Apr 17, 2008
McCain Readies Unorthodox Campaign
Politico: Presumptive GOP Nominee Plans Decentralized Campaign Structure
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Aides argue that by facing tough questions from reporters on his bus each day and potentially even tougher ones from audience members at frequent town hall meetings, McCain will demonstrate how he’s different from two politicians who are far less accessible. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
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Photo Essay John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
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Timeline McCain's Quest Mileposts in the Arizona senator's race for the GOP nomination and the presidency.
For reasons of financial necessity, personal preference and plain politics, John McCain is gearing up to run one of the least traditional presidential campaigns in recent history.
The problem is that even prominent strategists within McCain’s own party wonder if his unorthodox strategy will work.
Facing the prospect of competing against a Democrat who is on track to shatter every fundraising record - and confronted by his own inability to rake in large bundles of cash - McCain and his key advisers have largely been forced into devising a three-pronged strategy that they hope can turn their general election weaknesses into strengths.
McCain will lean heavily on the well-funded Republican National Committee. He will merge key functions of his campaign hierarchy with the RNC while also relying on an unconventional structure of 10 regional campaign mangers.
And finally - and perhaps most importantly - McCain will rely on free media to an unprecedented degree to get out his message in a fashion that aims to not only minimize his financial disadvantage but also to drive a triangulated contrast between himself, the Democratic nominee and President Bush.
McCain advisers acknowledge they have little choice but to seek free entry into the media marketplace, as they have no chance of matching Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton in a dollar-for-dollar ad war, given that the Arizona senator’s fundraising totals pale in comparison to both his prospective opponents and the Bush-Cheney political machine.
But aides also hope they can turn necessity into virtue and argue that by facing tough questions from reporters on his bus each day and potentially even tougher ones from audience members at frequent town hall meetings, McCain will demonstrate how he’s different from two politicians who are far less accessible.
“People in the country are in a very bad mood and they want to have change,” says Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to McCain. “And the first place they evaluate change is through the prism of what kind of campaigns candidates are running. Voters will have an indication of the different kind of presidency he would preside over by looking at his campaign.”
Mark Salter, another top aide to McCain, says Obama is running “one buttoned-up, conventional campaign.”
“Is new politics just stadium-sized crowds and lots of money?” he asks.
But the tactics aren’t solely meant to portray the Democratic candidates as distant and McCain as grounded.
McCain aides also want to paint their guy as different from an unpopular administration that prefers secrecy to transparency and friendly crowds to unpredictable ones.
“Sen. McCain believes every American should participate in the arena, and that includes people that don’t agree with him,” Schmidt says, taking care to note that such unscripted exchanges have waned “in the last decade.”
Additionally, McCain and his advisers want to pursue voters that look different than the bare majority coalition that Bush put together twice.
“We’re running a campaign that is not designed to get 50-plus-one-percent of the vote,” says Schmidt.
Even if they can’t win in places like California or inner cities - both of which McCain will stop in during his different-sort-of-Republican tour starting this week - they want to send a signal that he intends to at least compete for most every vote.
“You want to make sure that you tailor the campaign to the candidate and not other way around,” said Charlie Black, a top adviser. “And McCain sincerely believes in campaigning everywhere.”
But McCain’s campaign plan is as much about pragmatism as it is perception, despite efforts by his campaign team to create the notion that they are taking this route of their own free will.
First, his advisers can read polls and recognize the daunting right track/wrong track polling headwind that is gusting in their face.
Differences between Bush and McCain will be “discussed at great length,” promises one aide.
“He’ll be direct about it. He’s never gratuitous, never disrespectful, but there are going to be policy breaks where it couldn’t be clearer.” Two areas of difference McCain will highlight: global warming and spending.
And, quite practically, McCain doesn’t have much choice but to run a campaign that differs from the Bush model, given his lagging fundraising performance.
“It is true we’ll be outspent,” concedes Black. “But between the RNC and McCain we’ll raise enough money.”
Indeed, to help counter their money deficit, McCain strategists now suggest that the proper comparison should be between the combined assets of the campaign and the RNC and that of their opponent and the far less flush DNC.
“The McCain camp is funded jointly,” is how one adviser describes it.
By taking federal funds - something they intend to do, campaign manager Rick Davis told a closed-door meeting of chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill last week - McCain will receive $84 million.
That money, McCain aides say, will be bolstered by the $20 million in coordinated funds that they can legally direct the RNC to spend on anything they want.
By Jonathan Martin
Copyright 2008 POLITICO
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See all 52 CommentsI predict McCain will conveniently forget the "appearance" of wrong-doing and argue that things are as they seem. It''s politics as usual. It''s why Obama has my vote.
Through newly obtained internal documents, The New York Times has uncovered an elaborate PR campaign run by the Pentagon that coached former military officials %u2014 or as they%u2019re known on television, Serious Independent Military Experts %u2014 on how best to shill for Donald Rumsfeld during the fallout from the %u201CGeneral%u2019s Revolt,%u201D when numerous high-ranking retired Generals broke long standing tradition and began speaking out harshly against the former Secretary and his prosecution of the War in Iraq.
The full article is lengthy at 11 pages, but it%u2019s a stellar exposi of how politicized, coordinated and deceitful the media campaign is under Bush. With the assistance of Peter Pace, Rumsfeld would literally convene meetings with former military brass %u2014 who, according to the article, consisted of %u201Cmore than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants%u201D %u2014 and conspire on how best to manage the press. Worse still, these compromised soldiers would then manipulatively go on television as Serious Independent Experts to parrot administration talking points and secure lucrative defense contracts. The Military-Industrial Complex is not alive and well, but thriving under the auspices of the Bush administration.
PEOPLE.
OBAMA WHOSE REAL NAME IS BARRY SOETORO, WAS PUT UP BY FARRAHKAN AND IS BACKED BY
THE MUSLIM NATION WITH MONEY FROM LIBYA.
EXCERPT FROM THE %u201CJUST SOUND BITES%u201D REV.WRIGHT AND FARRAHKAN TRIP TO LIBYA..
Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, was seeking the United
States
Government%u2019s permission to accept $1 billion from Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi of
Libya. The gift, Mr. Farrakhan said, would be used to mobilize American black
voters and bolster their economic strength. (elect Obama ?)
Their AGENDA: (excerpt)
%u201CWhile visiting that mercurial miscreant Libyan strongman Col. Muammar Qaddafi,
Farrakhan struck a deal which secured millions of dollars from Libya to lobby
for the secession of part of the United States. The goal is the formation of a
separate black nation on the North American Continent replete with a 500,000 man
army and nuclear weapons. %u201C
HE IS A MUSLIM TERRORIST !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI77cU3jsFs&eurl=http://www.ziggidy.com/index.php
?option=com_content&view=article&id=322:baracks-original-race-speech&catid=1
Once, McCain was a deficit hawk, Bixby said, but ``strange things happen when people run for president.''''
Tax Cuts
Extending Bush''s tax cuts would cost $1.5 trillion through the end of a hypothetical second McCain term, according to Treasury Department figures. His proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate to 25 percent would cost $100 billion a year, McCain''s campaign estimates. Doubling the exemption for dependents to $7,000 a year would cost another $65 billion annually and the AMT repeal adds another $60 billion a year, his campaign said.
McCain released tax returns today that showed he paid $5,413 in AMT in 2007 and $6,979 in 2006.
McCain''s spending cuts, combined with increased revenue from economic growth, total $1.5 trillion over eight years, leaving a $1.8 trillion net increase to the national debt.
``This is really a massive increase in the deficit,'''' said Joel Slemrod, an economist specializing in tax policy at the University of Michigan.
Two Washington research groups said McCain''s plan WOULD COST MORE. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated his tax cuts would total $5 trillion over a two-term presidency. The Tax Policy Center, run jointly by the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute, said they would cost at least $5.7 trillion.
I''m not entirely surprised they still have enough hate to spread around after beating each other up, but you''d think they were somewhat satiated.
Talk about a self-disintegration ! Obama and Clinton are showing EXACTLY what they would do to the nation if elected. Hell, they can''t even get along with each other - let alone bring the country together.
Ah yes, the Party of HATE, not debate.
Posted by tryhonesty at 01:04 PM : Apr 19, 2008"
You might have got the third part slightly wrong. I''ll repeat GOP = Greedy OLD Pedophiles ...
So it will be the same old LIES, LIES AND MORE LIES!
I can see it now, that phone rings at 3am, old man McCain busy looking for his teeth and blondie passed out on the floor.
Posted by gslinger3 at 08:58 AM : Apr 18, 2008"
At least it''s still trying. The GOP gave up.
If he has any hope at all, and I seriously doubt that he does, for the presidency he''d better find a quick way out of Iraq and also somebody young, bright and "very" moderate (i.e. pro life) as a running mate. Otherwise, he''s toast - and probably is anyhow.
McCain will be our next president!
God Bless America!
Posted by blackwater66 at 08:34 AM : Apr 18, 2008"
Don''t confuse Iraq occupation and war on terror. Where is bin Laden these days, by the way ? Back in the American hospital in Dubai for kidney treatment ?
Attack ! Attack !! Attack !!
Very unorthodox, indeed.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/02/25/democrats-to-seek-fec-investigation-of-mccain-financing/
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