Must Read from Politico: Excerpt from 'Why McCain is Going Negative, So Often'

[flpoljunkie]

Worth reading in its entirety. Love the euphemism 'lean forward!'

Why McCain is going so negative, so often
By: Jonathan Martin

September 13, 2008

McCain seems to have made a choice that many politicians succumb to but that he had always promised to avoid — he appears ready to do whatever it takes to win, even it if soils his reputation.

“We recognize it’s not going to be 2000 again,” McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said, alluding to the media’s swooning coverage of McCain’s ill-fated crusade against then-Gov. George W. Bush and the GOP establishment. “But he lost then. We’re running a campaign to win. And we’re not too concerned about what the media filter tries to say about it.”

Rogers, who hung tough with McCain through the dark days of the primary and has lived through every high and low of this turbulent and unpredictable race, argues that they tried to run a high-ground campaign and sought to keep the candidate in front of the media in the fashion he enjoys. His point: No one paid any attention.

“We ran a different kind of campaign and nobody cared about us. They didn’t cover John McCain. So now you’ve got to be forward-leaning in everything,” he said.

Rogers concedes that they were understandably overshadowed by the historic Democratic primary through June, but contends that even after the general election began they could get attention only when McCain committed a gaffe.

“When he’s sitting in back of a bus and getting questions about Viagra, I think we understand at that point you’ve got to make some tactical adjustments,” he said, recalling a particularly awkward gotcha-of-the-day moment on McCain’s bus in early July.

A senior adviser to the campaign echoed Rogers’ point: “Some of the traditional tactics we did for a long time weren’t working, so we adjusted.”

So instead of doing things the traditional McCain way, they tried out the Steve Schmidt way.

more...

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=59999227-18FE-70B2-A843A61B46DCD096

[featherman]

1. Delusional... the media LOVED McCain in 2000

[pdxmom]

2. This is the line that stood out to me:

“We recognize it’s not going to be 2000 again,” McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said, alluding to the media’s swooning coverage of McCain’s ill-fated crusade against then-Gov. George W. Bush and the GOP establishment. “But he lost then. We’re running a campaign to win. And we’re not too concerned about what the media filter tries to say about it.”

In other words, they're going to lie and smear and lie some more and they don't really care that they're being called out on it. They will continue to do it. They are going to attack the media, to further limit their influence, and they'll lie about them, too. Whatever it takes to win.

So much for integrity, Sen. McCain. So much for honor. Just another KKKarl Rove puppet.

[City Lights]

6. That's right. McPalin *is* the BushCheney of 2000.

In eight years, he's morphed into everything he hated about Bush.

John Sydney McCain III is a dishonorable man.

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. He knows this is his last shot, so he's willing to flush his brand down the shitter to try for a win

I say we toss him down the shitter along with his brand and his secretary.

[Cha]

4. Impossible to tell john mccain

from a pile of old steaming shit. And, he's always got a fuckin' excuse for why he lives in the gutter.

[rockymountaindem]

5. At least they learn their lessons

Dems, on the other hand...

[flpoljunkie]

7. This is not 2004 and Obama is not John Kerry. Hell, John Kerry is not the old John Kerry, either!

We are going not going to let the Republicans fool the American people into voting for four more years of Bush. McSame is offering nothing more than a continuation of Bush policies--talk about 'putting lipstick on a pig!'

McCain would continue the Bush tax cuts skewed to the top 1%, seek to privatize Social Security, try to tax our health insurance benefits to force us to buy Newtie's Health Savings Accounts, and worst of all, go to war with Iran! McCain is 'Bush on steroids!'

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. Why is John McCain so desperate to be president?

I think the next four years, especially if they involve Republican leadership in the White House will see the continued decline of the country that was started by Bush in 2000. I don't envy the next president. But at least Obama will be dedicated to cleaning up Bush's mess. While McCain I think will only continue the failed Republican trickle-down policies and get us deeper into deficit spending, high unemployment rates, more bank foreclosures, no healthcare solutions, and a continued slide of the middle class into the pit. Why would John McCain want to be part of that?