WiKiLeaks: John McCain US Presidential election Clinton strategy (2008)

[Ichingcarpenter]

Analysis
Divide and conquer: McCain's plan to wrest Clintonion women from Obama?

Summary

The document, dated May 15, 2008, and disowned by the McCain campaign team, presents a memorandum by 'S. Schmidt', likely Steven Schmidt, McCain's senior campaign advisor. It outlines a strategy designed to increase rivalry between followers of the Democratic Party candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Several specific techniques are described including organizing Clinton "meet-ups" (http://hrclinton.meetup.com/).

The memo appears to have been sent to a wider McCain campaign team group which focussed on internet based campaigning.

According to the memo, conflict between Clinton and Obama has created the possibility, on the event of an Obama nomination, to 'depress the turnout of key Democratic demographics in November'.

To reach voters consisting mainly of 'white, female voters over the age of 40', a strategy has been worked out, based on newly tested 'lines of attack through independent pro-Clinton communities on the Internet', 'local "meet-ups"', and similar means.

The document identifies three messages believed to 'resonate well' with the demographic and which it hopes will weaken Obama's growth following Clinton's loss of the nomination.




http://secure.wikileaks.org/wiki/John_McCain_US_Presidential_election_Clinton_strategy

[anonymous171]

1. Maybe McCain should focus more on his own dwindling constituency.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. He is ...... that's what the memo addresses

[cbc5g]

2. We have to accept the possibility that 10-15% of those who voted for Hillary won't vote for Obama

But other factors are in play that will help Obama out. I know a few over 60 die hard Hill supporters that STILL believe something will happen that will make Hillary the nominee, and if shes not they won't vote. I'm not sure why it's only the over 50 over 60 women and not the younger.

[FrenchieCat]

5. McCain's fundie base went to Barr......

so he needs Die Hard Hillary supporters to make up that ground.

Ironic that McCunt can get women mad because a woman didn't get the Dem Nomination to vote for him....the Warmongering NeoCon AntiChoice candidate. It would be funny if it wasn't so tragic.

[Elspeth]

4. McCain wouldn't have a chance in hell with this demographic if Barack and the DNC hadn't alienated

women in this age group. And McCain took advantage of the fact that Dean and Barack left their asses hanging out.

[MagickMuffin]

6. Oh please, that is such nonsense

I have watched every rally that C-SPAN airs and there are always plenty of older women at Barack rallies.

I happen to be one of them. White 50 yo Texan Delegate for Obama.




FIRED UP AND READY TO GO!

[Elspeth]

7. Were you watching Saturday? Obama's ass is hangin' out there like piece of laundry.

And John McCain is taking advantage.

You can thank Howard Dean and Donna Brazille.

[MagickMuffin]

9. Was I watching what, the RBC meeting or Obama's rally?.?.?

I watched the RBC hearings and I don't have a problem how the men and women made their decision.

I was disappointed in how the audience behaved. I think it was a bad idea to allow their presence, they obviously didn't know how to behave, and made OUR Party like bad.

The hearings were NOT a sporting event, but it appeared that way with the audience becoming disruptive. Hillary should have followed Obama's lead and asked her supporters NOT to show up and make ASSES of her, her campaign, and the Democratic Party.

And and BTW, I DO THANK HOWARD DEAN AND DONNA BRAZILLE FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP (even tho I have never been that fond of Ms. Brazille she showed some courage in adhering to the Democratic Party Rules) it made me PROUD to be a Democrat.

[crickets]

11. Hardly.

A few hundred bussed in, a few like racist Harriet Christian who 'lost control' in the moment.

Did you miss this?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6174065

Oh, that's just DU. What about the real world?
http://www.kval.com/news/local/19059349.html

Well, there's alienation for you. Couldn't possibly be women in "this age group" in that crowd, eh?

Howard Dean has done very, very well for Democrats with his 50 state strategy, and Donna Brazile did an admirable job of pointing out the importance of honoring the rules at the RBC meeting. They're doing their best for their party and their country.

Obama has no problem reaching out and connecting to every age group. There are certain demographics that won't respond, and McCain can bluster about 'reaching' them all he likes. They were 'his' to begin with, and not because of his political platform. He can have the Harriet Christians. Really.

[Youphemism]

8. This isn't news. They've been trying to exploit that here for a long time.

It just takes McCain a lot longer to figure out this newfangled internet thing, and those "whizbang computers you kids have nowadays."

Republicans have been doing this a long time. Whether or not this particular memo leak is real, you can bet McCain & Co. will be trying to exploit this issue.

It just takes a while for strategies involving electricity to overcome the Old Fart Factor.

[Swamp Rat]

10. He'll use his boyish charm, I'm sure.

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. And Bush's own Men to do it.

The McCain Memo

Congratulations to whomever leaked this memo to Wikileaks; it highlights so many things about the McCain campaign that has been obfuscated by the MSM focusing on the race for the Democratic Nomination. You can find the full details of the memo on the right hand side under the download section and it should take approximately 10 seconds to download. The memo was written by S.Schmidt whom we all know as Steve Schmidt, a senior advisor to Senator McCain’s political campaign:

Continuing his raid on the top talent from President Bush’s 2004 reelection bid, Sen. John McCain has signed Steve Schmidt as a senior adviser to his presidential campaign-in-waiting.

“It’s a great honor to join Senator McCain’s team,” said Schmidt in a brief interview today.
John Weaver, McCain’s top political strategist, called Schmidt “simply the best,” adding: “If this were a baseball team, he’d bat in the number four slot.”

Schmidt will play a leading role in message development and strategy if — as is likely — McCain transitions from his current exploratory effort to a full-fledged presidential race.

Mr. Schmidt is your typical political consultant who knows how to play the game better than the politicians themselves. In an interview with pajamasmedia.com, he mentions his belief that the American voters are smart enough to not believe the democratic smear campaign against Senator John McCain regarding his Iraq comment: “”President Bush has talked about our staying for 50 years, maybe 100. We’ve been in Japan for 60 years, in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine….”




But we know this is how they play the game.

[NJmaverick]

13. It's a screwed up world where a guy that refered to his wife as a c**t, thinks he can

win over progressive women.

[Adelante]

14. Even more screwed up when he can nt