McCain's Political Director on Hillary Voters: "We Feel We Have a Very Good Shot At" Picking Them Up

By: Chip Reid
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' Chip Reid:

(GREEN BAY, WISC.) - In my report on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric tonight I touched on the Republican strategy in battleground states, particularly in the Midwest, but I didn't have enough time to get into much detail. So here's a little of what was left on the cutting room floor.

We interviewed the McCain campaign's political director, Mike DuHaime, and he talked about how the campaign is targeting Democrats who haven't been sold on Barack Obama.

"There is no shortage of Democrats who are right now not ready to vote for Senator Obama" he told us. "They have questions about his leadership and his readiness to be President."

And a lot of them, DuHaime says, are frustrated Hillary Clinton supporters: "There are certainly a lot of Democrats, some maybe who didn't vote in the primaries, certainly some who did vote for Hillary Clinton, who we feel we have a very good shot at."

So how are they going about it? They're "microtargeting".

They look for areas where there are heavy concentrations of Democrats, especially counties where conservative Democrats predominate, and where large majorities voted for Clinton in the primary. And there are plenty of these target-rich environments in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota -- even Ohio.

A good example -- northeastern Ohio, in the vicinity of Youngstown. That's one reason they held a rally with Sarah Palin (their first rally together after her return from Alaska) in Vienna, Ohio on Tuesday. (Pronounced Vye-enna, by the way.) There are heavy concentrations of Hillary Dems there, and the McCain campaign sees them as ripe for the picking, and they think McCain has what they're looking for.

"I think what we're seeing is that record that Senator McCain has, that streak of independence, is certainly something that is appealing to everyone across the spectrum of the entire electorate," DuHaime says, "so we're seeing an awful lot of Democratic-independents coming our way and a big chunk of independents as well."

There's no way to confirm or disprove that statement. There are no polls reaching that far down.

And of course, they're also hoping Palin will appeal to some Democratic voters here, especially women; but I can tell you from my time following McCain and Palin for the past 3 weeks, the vast, overwhelming majority of people who are flooding these rallies to chant "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah" are hard-core Christian conservatives who never would have dreamed of voting for Hillary.

The McCain campaign's goal is not to swing entire regions of Dems to McCain -- they know that's not going to happen. But if they can move the needle a few percentage points in Democratic areas, they hope that will be enough to make the difference in a close race in one or more of these vital midwestern battleground states.

Chip Reid
Chip Reid is CBS News' national correspondent.

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by mavsreader September 20, 2008 6:05 PM EDT: "We''re gonna huff and puff and blow the house down."
This entry From the Road, reads a little bit like the G.O.P. as the Big Bad Wolf. ME? I trust in the house made of bricks.

I am surprised at any Christian conservative that would claim to still behind Palin. I understand how you can your hat on her abortion stance. Me? I keep looking for some Christ-like behavior in Palin and I simply don''t see it.; Reply to this comment


by roc2341 September 20, 2008 12:51 PM EDT: GOOD SHOT OF PICKING UP HILLARY SUPPORTERS.

As they well should.Let no one be mistaken. This B.S. as to Obama didn''t reach out to Hillary supporters as the reason for the defection to the MCLAME/FAILIN side is/was just that, B.S. Even with the probability of Roe vs Wade being overturned,continued unequaled pay for women, another war, (this time possibly Iran with our loved ones becoming bullet catchers because of "inept maverick poilices")most Hillary supporters are at best whiny, revengeful, retalitory, and equally racially divisive as the Republican party. And quite frankly, images of some of them crying ther eyes out as their young daughters/greanddaughters being arrested at the borders(Mexico and Canada, if they aren''t butchered on the table due to inept doctors)because abortions will have been outlawed here in the U.S., their "glass ceiling becoming mirrors" with their female loved ones looking up while laying under a corporate oil member because that''s the highest level professionally they can achieve, and loved ones returning from war, legless, armless, and mentally warped is probably just what this country needs as a wake up call.; Reply to this comment


by demsmustwin September 20, 2008 11:55 AM EDT: I too was an ardent Hillary supporter and have read every single book published about Hillary pro and con. However, I wonder how many of her "supporters" planning to vote for McCain were really voting for her just for her as a woman, rather than her true visions and much needed health plans to help this nation survive the last eight years. True Hillary supporters will do as she asked us to do, and throw our support behind the Democratic party and Obama. He and Biden are more than capable of getting us through this quagmire of an economic catastrophy. I understand, sort of, how Pumas think. When Tim Kaine was being considered as VP, I thought no way will I vote Democratic if he is chosen, because things have happened his watch that hurt me deeply. But in the end, I would have still voted for principles over personalities. I deeply fear Sarah Palin. I''ve known many spiritual people of the right,non in as much denial of the truth as she. John McCain is a war hero. He will always be. Our country owes him a debt we can never repay. But that does not mean giving him the White House. Please, if you really, really supported Hillary, support her now. Get out and work to elect the Obama Biden ticket and stop feeling sorry for Hillary. She does not, so what gives you the right to do so? Please don''t let her down now. Let''s give Hillary our support one more time, by voting the Democratic ticket back in the White House in 2008!!!; Reply to this comment


by oregon4usa September 19, 2008 9:40 PM EDT: Keep shovelin'' NeoCons. With all that cr@p there''s gotta be a pony down there somewhere.; Reply to this comment


by pr_boxer September 19, 2008 9:26 PM EDT: I''d have more trust in the economic plan suggested by a person that knew how many homes he owned!

Seems a basic qualification to me!; Reply to this comment


by pr_boxer September 19, 2008 9:23 PM EDT: Which treatment center is Lyndon Larouche detained in now?

"Economist and Stateman LaRouche"....lmao!; Reply to this comment


by sdfaeg September 19, 2008 8:17 PM EDT: Economist and Stateman LaRouche Outlines Four Necessary Steps to Worldwide Economic Crisis%u2014---September 12, 2008 (LPAC)%u2013In discussions yesterday, Lyndon LaRouche emphasized that the actual breakdown which he had forecast on July 25, 2007 has already occurred, and as of now, there will be no return to the system that existed prior to September 2008. Only a new design of a system echoing the intentions of Franklin Roosevelt at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference could rescue the world%u2019s physical economy under present, post-August 2008 conditions.

To this end, LaRouche specified four necessary steps:
Step #1: Put the present international monetary system into bankruptcy reorganization. Step #2: Create a new system, a credit system, rather than a monetary system, in the form of an appropriately modern version of President Franklin Roosevelt%u2019s intention for a Bretton Woods system. Step #3: Organize the new system on the basis of an extended form of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia system, rather than a conflict-system. The IMF must be replaced by a treaty organization among participating sovereign nation-states with complementary long-term economic missions of scientific and related progress per-capita and per-square kilometer of territory. Step #4: Define a common, long-term mission-orientation of two or more generations%u2019 span for increase of the productive powers of labor among nations generally.; Reply to this comment


by sdfaeg September 19, 2008 8:17 PM EDT: Economist and Stateman LaRouche Outlines Four Necessary Steps to Worldwide Economic Crisis%u2014---September 12, 2008 (LPAC)%u2013In discussions yesterday, Lyndon LaRouche emphasized that the actual breakdown which he had forecast on July 25, 2007 has already occurred, and as of now, there will be no return to the system that existed prior to September 2008. Only a new design of a system echoing the intentions of Franklin Roosevelt at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference could rescue the world%u2019s physical economy under present, post-August 2008 conditions.

To this end, LaRouche specified four necessary steps:
Step #1: Put the present international monetary system into bankruptcy reorganization. Step #2: Create a new system, a credit system, rather than a monetary system, in the form of an appropriately modern version of President Franklin Roosevelt%u2019s intention for a Bretton Woods system. Step #3: Organize the new system on the basis of an extended form of the 1648 Peace of Westphalia system, rather than a conflict-system. The IMF must be replaced by a treaty organization among participating sovereign nation-states with complementary long-term economic missions of scientific and related progress per-capita and per-square kilometer of territory. Step #4: Define a common, long-term mission-orientation of two or more generations%u2019 span for increase of the productive powers of labor among nations generally.; Reply to this comment


by smart4peace September 19, 2008 7:35 PM EDT: Posted by john43218 at 02:32 PM : Sep 19, 2008

get your FACTS straight. repug controlled congress for eight years led us to where we are now. TWO years of dem controlled congress, and a record breaking number of filibusters by your ever so constructive repug rats. clear? and still unsure about obama? do your research. this is a person who addresses all parts of our society, not like bush/mccain, who only relate to their ''own kind'', the rich wasps. this is not new news. any fool can look this stuff up. and funny how your number of ''presents'' seems to grow--typical rat maneuver and lies. the republicans have lost all credibility, and you tote it like a lost, blind piglet.; Reply to this comment


by peckhamc1234 September 19, 2008 6:39 PM EDT: "hard core christian conservatives"? Your use of that phrase destroys all credibility on the article.; Reply to this comment