The McCain Pitch
EmailMcCain campaign manager Rick Davis has put up this neato PowerPoint presentation on how Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., can beat Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., this November.
Close to six minutes into the "Strategy Briefing," Davis talks about how the McCain campaign intends to change the map (the same way Obama does by competing in Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, and Iowa, among others.) He cites several states — including California, Connecticut and New Jersey — as presenting unique opportunities for McCain.
And they would. Except they’re likely prohibitively expensive. California costs $3-4 million a week just to run TV advertising. And to compete in Connecticut and New Jersey, you need to run TV ads in New York City.
Is the McCain campaign going to have that kind of money? They haven’t show the ability to raise it so far.
- jpt
USS Gabrielle Giffords Honors Courage 
Mitt Romney's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
What is interesting is the current punditry on the veepstakes. The McCain pundits are saying he needs a VP that will brighten his image given his age. The Obama pundits are saying he mustn’t pick a VP that dims his brightness.
The Obama camp is still afraid of Hillary Clinton even having taken the nomination. Itdoesn’t matter that she is out of the race; it does matter that they keep working the message of Obama Girl that his image needs to be protected. That’s a real fear and a real weakness that can be exploited: rock stars can’t lose the bad boy image or they become working stiffs.
Posted by: len | June 9, 2008, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
len writes:
“What is interesting is the current punditry on the veepstakes.”
Well, both “presumptive” candidates claim to be “post-partisans”, so maybe they could SHARE Neil Bush for VP — he’s younger than McCain, not as pretty as Obama (and any dimming of the Anointed One’s “brightness”, however marginal THAT may be, shouldn’t be a problem, either).
Posted by: Belle Starr | June 9, 2008, 9:59 pm 9:59 pm
Len,
Ditto, Obama’s rock star days are starting to dwindle, he and his troops know longer have Hillary to pummel to show how bad he really is. All he and his camp can do is figure out ways to attack McCain with sly insults aimed at his POW and war hero status. Obama certainly doesn’t have any sense about the economy to discuss, but except for the no pork position, McCain doesn’t either. No pork may do it, though. Somebody has to put a stop to runaway government before we turn into a third world country ruled by anarchy.
=======================================
Don’t blame me, I’m not voting for Obama or McCain.
=======================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | June 9, 2008, 10:03 pm 10:03 pm
Belle Star,
Surely you are not serious. Another Bush would be a complete poison pill for McCain. The rest of the Bushes are going to have to wait forty years before they get another shot at a top spot, and then it will be a long shot.
=======================================
End the madness, Hillary Clinton/Bloomberg Write-in 2008
=======================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | June 9, 2008, 10:07 pm 10:07 pm
The problem of the economy as an issue is it is like sitting at a crowded table eating an expensive meal; the crowd blames the restaurant, the waiter is asking if anyone wants more, the chef wants a compliment but no one wants to pick up the check.
Obama’s weakness is he projects the feminization of America and that isn’t a sexist or racial issue. It is leftist and this is a right-center country except for the millenials and they aren’t nearly as large a voting bloc as the baby boomers who are increasingly conservative and had enough of rock stars about the time hip-hop was born.
Posted by: len | June 9, 2008, 10:14 pm 10:14 pm
The reality check is :
McCain will beat Obama in november.
Over 60% of the register voters didn’t
vote on primaries.Most of them were
whites.To get real data check the register voters of each state.
Most of those voters will vote McCain.
I believe McCain will win landslide
in november.
Posted by: Independent | June 9, 2008, 10:20 pm 10:20 pm
WestCoastMessenger:
George W. Bush should actively campaign for John McCain. McCain is going to need all the financial backing he can muster if he is to win California, and Bush is his star supporter. Just imagine how many people would flock to a dinner / fund raiser with the current President! McCain is really missing an important opportunity.
Obama just keeps talking about issues. Let him. McCain needs to raise money for his campaign. He can’t be bothered with issues now. If he could get G.W. Bush to do his campaigning for him, he’d have time to fend off Obama’s arguments about the current issues.
McCain is running on a platform of continuing Bush’s policies; so why not take advantage of it? Capitalize on the successes of the Bush era and have G.W. Bush help him campaign.
Posted by: Marie33 | June 9, 2008, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
Just looked at the PowerPoint. I don’t think Obama Girl is going to be able to put together anything that looks like real data. Also, Obama’s campaign works by the seat of their pants and off of luck, so the lucky days may be over now that they are up against the machine that has won 70% of the last 10 elections. Not looking good for the Dems since Hillary was shot down. I suppose the mistake can be rectified come 2012.
========================================
Hillary/Bloombert Write-in 2008
========================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | June 9, 2008, 10:25 pm 10:25 pm
i will make sure mccain has that kind of money. hillary or bust!
Posted by: kurt | June 9, 2008, 10:27 pm 10:27 pm
The Republican InstantPundits are kinda missing the point. This election isn’t the 2004 election. The issues are different. Character assassination with one-line distortions won’t be effective like they were with Kerry.
This election isn’t about Obama. Or McCain. Its about us. America. The Economy. Health Care. Education.
Perhaps your polls about the limited turnout by younger voters is correct. Perhaps not.
Baby Boomers are a different group, however. Contrary to the Republican belief, Baby Boomers aren’t easily led around by the nose and automatically vote along party lines. Baby Boomers are some of the most informed people and capable of making their own choices. Surprise, that choice will be made on the issues, not on defamatory labels.
Posted by: Albert | June 9, 2008, 10:34 pm 10:34 pm
“Character assassination with one-line distortions won’t be effective like they were with Kerry”
To be character assasination, there must be character in the first place.
Voting ‘present’ everytime there’s some defining issue, throwing family and friends under the bus as you go along, playing the victim while your surrogates play the race card, where’s the character?
Posted by: P.U.M.A. Dem | June 9, 2008, 10:44 pm 10:44 pm
P.U.M.A. Dem,
Are you talking about McCain? I’m surprised you make such negative comments about the Republican Candidate.
Posted by: Albert | June 9, 2008, 10:46 pm 10:46 pm
Senator John Sidney McCain: Our 44th US President
U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., graduated 1958 near the bottom of his class. The yearbook said: “Sturdy conversationalist and party man. John’s quick wit and clever sarcasm made him a welcome man at any gathering.
Grades: McCain: “I never got good grades.”
Posted by: jesse | June 9, 2008, 10:53 pm 10:53 pm
Gee Jake
If you take the combined RNC and recent McCain funds and put them together…and if you take the Obama and the DNC funds and put them together aren’t they pretty close at cash on hand?
Also did you notice that Clinton won many states where she was outspent 3-4 to 1…And Mitt Romney lost despite the fact that he was spending more than anyone.
I know that the DNC thinks that money will buy them this election…but I’m not convinced of it.
Posted by: Jackie | June 10, 2008, 12:05 am 12:05 am
Keep on trucking West Coast….
No Bama 2008. Hey what happens to write in votes?
Posted by: Jackie | June 10, 2008, 12:11 am 12:11 am
I will not vote for anyone this November. I don’t like McCain, but I know that I detest Obama. I can tolerate four more years of Mccain and wait for Hillary in 2012.
Posted by: Amy | June 10, 2008, 12:12 am 12:12 am
McCain is kidding himself if he believe California, Connecticut and New Jersey will go Red.
There’s a reason NC, VA, MS etc Southern States are swing states this year. The AA vote. If there’s a HIGH turnout of AA for Obama we might see a landslide for Obama.
Posted by: Vanessa | June 10, 2008, 12:46 am 12:46 am
Anybody got the numbers from the DNC for the amount of people that have changed party in the last week?
McCain 08!
Posted by: Vickie | June 10, 2008, 12:58 am 12:58 am
Also did you notice that Clinton won many states where she was outspent 3-4 to 1
———————
Amy, you missed the point. Obama kept spending so Hillary would have to spend as well. She was broke early on, so Hillary had to pull money from states she couldn’t win to keep up with Obama in the ones she could. He was then able to spend in states where she had pulled her resources. That’s how Obama made up delegates – by increasing his margins in states he won. He used this strategy and negated wins in PA etc…
Not trying to diss Sen Clinton, but her campaign was poorly managed early on and they spent frivilously to impress the old school big donors.
It’s about strategy and Obama’s campaign was outstanding in the primary.
They’ll take it to McCain a different way because the GE is a different type of election. But McCain will be easier to beat. As much as people think the country is split, the vast majority are fed up with the GOP and how they’ve run this nation into the ground just to benefit the select few in the top tier.
Posted by: The Reason | June 10, 2008, 1:26 am 1:26 am
“This election isn’t about Obama. Or McCain. Its about us. America. The Economy. Health Care. Education.”
( POSTED BY ALBERT )
EXACTLY!!!
Who we really need is HILLARY!.
But the broken DNC decided early on that we should try someone new and refreshing…. someone who has NEVER won a “clean” election in his adopted state of Illinois, someone who has an abundance of Pastors to cling to .. then subsequently toss under the bus along with his typical white grandmother!
Someone who uses his magnetism to draw a questionable complement of unsavory associates such as Raila Odinga (for whom he campaigned during his rather bloody election in Kenya ), Rashid Khalidi, Reverend Meeks, Nachmi Auchi,
William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.
Oh yes… don’t exclude Jermemiah Wright; I;m sure he’ll be back in the picture as soon as the primary is over.
Was the 15,000,000 dollars which had been ear-marked for Obama’s church used to pay Wright off?
He received a $10,000,000 pension plus a spanking new multi-million dollar home
And what about separation of church and state? Is this part of the change Obama always calls for?
How about the $1,000,000 earmarked for Michelle’s employer…. and the hefty raise she was granted in appreciation of same? Does that sound kosher to you?
And how can you compare B O’s health plant with Hillary’s?
Hillary’s covers 100 percent of our citizens; his leaves 15,000,000 people out in tthe cold!
And what unique ideas has Bozo come up with to jumpstart the economy…I mean ideas that you haven’t heard elsewhere?
Face it!
The DNC is broken!
Hillary none the less won the popular vote!
The DNC is still trying to force-feed us a nominee who is sorely lacking in the qualities many of us require in a candidate…… like the ability to think and talk sensibly on the spot and without the benefit of a teleprompter!
If we cannot have Hillary then
I, at least feel no compunction to
cross the political line and vote for
McCain.
What would be truly wonderful, if she would go along with it, would be for her to accept the vice presidency under Mccain! That WOULD be a dream team!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!!!
Posted by: questioner | June 10, 2008, 1:30 am 1:30 am
I’d love to see a McCain/Clinton ticket!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!!!
Posted by: EYES EXTREMELY WIDE OPEN | June 10, 2008, 1:55 am 1:55 am
Sorry, but there will be no President Clinton. Not in 2008.
Sen Clinton 2012? Not happening either. The Dems will not want a repeat of this primary.
We’ll either have an incumbant President (which is likely), or I suppose you can hope that the “I told you so” vendictive vote is enough to get McCain elected.
But electing McCain will not help Sen Clinton in 2012.
Obama IS the nominee by all counts. The majority of Dems will remember the person who stayed in the race with mathematically no chance of winning and caused enough devisiveness to cost us an election. You don’t have to agree with the rationale, but you can be sure it won’t be Obama they blame. If you’re voting McCain, it’s your fault, not Obama’s, that we lost.
Barack EARNED the nomination by geting more votes, more states, more pledged delegates, and more super delegates.
Sen Clinton has no claim to the nomination except perhaps the extortionist tactics of her supporters -the “I’ll vote McCain and show you” crowd. Do you really think the rest of the Dems will vote for Hillary in 2012 if they caused us to lose in 2008? Not a chance that will happen no matter how much you want it.
If you really want a woman President, get someone like Kathleen Sebelius to run and you might get her in the White House. But it won’t be another Clinton.
QUESTIONER, you’re living in fantasyland. Hillary (and Bill) are HATED by the GOP. Did you forget she started this campaign with a 50% negative rating? Where do you think the majority of that 50% comes from?
OBAMA 08!
Posted by: The Reason | June 10, 2008, 2:03 am 2:03 am
John McCain “Experience” and “Judgement”
“There’s not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shiahs. So I think they can probably get along.” [MSNBC, 4/23/03]
” I believe that the success will be fairly easy,” [CNN, 9/24/02]
“We’re not going to get into house-to-house fighting in Baghdad.” [CNN, 9/29/02]
“But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” [MSNBC, 1/22/03]
“But I believe that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.” [NBC, 3/20/03]
“It’s clear that the end is very much in sight.” [ABC, 4/9/03]
“This is a mission accomplished.” [This Week, ABC, 12/14/03]
OLD IS NOT THE SAME AS WISE
Posted by: The Reason | June 10, 2008, 2:05 am 2:05 am
You got video or audio of McCain calling his wife a bad name? Then sorry, that won’t work. Nice try though.
However we have plenty of video of Obama’s best pals calling whites all sorts of names.
And that’s why he’s toast.
Posted by: Jo | June 10, 2008, 2:07 am 2:07 am
Obama has already embarrassed himself by choosing Eric Holder (of Marc Rich pardon fame) to help him find a VP.
Obama’s judgment is unfreakinbelievable.
Posted by: Jo | June 10, 2008, 2:08 am 2:08 am
However we have plenty of video of Obama’s best pals calling whites all sorts of names.
————-
Really? Where? Let’s see them!
What? You don’t want to show them? No one has actually seen them? There’s not a single post ANYWHERE that has them?Oh, let me guess, you’re “saving” them?
Uh, Sure. Whatever you say. Urban legend number 341.
Posted by: Robin | June 10, 2008, 2:16 am 2:16 am
>> The Reason | Jun 10, 2008 2:03:37 AM:
Bill Clinton will go down in history as one of the best presidents we have ever had.
If anything, Obama might make his name as the Knight of the Second Civil War.
Do NOT say that Hillary has no claim to this election; she DID win the popular vote : Hillary: 17,802,135
BARACK : 17,501,999
This was the final count with Michigan and Florida included.
AND yes….. I understand that people don’t count in the Democratic party… only DELEGATES do, and delegates can and DO sell their “power” (our votes) to the highest bidder ..
But NO. I don’t think this is the scenario our founding fathers dreamed about when they set up this “more perfect union:…
The DNC is broken.
The Media should be ashamed of itself!
Hillary was the best of the candidates.
I will not vote for a nominee who has been force fed to this party.
But I will vote!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY!!!
Posted by: EYES EXTREMELY WIDE OPEN | June 10, 2008, 2:29 am 2:29 am
Wow, are the American people so dumb they can be bought? Obama outspent Hillary in Ohio, Penn, WV, KY, etc and he still lost those states. Matter of fact the “presumptive” nominee lost the last 9 out of 14 primaries….what a winner…limping over the finish line with the help of super delegates.
THIS PRESIDENCY WILL NOT BE BOUGHT BY OBAMA’S BILLIONAIRE LIBERALS.
VOTE McCAIN!!!
Posted by: Debra | June 10, 2008, 2:50 am 2:50 am
For those who want to use abortion issue to scare demos for McCain, here are some facts to consider.
In a 1999 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, McCain said, “I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America” to undergo “illegal and dangerous operations.”
George W. Bush turned that statement against him in the 2000 race for the GOP nomination. The National Right to Life Committee ran ads denouncing McCain — one reason he lost the important South Carolina primary to Bush.
Posted by: Amy | June 10, 2008, 3:19 am 3:19 am
Urban legend about McCain calling Cindy a horrible slur….supply audio please. Meanwhile we have volumes on Obama’s audio negatives…and the one we’re all waiting to drop too….Michelle using the term “whitey” with Mrs. Farrakhan in Trinity. It’s under Republican lock and key until two weeks before 11/3.
Posted by: Debra | June 10, 2008, 3:25 am 3:25 am
McCain has a very proven track record. He has truly been a maverick who reached across the aisle….he has risked his own standing as a Republican to stand up for his own principles….
McCain vs Obama…I’ll take the hero over the poser any time!
NoBama
Posted by: Jackie | June 10, 2008, 3:28 am 3:28 am
This is a blog about McCain and yet the HRC WHINERS CLUB still feels the need to cry – or is “find their voice” what it’s called now. I’d hate to “misspeak”.
LET ME HELP YOU:
WE MUST BLAME EVERYONE ELSE
It’s Obama’s fault
It’s the DNC’s fault
It’s Mark Penn’s fault
It’s the right wing conspiracy’s fault
It’s the left wing conspiracy’s fault
It’s Howard Dean’s fault
It’s the FL & MI delegations’ fault
It’s the African American’s fault
It’s the educated voters’ fault
It’s the radical’s fault
It’s the caucus’ fault
It’s the students’ fault
It’s Bill’s fault
It’s the media’s fault
It’s the primary systems’ fault
It’s sexist America’s fault
It’s those mean Reverends’ fault
It’s Move On’s fault – New one from Bill yesterday
It’s the Rules Committee’s fault
Actually, it’s the MAJORITY of VOTERS, states, pledged delegates, and super delegates who did not want Hillary as the nominee. Blame them!
Posted by: The Reason | June 10, 2008, 6:41 am 6:41 am
HRC is gone, out, stepped down, whatever you want to call it.
Enough already!
Posted by: SERIOUSLY! | June 10, 2008, 7:02 am 7:02 am
Obama® became popular because he became a brand name. He was advertised, hyped up, and sold to us like any crappy, obnoxious song they play over and over on the radio. Eventually, after so much bombardment, everyone gets in line. It’s really sad.
Posted by: I can't stand that song | June 10, 2008, 8:17 am 8:17 am
“The majority of Dems will remember the person who stayed in the race with mathematically no chance of winning and caused enough devisiveness to cost us an election.”
Nope. It doesn’t work that way. People remember the most recent events and they become nostalgic for missed opportunities. Obama will increasingly be seen as the candidate of generational warfare and divisive politics. Clinton did win the majority and that will be remembered because people dwell on hurts longer.
Clinton will rise in popularity even as Obama plunges. McCain is the beneficiary of that in the short term. Obama will be the second term of Jimmy Carter and that guarantees 8 to 12 years of Republicans in the White House should Obama manage a win.
Posted by: len | June 10, 2008, 9:03 am 9:03 am
len wrote:
Obama will increasingly be seen as the candidate of generational warfare and divisive politics.
—-
Please explain. How?
Posted by: D | June 10, 2008, 9:29 am 9:29 am
OBAMA 08!
Posted by: Robert Justice | June 10, 2008, 9:48 am 9:48 am
I don’t understand why Obama gets criticized for being a “rock star” when Bill Clinton held the SAME STATUS, SAME ADULATION, back in the day.And before anyone really knew who he was.
Posted by: 1600 | June 10, 2008, 9:56 am 9:56 am
Bill Clinton’s style is very different. He is a small town guy and he is more about human connection. BHO is the cultist style. He behaves as if he is a god. It makes me think of some kind of magic attraction on the crowd and I just hate that kind of thing.
It would be interesting to find out where the money comes from for BHO campaigning. I don’t believe it’s only from small donors.
As one blogger put it, in a time when people have to cut down on expenses, it seems like they are very generous for BHO.
Anyway I ended up reading on the website the story of Mc Cain during his POW years in Hanoi prisons, and it seems very clear that he knows what patriotism is all about. He is a safe value, when it comes down to this; compared to BHO who we don’t know he is for sure.
How can the press and media not dig more into this issue to give more examination of his true character, his real thinking ?
Don’t people realize that they are going to vote for a candidate who will detain all the secret records of the United States?
When is the press going to do their jobs for good?
Posted by: jane | June 10, 2008, 10:43 am 10:43 am
McCain-Romney is the Republican ticket. Romney fills the gaps and compliments McCain. Romney is well liked with young voters. Mitt’s economic prowess will prove useful to recover from our recession. McCain can focus on resolve abroad and make homeland safe. More importantly the republican ticket needs to inspire. After McCain and Romney set solid goals for our country they will inspire leadership and excite our country. Romney would also bring more campaign money to sell the republican ticket and compete with Obama.
Posted by: KennethWE | June 11, 2008, 5:10 pm 5:10 pm
No matter how hard I try, I can NEVER explain why so many voters consider McCain’s 5-1/2 years as a Viet Cong POW any qualification for POTUS. So you get incarcerated, beaten up, deprived of food, and tortured.
How does this experience help in solving the housing crisis, the economic downturn, soaring gas prices, or global warming?
Any person with a thimble-sized brain would also realize that to address the Iran nuclear issue, Hamas, or Iraq, you need diplomatic skills and an understanding on the international issues, BUT NOT A MILITARY RESUME!!!
Posted by: Beelzebub | June 11, 2008, 6:43 pm 6:43 pm