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In an interview that will air on CNN’s Larry King Live tonight, John McCain admitted that he doesn’t believe that Barack Obama is a socialist, but he does think that Obama is far left. Once again, McCain undercuts his own campaign’s message.

King asked McCain if he believes that Obama is a socialist. McCain answered, “No. But, I do believe — I do believe that he’s been in the far left of Americans politics. He has stated time after time that

he believes in quote, “spreading the wealth around.” He’s talked about courts that would redistribute the wealth. He has a record of voting against tax cuts and for tax increases.”

McCain continued, “And I don’t think there’s any doubt that he would increase spending and he would sooner or later, we would be increasing taxes. There is no doubt in my mind that that’s what his record — 94 times he voted to cut taxes — against tax cuts and for tax increases. He voted for — and that’s what matters. Not rhetoric. To raise taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year.”

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The problem with John McCain is that he keeps undercutting his own campaign’s argument against Obama. His campaign is arguing that Obama is a socialist, so he can’t go on national television and say that he doesn’t believe that Obama is a socialist. It destroys the label that his campaign is trying to create. McCain has contradicted his own message on a weekly basis. I think everyone knows by now that Obama’s tax plan delivers more a tax cut to the middle class than McCain, but since he has to run on something besides the economy, he has chosen taxes.

For all the talk presidential elections are never decided on taxes, even George H.W. Bush lost his reelection campaign, not because he broke his no new taxes pledge, but because the economy was terrible. Presidential elections are usually decided by scandal, the economy, or foreign policy.

One of these categories will usually dominate with voters. Taxes resonate with conservative ideologues, but not many others. McCain has quite possibly run the most contradictory and inept presidential campaign of the last twenty years, and Republicans have to hope that he doesn’t take the whole party down with him.

Transcript of McCain on Larry King