McCain Aides Attack Sarah Palin: Scapegoating Sarah Palin

DBKP ^ | November 6, 2008 | Mondo

[mondoreb]

The McCain Campaign:
Mistakes, But Hampered Ultimately By Both the Candidate and his Campaign Advisers--Not by Sarah Palin
McCain Campaign is Responsible for McCain's Defeat

Palin Was Attacked from the Inside from Almost the Moment She gave the McCain Campaign their First Realistic Chance at Victory

The McCain Campaign Unnamed Aides vs. Sarah Palin

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UPDATES at end of post.

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FROM GOSSIP TO GOSPEL

The McCain campaign made some shrewd moves, but it also was guilty of some moves that ultimately doomed its unlikely candidate--with the most momentous misstep coming from John McCain himself.

Like any losing campaign, those in charge of the campaign seek to lay the blame for losing on factors beyond their control. In this regard, the long knives came out from various unnamed aides and advisers in the McCain campaign, who are anxious to run from their responsibility for the Election 2008 loss.

Most of those knives appear to have Sarah Palin's name on them--and they were unsheathed before the race for the presidency was even over.

In what can be most charitably described as "resume-polishing", various aides in the John McCain campaign have continued their practice of leaking uncomplimentary "anecdotal" information detrimental to Sarah Palin.

Understand: these "aides", "advisers" and "sources" from "within the McCain campaign", as they're labeled, bear much responsibility for a campaign that, like its candidate, was somewhat unconventional and ultimately failed to win McCain the presidency.

These staffers--most of whom will soon be in the job-hunting market--apparently feel that there's a wider market for an aide from a losing campaign that was sabotaged from within. Stories of an "uncooperative" VP pick inoculates them against any bad decisions made by such "aides" and "advisers".

These aides-gone-rogue merely have to pick up their cellphone or hit "send" on their email--anonymously, by the way--and a waiting press eagerly elevates such grousing and sour grapes from gossip to gospel.

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THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN

There is much for which the McCain campaign can be proud.

• John McCain garnered the fourth-largest vote total for any candidate in history. His total of 56,497,501 votes were more than any previous losing Republican candidate. It was also the fourth-highest popular vote total in U.S. history. Of course the electorate is larger in 2008 than 24 years ago, but McCain received 2 million more votes than Ronald Reagan got in his 1984 blowout.
• McCain won 21 states with 174 electoral votes. Included in this total were wins in states in which McCain was outspent by a wide margin. McCain was also competitive in the "battleground" states, losing several by close margins, while winning others.
• The McCain campaign produced these numbers with a not-unimpressive ground game. Republicans in general however, voted in less numbers than they did in 2004. Also, there were paticular groups who came down on the side of Obama: wealthy voters across the USA voted for Obama, for instance.
• John McCain was never a favorite of conservatives--this site included. McCain's "maverick" image was achieved by attacking conservatives and Republicans. Still, McCain's naming of Palin as his running mate energized conservatives.
• McCain took a risk and named Sarah Palin as his running mate. McCain's campaign was staffed with many non-conservatives. The campaign's failure to excite the Republican base was evident prior to the naming of Palin. After Palin, contributions and volunteers came into the McCain camapign from conservatives--many who were prepared to "sit out" this election.

That being said, John McCain was a Republican candidate that the New York Times could love--and indeed, the NYT did endorse the Arizona Senator in the primary election. Of course, after the election, the NYT and the rest of the Mainstream Media deserted McCain, just as many predicted would happen.

Where is the anti-Palin leaks coming from? And why?

Continue reading: McCain Aides Attack Sarah Palin: Scapegoating Sarah Palin

[Arkinsaw]

A few things that should be done, but probably won't.

1) A conservative as RNC head. Someone who is willing to stay on the television 24x7.

2) Conservatives as candidates in two years.

3) In Arkansas Mark Pryor and Vic Snyder had only GREEN opponents. This should NEVER happen no matter how overwhelming they look. Every race MUST have a Republican in it to at least get the message out with the free TV. NEVER let a Democrat run unopposed EVER.

4) Tell Mitt Romney to shut his people up on Palin because it will be remembered.

5) Tell the McCain staffers that they ALL risk being tainted within the party if the Palin scapegoating continues.

6) Apologize. Apologize to the conservatives, Reagan Democrats, and Independents for "Read My Lips" and bailouts and running Congress like a bunch of Democrats. Apologize and promise to never do it again as a party.

7) Leave Obama alone and let him be Obama. That will be good enough. Do not spend the next four years browbeating Obama. Spend the next four years browbeating Pelosi and Reid and Frank and Maxine.

8) Turn them against each other. When Obama doesn't give the DUers and KOSers everything they want as fast as they want it. Point it out and laugh.

9) Have good cheer and humor. Follow Reagan's lead. Their antics are horrible, but you can't stop them, so you might as well have some fun pointing out the ridiculousness of it. They will overreach, they always do. They will go to far, they always do. They will pull a "gays in the military" or a "Hillary Health Plan". Point and laugh when they pull that stuff and say "I told you so" but don't be bitter.

10) It is all on them now. They have nobody to blame.

11) Reagan is still beloved. Don't be afraid to say his name.

[redgirlinabluestate]

This is beyond the pale. He never EVER said that. Provide the link. You cannot. Every journalist asked him that, and he declined to agree and had positive things to say about Palin each and every time.

He appeared several times a week on various TV and radio shows on behalf of the ticket and always supported McCain and Palin.

He also raised $20 million for them campaigning around the country.

[DJ MacWoW]

You’re on this thread and didn’t read the whole article? How do you expect to comment credibly? I knew a freeper who had a tagline that said “Proudly reading only headlines since 1998”.

[csmusaret]

So bashing Palin is a flip, a flop, or just posing?

[driftdiver]

“It didn’t work. Time to throw all of you McCain trolls out.”

I’m not a McCain troll so take your haughty attitude and stick it.

I strongly dislike McCain but he’s a heck of a lot better than Obama or Nader.

[driftdiver]

“All day long I kept going back to the fact that we got suckered by a RINO! Never again will I let that happen to me.”

Who got suckered? McCain was all but out and all of a sudden he was the front runner. Its like the other RINOs and republicans surrendered.

[TheFourthMagi]

It’s uncool.

[KittenClaws]

I believe that is what I’m doing.

But if your emotions cloud that, it is not my doing.

[Sun]

Obama: I want to be president of all 57 states

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/05/09/obama-i-want-to-be-president-of-all-57-states/

I bet this was never on HuffingtonPost.com

[Perahelion]

I guess Sarah will just have to choose her own team of non selfish excuse ridden backstabbers when she runs in 2012.

What a disgrace.

[DJ MacWoW]

I believe that is what I’m doing.

Really? This is how to stop infighting in the party? To ignore it?

Post 72 :

Nobody is smearing Palin.

Palin did not win OK?

We got bigger fish to fry, like, an Obama president for instance?

Get a Grip

Post 79:

I am not trashing Palin.

Show me where I did.

I siad, it should not be our focus.

Post 82:

But I’m not doing that.

I’m saying we must deal with reality.

Right now, it makes no difference, right now, we have work to do.

.

[omega4179]

or hope to BE Romneybots shortly. Somebody posted to me that they where not in fact former Romneybots.

[DJ MacWoW]

or hope to BE Romneybots shortly. Somebody posted to me that they where not in fact former Romneybots.

That poster is a Romneybot.

Here's more info from The American Spectator.

ROMNEY ANTI-PALIN

It's mid-page.

[MilspecRob]

McCain took full personal responsibility for his loss in his concession speech, Didn't you watch it?

[lnzog]

if he was the veep, obama would have played class war.

[StAntKnee]

Nah, didn’t have the stomach to watch.

But where is he now, in this night of the long knives?

[steelyourfaith]

Thank you. I'll want to keep track of whether this of this "leaker" is identified.

John McCain, if he possesses any backbone, character or integrity at all should see to it that the "leaker" is exposed and discredited. But you know what --- I'm not going to hold my breath.

[BlessingsofLiberty]

“Rovian faction of the party”????????

What you really want to say is the Conservative Wing of the Party. That is who you are attacking.

You think the grand old party can survive with all of you centrists, RINOS and Liberal know-nothings??? Well, you know what, you may just find out. Because there are a lot of us ready to hand it to you.

Maybe, what is left of this party, when we finally can’t stand to be associated with the “Brand” any longer, can start convening with all the other minor parties and whine about why no one will even debate you on the national level.

There are too many idiots in the Republican Party, too much arrogance, too much reaching across the aisle, too much compromising and too little conviction. I don’t like the big umbrella concept.

And I will no longer tolerate the back stabbers and trash that is now the Republican Party. Either we find our identity or this Party is nothing more than an extension of the Dems in Congress and the White House. It bothers me that most people think the two parties are one in the same.

I know why the snakes are attacking Sarah Palin, she represents the Conservatives and we are the ones they really want to destroy.

[zipper]

Glad I did not vote for this incompetent RINO team.

Congratulations on electing the Moonbat Messiah through your negligence.