Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
Newser - Current News - Breaking Stories

SPONSORED NEWS ARCHIVE

McCain Campaign Meets Joe the Blame Spreader.(John McCain)(Brief article)

Article from: U.S. News & World Report Article date: November 04, 2008 Author: Bedard, Paul

Byline: Paul Bedard

Bracing for a wave of finger-pointing should Sen. John McCain lose today's presidential election, friends and associates are making the case that the political environment coupled with the Republican's background in foreign policy undercut the campaign, not bumbling by aides. "The macro environment was so bad," says a campaign ally. "Bush is unpopular, McCain is a foreign policy guy, and there is the Obama phenomenon." Another McCain associate noted that before the financial crisis, the senator was up in the polls. But after the crisis hit, the campaign ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.
Newser gathers stories from across the web and packs what you need to know into about 120 words.
Check out these stories related to your search. Visit our grid for the latest news.

'Sergeant Schmidt' to Whip McCain Camp Into Shape

Posted Jul 3, 08 9:58 AM CDT in Politics 

'Sergeant Schmidt' to Whip McCain Camp Into Shape
Source: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

(Newser) – The man Karl Rove nicknamed "Bullet" and John McCain calls "Sergeant Schmidt" has taken over day-to-day control of McCain's campaign, and his no-nonsense style is expected to make an immediate impact, Politico reports. Steve Schmidt, a hardworking veteran of the Bush and Schwarzenegger campaigns, is famed for his forceful manner and ability to inspire fierce loyalty among aides.

“He’s fearless, and he understands how all the different parts of the campaign need to come together,” says a former McCain staffer. “He’s part teacher, part manager. People are flocking back to the campaign to work for him.” A new, clearer line of attack for McCain is expected with Schmidt running campaign HQ, but some Democrats think his close ties to Bush could be the chink in the sergeant's armor.

Source: Politico

More about:  John McCain • Republican • campaign adviser • Steve Schmidt • Rick Davis • campaign manager

MORE RELATED NEWSER STORIES
ANALYSIS

Shuffle Atop McCain Team Yields Combative New Boss

Steve Schmidt takes day-to-day reins from Rick Davis, who'll focus on big picture

Politico Politico Jul 2, 08 3:46 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain has ordered a shake-up at the helm of his campaign operation, Politico reports, with top aide Steve Schmidt taking day-to-day control from manager Rick Davis, whose focus will shift to the big picture. Schmidt, known for an aggressive style honed on President Bush's and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election battles, started with a fiery speech reminiscent of Rudy . More »

More about:  John McCain • Steve Schmidt • Rick Davis • campaign manager • Charlie Black

ANALYSIS

How Revolving Narratives Swamped Would-Be Narrator

McCain's move from tactic to tactic resulted in confused overall strategy

New York Times New York Times Oct 23, 08 4:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain’s campaign has gone through a dizzying number of narratives, as Robert Draper outlines in the New York Times . Draper looks inside a dysfunctional operation driven by two quarreling old McCain friends (Rick Davis and speechwriter Mark Salter), and the Rovian outsider who reconciled them (Steve Schmidt). The troika has engineered at least six separate messages because, one insider said, “we still couldn’t answer the question ‘Why elect John McCain?’” More »

More about:  Election 2008 • John McCain • Sarah Palin • McCain 2008 • campaign staff • Steve Schmidt • Rick Davis • Mark Salter • Robert Draper

ANALYSIS

'Bullet' Mixes Rove-Style Bile, Gambling for Stretch Run

Steve Schmidt, brought aboard in July, has made daring part of McCain campaign

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Oct 6, 08 12:56 PM CDT
(Newser) - While pundits might disagree about results, there’s no doubt John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin and his move to suspend his campaign over the bailout are huge gambles that can be traced to strategist Steve Schmidt, the Los Angeles Times reports. Nicknamed “Bullet” by strategist Karl Rove, Schmidt is recycling tactics he used in leading George W. Bush’s “war room” in 2004. More »

More about:  Barack Obama • Election 2008 • John McCain • Sarah Palin • Dick Cheney • Arnold Schwarzenegger • John Kerry • Paris Hilton • campaign tactics • Steve Schmidt • campaign manager


Other Politics Stories