Mike Murphy leaves the reservation; exposes GOP conventional wisdom that McCain is blowing it

[VolcanoJen]

This is pretty interesting, and should really make us feel confident going forward. Murphy is absolutely right: What in the hell was McCain doing in Iowa? Who in the hell is running this campaign? Even Joe Scarborough this morning suggested that the McCain Campaign is on autopilot and his staff went down to DisneyWorld for the month.

:rofl:

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/10/des_moines_register.html

As a former general in the GOP, I get a lot of emails from various operative types around the country. Many are old comrades from the forgotten wars of old Republican statewide campaigns. Unlike the well meaning but under-experienced six month wonders who seem to populate most of the GOP campaign apparat in Washington of late, these salty old pros have years of experience out in the field actually winning campaigns for our side, especially during the Republican glory years of the 90's when we held about every Governor's office in the country worth holding, as well as the House and Senate. Most are sidelined this time. And almost to a person they are dismayed by what they see as the stunning lack of competence in the McCain operation. One very smart consultant who knows McCain well sent me a link this morning to the video of McCain at Des Moines Register Editorial board interview. Set aside whatever you think of McCain's interview; this operative's point was purely technical and dead on correct:

What the Hell was McCain even doing there in the first place?

1.) Obama is going to win Iowa.

2.) Editorial board meetings are usually pure trouble to begin with and result only in newspaper endorsements that persuade very few voters beyond the immediate family members of the editorial board.

3.) Within the rarified category of newspaper editorial boards, the Des Moines Register is one of the most liberal in the country. I'm rather surprised that halfway through the McCain interview they failed to switch over to Esperanto, the peace-loving language of all nations.

So, 35 days left and McCain is in Iowa? Why put McCain in the wrong state, at the wrong place? No surprise the result is the wrong message and the wrong tone.

:rofl:

[grantcart]

1. McCain should go back and try to win Iowa some more

just don't give up John go back.

[VolcanoJen]

4. I mean, really!!!

And does McCain actually think the Des Moines Register editorial board is gonna endorse him? And that it would even mean anything if they did???

My friends, The Wheels Are Off The Straight Talk Express.

[damntexdem]

5. And be sure to take on the Des Moines Register while you're there.

In fact, attack ALL of the local media.

[Cha]

9. Mr Magoo in a

cornfield. At the Debate when john mccain was looking around everywhere but Obama's eyes he looked like a lost Mr Magoo.

[wileedog]

11. Ha! From the comments:

"He advocated going into Iraq to punish al Qaeda, so why not go into Iowa to try and win Florida?"

Perfect.

[WheelWalker]

17. Rudy told him he couldn't win Florida if he didn't run in Iowa.

[blondeatlast]

22. Oh, sa-naaap! nt

[blondeatlast]

21. I'm in for $5 if he does; heck yes! nt

[grantcart]

2. .

[bluestateguy]

3. Murphy didn't join the campaign because he hates the Rove people that McCain brought on board

There is some bitterness there.

[TexasObserver]

6. Murphy has been speaking more truth than most of the GOP talking heads.

He's right. This McCain campaign is the most scatter brained presidential campaign since Mondale's. I love Fritz and worked some in that one, but dayam! He was all over the damn place, and seemed to do the same thing I see McCain doing. He'd have some great idea and run with it, but like McCain's gimmicks, they didn't work.

"He won't tell you he'll raise your taxes. I just did."

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

[Bullet1987]

7. They're lost...that's what they are

They don't know how to handle this economy issue, and they're blowing it. They also are still suffering from a bad debate for McJoke and a likely equally bad one for Palin...if not worse (ignoring the media "spin"). They have made some really dumb mistakes post-Convention.

[Cha]

8. Rec'd. Murphy is the one who got caught with the mic left on..

along with Peggy Noonan. I forget which one said "bullshit" about the mccain vp choice..maybe it was Murphy?:)

When mccain was on morningjoe's the time he accused mika of being an "Obama supporter"..they finished up the interview and Murphy came on to talk to mccain after this "bullshit" incident. By that time I'd had enough of mccain so I didn't see anymore than them saying "hello" but I imagine mccain was more than pissed at Mike Murphy by then.

[VolcanoJen]

12. Oh wow, I forgot about that!

Nice catch, zidzi!!! I think Noonan said "bullshit" and Murphy said "it's over!"

[Cha]

15. Shame on Peggy..

}( Thanks for setting the record straight, Jen:bounce:

[rvablue]

10. I thought the same thing when they had Palin in Philly for two days.

USELESS.

Meanwhile Obama's all over every swing state. Hill's in Ohio. Bill's in FLA.

[cui bono]

25. I don't know about useless. She got to talk about her Pakistan policy.

:rofl:

[SuperTrouper]

13. Remember that it was Murphy and Foul-mouhted Peggy Noonan who panned Palin

when she was picked...we all could hear the open microphone when they were with Chuck Toad.

[TheDonkey]

14. they cannot afford to let him loose in battlegrounds to further deplete his lead

McTroll and Palin are now scourges in themselves. Palin will be coming to Los Angeles, CA next week. Yea, that makes A LOT of sense.

[PCIntern]

18. Palin's gong to CA? Why not then send McCain to NYC?

He could campaign in Harlem...yeah, that's the ticket.

[VolcanoJen]

20. You have GOT to be freaking kidding me!!!

McCain goes to IOWA and Palin goes to CALIFORNIA????

I assume she's going there for some kind of fundraiser, but who the hell knows at this point? Man, this campaign checked out on September 15th and I really don't think they're coming back!!

Clown shoes, I tell you. McCain/Palin are CLOWN SHOES.

[Forkboy]

16. As a Red Dwarf fan I take offense to the knock on Esperanto.

x(

[Hieronymus]

19. The old dude got testy ... we're seeing that temper we were told about.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

23. Read the comments: "Pretend you just went to break on MSNBC and give us your honest answer."

That was funny.

[PATRICK]

24. Meltdown mode

is really confirmed and McCain's character I am sure amplifies the situation a hundredfold. Nobly losing Dems smetimes made a bravura effort in states they could not afford to waste time in during this narrow period before the desperate dash to avert electoral doom. But Iowa? He needed to make bold strides in bigger population states, but that would even look worse. The GOP in this position finds itself in an embarassing electoral switch compared to Dems. It has to cobble together all those tiny, broad geographic expanse, spread out media market small and intermediate states while trying to to contest the big battleground states. For Dems, the big population state advantage at least means a good shot at the popular vote overall and concentrating their money. The GOP must take all other states for granted in this strategy and have the luxury of casting its big money into those few battleground states.

Reversing that is worse than a Dem meltdown on an epochal scale. Internal signs would be dismayed, disgruntled shipjumpers switching their high beams on to their own future. It might have been interesting watching Palin deliberately upstaging McCain to launch her future bid, but her Troopergate woes and bungling make even low profile retreats hard to game.

[Divine Discontent]

26. hey, with a brain like that, to know he's in the wrong place, he should be on our side

he must be a bigot! lol

when I heard McSame was going to Iowa I thought, HUH???? WHYYYYY? LOL