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Fire the Campaign
New York Times ^ | 10/13/08 | William Kristol

Posted on 10/13/2008 1:21:13 AM PDT by MartinaMisc

It’s time for John McCain to fire his campaign.

He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama’s. The Obama team is well organized, flush with resources, and the candidate and the campaign are in sync. The McCain campaign, once merely problematic, is now close to being out-and-out dysfunctional. Its combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic. If the race continues over the next three weeks to be a conventional one, McCain is doomed.

He may be anyway. Bush is unpopular. The media is hostile. The financial meltdown has made things tougher. Maybe the situation is hopeless — and if it is, then nothing McCain or his campaign does matters.

But I’m not convinced by such claims of inevitability. McCain isn’t Bush. The media isn’t all-powerful. And the economic crisis still presents an opportunity to show leadership.

The 2008 campaign is now about something very big — both our future prosperity and our national security. Yet the McCain campaign has become smaller.

What McCain needs to do is junk the whole thing and start over. Shut down the rapid responses, end the frantic e-mails, bench the spinning surrogates, stop putting up new TV and Internet ads every minute. In fact, pull all the ads — they’re doing no good anyway. Use that money for televised town halls and half-hour addresses in prime time.

And let McCain go back to what he’s been good at in the past — running as a cheerful, open and accessible candidate. Palin should follow suit. The two of them are attractive and competent politicians. They’re happy warriors and good campaigners. Set them free.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008; itstheeconomystupid; kristol; mccain; mccainpalin; obama
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To: MartinaMisc

I was thinking the same thing and scribbling a crisp note to our candidate, but now that Kristol’s saying it I have to wonder whether maybe McPalin know a thing or two that we don’t.


141 posted on 10/13/2008 9:10:12 AM PDT by Tenniel2 ("Carbon offsets: all of the sanctimony with none of the effort" -- Mike Judge)
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To: patriot08
If Kristol has a point, it is a small one. He's a smarmy little SOB, and not long on party loyalty, but let's not shoot the messenger with whom we disagree.

Keep the team.
I have the impression that McCain has a very good team, but that he "knows better." In other words, McCain is that most difficult of all masters, one that knows all.

My hope is that he knows enough to play "Rope-a-Dope" and spring a surprise on this cartoon character who is running against him. I cannot believe that a John McCain who was tough enough to fly over North Vietnam could also lack the courage to directly confront this preposterous Obama for fear of being called a racist.

WE’RE NOT TURNING THE WHITE HOUSE KEYS OVER TO BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA- NOT IF WE ON FR, RUSH, HANNITY AND FOX HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!

Yes,OK, we're smart enough to connect the dots. Do we number 50.1% of the electorate where it counts? So far, we don't have the votes. Obama has poured millions of his campaign money and millions more "funny money" into ACORN, whose attorney he was for years, to fraudulently seize that crucial 0.1% in key districts. I know this. You know this. If John McCain knows this, why hasn't he said so?

Obama openly and publicly campaigned for his tribal cousin Raile Odinga in Kenya. When Odinga lost, thousands were massacred in the areas that voted against him. What Obama did was clearly illegal and morally reprehensible. I know this. You know this. If John McCain knows this, why hasn't he said so.

If there's any firing to be done, the ammo is there for McCain to fire directly into Obama's smug commie face. If McCain is too obtuse to handle the irrefutable evidence printed and bound for him by Freddoso and Corsi, we definitely will be handing the WH keys to Obama, a mystery man who could not pass a Wal-Mart Security Guard Background Check.

and thank you for the links!

142 posted on 10/13/2008 9:10:19 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Drill. Double Refining Capacity. Make METHANOL from Coal, NG, Nuclear ..let's roll.)
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To: patriot08
If Kristol has a point, it is a small one. He's a smarmy little SOB, and not long on party loyalty, but let's not shoot the messenger with whom we disagree.

Keep the team.
I have the impression that McCain has a very good team, but that he "knows better." In other words, McCain is that most difficult of all masters, one that knows all.

My hope is that he knows enough to play "Rope-a-Dope" and spring a surprise on this cartoon character who is running against him. I cannot believe that a John McCain who was tough enough to fly over North Vietnam could also lack the courage to directly confront this preposterous Obama for fear of being called a racist.

WE’RE NOT TURNING THE WHITE HOUSE KEYS OVER TO BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA- NOT IF WE ON FR, RUSH, HANNITY AND FOX HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT!

Yes,OK, we're smart enough to connect the dots. Do we number 50.1% of the electorate where it counts? So far, we don't have the votes. Obama has poured millions of his campaign money and millions more "funny money" into ACORN, whose attorney he was for years, to fraudulently seize that crucial 0.1% in key districts. I know this. You know this. If John McCain knows this, why hasn't he said so?

Obama openly and publicly campaigned for his tribal cousin Raile Odinga in Kenya. When Odinga lost, thousands were massacred in the areas that voted against him. What Obama did was clearly illegal and morally reprehensible. I know this. You know this. If John McCain knows this, why hasn't he said so.

If there's any firing to be done, the ammo is there for McCain to fire directly into Obama's smug commie face. If McCain is too obtuse to handle the irrefutable evidence printed and bound for him by Freddoso and Corsi, we definitely will be handing the WH keys to Obama, a mystery man who could not pass a Wal-Mart Security Guard Background Check.

and thank you for the links!

143 posted on 10/13/2008 9:11:03 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Drill. Double Refining Capacity. Make METHANOL from Coal, NG, Nuclear ..let's roll.)
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To: stocksthatgoup
Taking advice from Bill Kristol is almost as bad as taking advice from Bob Schrum.

And a first step toward a conservative renaissance will be to jettison the Kristol and the other neo-cons.

144 posted on 10/13/2008 9:15:01 AM PDT by E. Cartman (Will Bush, Bernanke or Paulson let Uncle Sam handle their personal wealth?)
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To: Man50D; MartinaMisc
What McCain needs to do is renounce his socialist stance he shares with Obama on amnesty for illegal aliens, the lie of human induced global warming, restricting free speech with campaign finance reform, opposition to drilling in ANWR and the socialist bail out scam.

I'll pray for the miracle.

145 posted on 10/13/2008 9:17:59 AM PDT by E. Cartman (Will Bush, Bernanke or Paulson let Uncle Sam handle their personal wealth?)
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To: clee1

I’m just trying to keep this information front and center to make sure everybody sees it (email list) and to encouraged all to to do all they can to help. We have less than three weeks to stop that monster.

I have received dozens of emails and PMs thanking me for the list and vowing to use the email list.


146 posted on 10/13/2008 9:24:56 AM PDT by patriot08
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To: MartinaMisc

Kristol and Brooks, perfect together.


147 posted on 10/13/2008 9:25:24 AM PDT by Carley (she's all out of caribou.............but does have a bracelet!!!!)
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To: liliesgrandpa

You are exactly right.


148 posted on 10/13/2008 9:29:49 AM PDT by Engineer_Soldier (I will defend our CONSTITUTON against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC!)
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To: MartinaMisc
Bill Kristol’s neocon approach would damage the McCain-Palin ticket more then it would help at this late stage of the campaign.

McCain needs to focus like a laser beam on further exposing Obama for the economic liberal and foreign policy lefty he really is.

As he did this morning, McCain should continue to fire off salvo after salvo that reveals Obama's proposals for higher taxes, more expenditures on welfare state bureaucracy, more direct government intervention and increased federal regulations.

Times running out!

149 posted on 10/13/2008 9:42:06 AM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: AlexW
There is no way I will come back to a country (USA) of so many morons.

Careful. We are the brightest people in the world and we are just having a hiccup right now. A lot of that is based on the GOP being no real alternative.

150 posted on 10/13/2008 9:45:36 AM PDT by Engineer_Soldier (I will defend our CONSTITUTON against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC!)
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To: Thomas W.

You betcha Kristol is wrong. He is part and parcel of the ‘drive-by’ gang that has continually dragged down the McCain Palin ticket.
McCain is doing something right and Obama is afraid - he’s campaigning in states he should have locked up. He’s pulling out the race card every day! He’s calling it racist to ask about his background and acquaintances FGS!!!

McCain needs to keep hitting him and hit him even harder. Obama would love for the only issue to be the economy. The economy is huge, but the other issues FEED into the economy issue. Obama and his Democrat friends are socialists. They will destroy the free market as we know it and our personal freedoms as we know them today.


151 posted on 10/13/2008 9:51:23 AM PDT by antceecee (McCain ~ Palin '08 May God have mercy on us ansmd protect us from evil.)
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To: nonkultur

Agree - Virtually every poll this morning, including Gallup shows the race getting tighter. Nothing is falling apart. If the NY Times says it’s day...it’s really night.

Stay the course with the staff...but take no prisoners on Wednesday!


152 posted on 10/13/2008 10:04:41 AM PDT by Herodes
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To: MartinaMisc

I’m something of a centrist, but it seems to me that the way to our hearts is through common sense and fiscal frugality, this can work for McCain.

Obama has a great history of wasting tons of other people’s money on stuff that fails to accomplish the goals of the vast majority of voters (Chicago Annenberg Challenge).

McCain says he wants to freeze spending until we figure out just where all the money is going and how much of it is being wasted.

Obama claims that McCain wants to tax insurance benefits, that sounds scary and regressive the way Obama puts it, if it gives ME pause, I’d say it’s an effective attack.

McCain says that he will conduct a full investigation into what exactly happened to make it necessary for us to part with $700 Billion, that is very VERY good!

Many of the American voters will not necessarily care so much if the Chicago Annenberg Challenge is attacked as liberal tripe. They will care deeply, however, that $100 Million dollars were spent on idealogical propaganda at the expense of academic educational programs when we rank near the bottom of the civilized world academically. Many busy women can become very passionate indeed when the time and attention of entire families is wasted by a ton of resource draining propaganda! Especially if you bring home the fact that said resource draining propaganda is coming to your kid’s school and out of your paystub! You gotta make it personal!

That line of reasoning tends to be attacked by true believers, but it’s going to take more than idealism to get McCain elected. It will take a return to the principals of Ronald Reagan. Those two things, contrary to popular belief, are NOT one in the same!


153 posted on 10/13/2008 10:05:52 AM PDT by Vicki001
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To: MartinaMisc

People forget that candy ass Kristol and metro-sexual Brooks are the original makeover artists for McCain post 2000. They are his original groomers and media switch operators. For Kristol to be urging McCain to start all over at the 11th hour belies how ill conceived, advised, equipped and poorly managed his campaign continues to be. But then, I expect as much from a republican candidate made up from Kristol’s and Brooks’ bolt of whole cloth.


154 posted on 10/13/2008 10:06:36 AM PDT by TADSLOS (Put Palin in the White House. Send McCain to Sun City, AZ)
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To: TADSLOS

Rush is talking about Kristol right now.


155 posted on 10/13/2008 10:11:30 AM PDT by antceecee (McCain ~ Palin '08 May God have mercy on us ansmd protect us from evil.)
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To: nhwingut
Is he insane? I thought this was satire.

Either satire or Kristol forgot to take his meds today.

156 posted on 10/13/2008 10:12:52 AM PDT by Proudcongal (POW/WOW '08)
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To: Gaffer

“William Kristol is an ass that is trying to solidify the next 4 years of his career as the ‘token white conservative’ on all of the political TV shows. If he’s a conservative or anything close to it, I’m a petunia!
It is no wonder that MR Kristol thinks that Obama’s campaign is better - better at lying, better at Obfuscating, better at getting illegal contributions, better at hiding the numerous failings.”

The beltway/NYC token white conservatives will be even more useless when John and Sarah are sworn in.


157 posted on 10/13/2008 10:14:19 AM PDT by Grampa Dave ( I do not want to know the type of person, who does not like Sarah !)
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To: Designer

You could be right.
But I have to fight. I just CAN’T give up.


158 posted on 10/13/2008 10:15:16 AM PDT by patriot08
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To: MartinaMisc

Billy Kristol is a comedian, isn’t he?!


159 posted on 10/13/2008 10:16:54 AM PDT by Revolting cat! (Don't let me interrupt your prayers for a suffering celebrity!)
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To: MartinaMisc
This could be the most frequently viewed thread in FR history!

ML/NJ

160 posted on 10/13/2008 10:20:58 AM PDT by ml/nj
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