/Palin is the risky choice compared to Obama.
Here’s a couple of ad spots written with this in mind.
SPOT 1: DID YOU KNOW?
[During the spot the HEADLINE TEXT lines float across screens as the narrator speaks. There may be still images fading in and out in the background as well, but the emphasis is firmly on the headline text]
HEADLINE TEXT: UNDER INVESTIGATION
NARRATOR: Did you know that John McCain’s Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power?
HEADLINE TEXT: SUPPORTED WASTEFUL BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
NARRATOR: Did you know that so-called reformer Palin supported the wasteful Bridge to Nowhere project until the media called her on it?
HEADLINE TEXT: HIRED BIG TIME LOBBYIST AS SMALL TOWN MAYOR
NARRATOR: Did you know that as a small town mayor Palin spent taxpayer money on a well-connected Washington lobbyist—to get $27 million in Federal earmarks for a town with less than 10,000 people?
HEADLINE TEXT: A HEARTBEAT AWAY
NARRATOR: Did you know that if John McCain is elected, Sarah Palin will be a heartbeat away from being President of the United States?
HEADLINE TEXT: WE DESERVE MORE
NARRATOR: Don’t you think the American people deserve to know more about Sarah Palin?
OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
And here’s the spot for McCain:
SPOT 2: DOES HE KNOW?
[During the spot the HEADLINE TEXT lines float across screens as the narrator speaks. There may be still images fading in and out in the background as well, but the emphasis is firmly on the headline text]
HEADLINE TEXT: NOTHING FOR MIDDLE CLASS
NARRATOR: Does John McCain know that his own tax plan gives no tax relief for middle class Americans?
HEADLINE TEXT: NO ECONOMIC PLAN
NARRATOR: Does John McCain know that experts from both parties have said that his proposed economic policies just don’t add up?
HEADLINE TEXT: OPPOSED NEW GI BILL
NARRATOR: Does John McCain know that when he opposed the expanded G.I. Bill he was blocking the dreams of our men and women in uniform?
HEADLINE TEXT: NO STRATEGY FOR IRAQ
NARRATOR: Does John McCain understand that his failure to accept a concrete plan for Iraq leaves American troops spread dangerously thin?
HEADLINE TEXT: PUTTING NATION AT RISK
NARRATOR: Did John McCain realize that by failing to check the credentials of his own Vice Presidential candidate he’s putting a complete unknown in line for the Presidency of the United States?
HEADLINE TEXT: WE DESERVE MORE
NARRATOR: John McCain doesn’t know much about the problems America faces. We deserve more.
OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.