McCain Readies Unorthodox Campaign

Politico: Presumptive GOP Nominee Plans Decentralized Campaign Structure

(The Politico)  Further, they’ll rely on the committee-campaign joint Victory Fund run out of the RNC, which allows contributions of up to $28,500 per person - far more than the $2,300 donors can give to individual candidates.

The Victory dollars will go into the states and be used to hire staffers, who in some cases will serve as the de facto McCain aides.

Other elements of the campaign, such as those tasked with developing coalitions and lining up surrogates, will also be placed at the RNC to save on overhead.

“Those functions that can legally be done at either [the campaign or RNC], we’ll err on the side of doing them at the RNC,” Black says. “The whole thing is under one umbrella in the way we are budgeting.”

So instead of hiring a traditional political director and field director at the headquarters, for example, they’ve so far effectively merged the functions between Davis’s deputy at the campaign, Christian Ferry, RNC adviser and former Rudy Giuliani chief Mike DuHaime, and the regional managers themselves.

The 10 regional managers, the last of which are being hired this week, will have both autonomy over and responsibility for the key elements of the campaign in their area: the political and field operation, relations with state and local media, and fundraising.

Some will have just a couple of states while others will have as many as six; the average will be about five. To spread the wealth, there will be at least one targeted and genuinely competitive state in each region.

They’ll have a daily phone call with McCain’s Arlington, Va., headquarters and answer directly to Davis. If Davis is absent, Ferry will ride herd. DuHaime will offer guidance from his role at the RNC.

The hope is to give these aides complete hiring and budget authority for their regions to make for a more responsive and agile campaign. As Davis told Hill aides last week, the goal is to have 80 percent of the structure in the field and 20 percent back at headquarters.

“You can get better service, better coordination and most importantly get decisions made much more quickly if it’s done in the states,” argues Frank Donatelli, deputy chairman of the RNC and the chief liaison between the committee and McCain campaign.

“We have some confidence in it because it’s kind of the way we got nominated,” adds Black. “Our people were out in the states. By definition, people in New Hampshire and South Crolina had a lot of authority.”

There has, however, been much private grumbling in the ranks of Republican operatives that such a decentralized plan, the campaign equivalent of federalism, will inevitably prove unrealistic and have to be scaled back.

First, says one prominent GOP strategist who worked in the Bush reelect, Davis won’t be able to directly oversee regional aides with all the other responsibilities that come with running a campaign. And further, says this source, delegating so much decision-making authority to different individuals will lead to mixed results. “There are some things campaigns are going to do everywhere because they work and are fundamental to the campaign,” says the strategist.

“In every campaign some people perform up to expectations and some people don’t,” Black said by way of tamping down such criticism. “If some [regional campaign managers] don’t perform well, of course they’ll get more supervision.”

Other Republicans suggest McCain is overcompensating for his top-heavy early campaign last year, which went broke and forced him to the brink before his improbable comeback.

“The Mehlman campaign style of ’04 would never work for him and the beginning of the campaign proved that,” noted another GOP operative with ties to Bushworld. “But I just don’t know if this is realistic - why experiment in such a large-scale way?”

McCain strategists insist their paradigm can work. And the sour national climate for the GOP, McCain’s limited money supply and his preference for an impromptu campaign style that he can take to all parts of the country, mean there is no other option but to break the mold, says one aide.

“To run a normal, typical race like a normal, typical Republican, we would win 45 percent of the popular vote and 189 electoral votes,” this aide says. “You can’t just go to Columbus.”

[holdenlitgo]

Appearances can be deceiving. Ask John McCain. Keating Five. Look it up. On his Keating Five experience, McCain said: "The appearance of it was wrong. It''s a wrong appearance when a group of senators appear in a meeting with a group of regulators, because it conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And it was the wrong thing to do."
I 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.

[im4honesty]

McCain will present the image of ''remaining above the fray'' while the RNC once again spends millions and millions of dollars spreading lies via 527 groups. McCain has little or no chance after the failed Bush/Cheney administration and the RNC knows it. So, we should expect the most dishonest and dirty campaign in history.

[watcher269-2009]

REAL NEWS

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.

[nanging3]

IT%u2019S ACTUALLY HILLARY AGAINST THE USA MUSLIM POPULATION AND SOME DUMB WHITE
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

[nanging3]

ANYONE BUT OBAMA !!
HE IS A MUSLIM TERRORIST !

[nanging3]

ALL MCCAIN WOULD NEED TO DO IS TO RUN THIS AS AN AD...


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

[omaar-101]

McCain''s $3.3 Trillion Tax Cut, Budget Pledge at Odds !!


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.

[speakinup]

I see the far left was sucked right in by the headline.


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.

[abbe91]

"Repeat after me... GOP = Greedy OLD Party continues to sell out America. Period. Any hard working person in this country is a fool to vote for RepubliCONs. Ever. 1/20/09
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 ...

[tryhonesty]

Repeat after me... GOP = Greedy OLD Party continues to sell out America. Period. Any hard working person in this country is a fool to vote for RepubliCONs. Ever. 1/20/09

[watcher269-2009]

Unorthodox would be telling the TRUTH! And WE know that is not going to happen!

So it will be the same old LIES, LIES AND MORE LIES!

[vmcneal2]

Can any of you McCain supporters explain why a wealthy women like Mrs McCain would steal drugs from her own charity? Remember character counts. Just what we need right now, a President with an out of control temper and a pill poppin first lady.

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.

[blackspirit3]

TONY PERKINS A MCCAIN SUPPORTER - Tony Perkins is President of the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), America''''s premier white supremacist organization, the successor to the White Citizens Councils, which battled integration in the South. In 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,500 for his mailing list. SHOULD MCCAIN DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM MR PERKINS?

[abbe91]

"The democratic party cannot even get a decent candidate
Posted by gslinger3 at 08:58 AM : Apr 18, 2008"

At least it''s still trying. The GOP gave up.

[janiet3]

Grandpa McCain, bless him, is more senile already than Reagan was in his last year or so.

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.

[gslinger3]

Folks, this contest is over! The democratic party cannot even get a decent candidate, much less govern! They shoot themselves in the foot every oppourtunity they get. Thats what happens when you govern by emotion intead of by strong policy, common sense and realism!

McCain will be our next president!

God Bless America!

[abbe91]

"I am with big John, you are the only hope to keep the war on terror going.
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 ?

[blackwater66-2009]

I am with big John, you are the only hope to keep the war on terror going. This is because you know there is no end to fighting terrorist as GW does. Keep an eye on Iran, they are evil doers to us.

Attack ! Attack !! Attack !!

[abbe91]

Very unorthodox, indeed.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/02/25/democrats-to-seek-fec-investigation-of-mccain-financing/

[dante805]

I have to admit - as a previous "I''ll never vote for McCain" GOPer - he is starting to make some clear points on key issues. His college tour interview at Villanove was excellent - notice how the media down played that - I still need him to come around on immigration - but now I''ll even consider sending the campaign money.