How McCain Wins (McCain unhappy with how staff has handled Palin)

NYT ^ | WILLIAM KRISTOL

[Chet 99]

-snip-

With respect to his campaign, McCain needs to liberate his running mate from the former Bush aides brought in to handle her — aides who seem to have succeeded in importing to the Palin campaign the trademark defensive crouch of the Bush White House. McCain picked Sarah Palin in part because she’s a talented politician and communicator. He needs to free her to use her political talents and to communicate in her own voice.

I’m told McCain recently expressed unhappiness with his staff’s handling of Palin. On Sunday he dispatched his top aides Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis to join Palin in Philadelphia. They’re supposed to liberate Palin to go on the offensive as a combative conservative in the vice-presidential debate on Thursday.

That debate is important. McCain took a risk in choosing Palin. If she does poorly, it will reflect badly on his judgment. If she does well, it will be a shot in the arm for his campaign.

In the debate, Palin has to dispatch quickly any queries about herself, and confidently assert that of course she’s qualified to be vice president. She should spend her time making the case for McCain and, more important, the case against Obama. As one shrewd McCain supporter told me, “Every minute she spends not telling the American people something that makes them less well disposed to Obama is a minute wasted.”

[LucyJo]

Perhaps Sarah has risen to this position “for such a time as this”. God bless and be with her.

[Sun]

Let Sarah go after Obama - that’s a VP running mate’s job.

[ncalburt]

These two need to be out campaigning right now !

[DJ MacWoW]

98 signup date. First post in 2001 and this is your 8th post. You are a troll.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Yep, it’s on a silver platter set before him . He will have to lump in the whole Dim party and would be wise to do so , but I doubt it will happen .

[ncalburt]

Well someone posted that Huck needs to helping out Palin . Not a good idea.

[JrsyJack]

That time-line also coincides with the Iraq War. While it is true a more competent press secretary could move opinion in the president's favor, the press and Dems politicized the war from day one. How can you forget the daily body counts, quagmires, and over coverage of every aspect of the war's early stages.

[kesg]

I know. Really, it's a waste of time for Palin to try to appeal to MSM, even leaving aside what she must really think of them after the way they have treated her and her family.

If I was running the show, I would have her doing interviews on FNC, talk radio, and local media. I would limit any contacts with MSM to settings where she is commenting live rather than in the Gibson/Couric format that allows MSM to edit the video to put her in the worst possible light. But I would also make sure that she makes plenty of comments live for the MSM, e.g. on her plane, or taking a few quick questions from reporters before or after campaign events.

[ncalburt]

Interesting !

[tatown]

I pointed that out to the mods last week.... They must have seen no problem with letting him spew his garbage though.

[SoCalPol]

agree

[Blind Eye Jones]

Hope you're right. But will the press come near it? There is so much crap on Obama now that is not being mentioned by the press. One more piece will probably mean nothing.

[Islander2]

“Just to head you off at the pass, John, it is too late for a campaign staff shakeup.”

Says who ? You, who ? dr_who ?

Advisers come and advisers go......or haven’t you noticed this happening in other camps?

[nutmeg]

By William Kristol, published in the NY Slimes... Here's an excerpt:

With respect to his campaign, McCain needs to liberate his running mate from the former Bush aides brought in to handle her — aides who seem to have succeeded in importing to the Palin campaign the trademark defensive crouch of the Bush White House. McCain picked Sarah Palin in part because she’s a talented politician and communicator. He needs to free her to use her political talents and to communicate in her own voice.

I’m told McCain recently expressed unhappiness with his staff’s handling of Palin. On Sunday he dispatched his top aides Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis to join Palin in Philadelphia. They’re supposed to liberate Palin to go on the offensive as a combative conservative in the vice-presidential debate on Thursday.

That debate is important. McCain took a risk in choosing Palin. If she does poorly, it will reflect badly on his judgment. If she does well, it will be a shot in the arm for his campaign.

In the debate, Palin has to dispatch quickly any queries about herself, and confidently assert that of course she’s qualified to be vice president. She should spend her time making the case for McCain and, more important, the case against Obama. As one shrewd McCain supporter told me, “Every minute she spends not telling the American people something that makes them less well disposed to Obama is a minute wasted.”

[Liberty Wins]

He looked at me as if I were a simpleton, and patiently explained that talking about “conservatism” and “liberalism” was so old-fashioned.

Too young to remember the Reagan era, and too illiterate to read their country's history?

[DJ MacWoW]

He posted a thread and it was pulled. It was his post 76 with a little more doo doo thrown in.

[JrsyJack]

Absolutely...she has an inate ability to connect with people. The campaign needs to get her in front of the voters in natural settings and leave the policy wonk questions for the debates.

[Big Horn]

Let Sarah be Sarah! She’s a kick butt conservative. Don’t try to rein her in.

You nailed it. Let her be. She has a 80% approval rating in her state.She is exciting and popular and draws large crowds.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I've decided that I like William Kristol. I'm glad he's on the radio more. I like the way he talks.

[MHGinTN]

The more Kristol babbles, the more he loves the sound of his own pontificating. And he’s right, occasionally. But then we know that old saying about a stopped clock ...