It's God's Plan... Again

By GottaLaff

Some fancy God plannin':

"No, it's God's plan."

-- Sarah Palin when asked if she was nervous being picked as the GOP running mate, as recounted on 60 Minutes by McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt.

Why is it always "God's plan" when a conservative runs for office?

1. Can't they ever decide things for themselves?

2. Why hasn't God given me a plan yet? Is my god A.D.D.? Or just really disorganized? Maybe I should make a practical offering to her, perhaps something in an iPhone or Blackberry?

3. Why does God only make plans for conservatives, award-winning actors, and athletes? What kind of deity discriminates like that?

4. What if you don't believe in god, are a very spontaneous person who never plans anything, yet get elected anyway? Or win an Oscar? Or a World Series? Whose plan was that? Apparently, it couldn't possibly be the impulsive winner's.

5. Wasn't Sarah the Veeper John Sidney McCain's plan? Or did he just close his eyes and throw a dart?

VIDEO: McCain Admits to Tensions Over Palin

By GottaLaff



Trying... to... wake up. Must... post... Need ... easy... one.... Need... no-brainer....

Why, here's one now!

For the first time, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) "is openly admitting that there were tensions between his former campaign manager Steve Schmidt and those close to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain's one-time White House running mate," CNN reports.

Said McCain: "With a high-pressure situation, there's always tensions that develop within campaigns. And there were clearly tensions between Steve Schmidt and people in the Palin camp."

Earlier this month, Schmidt said a Palin nomination for president in 2012 would be catastrophic.

Now back to, you know, real news. I swear I'll wake up soon and get right on that.

VIDEO: McCain manager predicts Palin could prove 'catastrophic'

By GottaLaff

Earlier Paddy posted about this, and now we have the video:



Steve Schmidt:

"But my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican Party in 2012, and in fact, were she the nominee, we could have a catastrophic election result."

And she can't write or speak either!

At the risk of sounding redundant, all that's left is that fancy pageant walkin'.

::wistful sigh:: We'll always have Facebook.

Quote of the Day

"I think that she has talents, but my honest view is that she would not be a winning candidate for the Republican candidate in 2012, and in fact, were she to be the nominee, we would have a catastrophic election result."

-- Former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt, quoted by Marc Ambinder, on Sarah Palin's electoral prospects in 2012.

Quotes-O'-the-Moment: Republican epic fail edition

By GottaLaff

So many quotes, so little time:

The Washington Post compiles some more interesting reflections from McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt.

On the Bush-Cheney drag: "The first night of our convention was President Bush and Vice President Cheney. I literally thought by the second night of our convention we could be down 25 points."

On Katie Couric's interview of Sarah Palin: "That is one of the two most consequential interviews that a candidate for national office has given, in a negative way, the other being Roger Mudd's interview of Ted Kennedy . . . when he couldn't answer the question of why he wanted to be president."

On McCain's acceptance of inevitable defeat: "I was waiting for his bus to crash into a CDC truck carrying bubonic plague to release over Cincinnati and Ohio. It was just one thing after another, you know, and never to our benefit."

On the Republican Party: "It is near-extinct in many ways in the Northeast, it is extinct in many ways on the West Coast, and it is endangered in the Mountain West, increasingly endangered in the Southwest... and if you look at the state of the party, it is a shrinking entity."

Yep. That pretty much sums it up. Thanks, Steve!

Ex-McCain aide to call for gay marriage support

If they were smart, they'd listen to him. But you know how that goes...

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Steve Schmidt, a key architect of John McCain's presidential campaign, is making his first public return to Washington a bold one.

Schmidt will use a speech Friday to Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, to urge conservative Republicans to drop their opposition to same-sex marriage, CNN has learned.

"There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same-sex marriage," Schmidt will say, according to speech excerpts obtained by CNN. "I believe conservatives, more than liberals, insist that rights come with responsibilities. No other exercise of one's liberty comes with greater responsibilities than marriage."

Schmidt makes both policy and political arguments for a Republican embrace of same-sex marriage.

McCain strategist Steve Schmidt was against Prop 8

By GottaLaff

Ana Marie Cox interviewed Gramm-pa McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt. Here's a snippet:

Towards the end of this election cycle, it seemed to many that Schmidt and the McCain campaign were reverting to themes that seemed almost antique: red-baiting taunts of “socialism” as well as appeals to “real America.” But today, Schmidt rejected those tactics as blueprints for future: “The Republican Party wants to, needs to, be able to represent, you know, not only conservatives, but centrists as well. And the party that controls the center is the party that controls the American electorate.” As to what form Republican centrism might take, Schmidt’s response to an email follow-up question suggests it will be anything but the kind of base-friendly social conservatism of Palin.

From: Ana Marie Cox
To: Steve Schmidt
Sent: Fri Nov 07 08:50:28 2008
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

the passing of prop 8... any comment?

From: Steve Schmidt
To: Ana Marie Cox
Received: Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 7:03 AM
Subject: Re: Calling you in 30

I was disappointed with the result

That surprised me. A lot.

Rogue Barbie wouldn't go on stage with GOP Senator Sununu

By GottaLaff

Forget reaching across the aisle, Wardrobe Barbie won't even reach across the stage:

Another reporter asked if he [Steve Schmidt] was happy with "the pick of Palin." He ducked the question. Schmidt was trying, not very hard, to hide his true feelings. He had been compelled to personally take over Palin's debate prep when she seemed unwilling to engage in the drudge work of learning the issues. McCain's advisers had been frustrated when Palin refused to talk to donors because she found it corrupting, and they were furious when they heard rumors that Todd Palin was calling around to Alaska bigwigs telling them to hold their powder until 2012. The day of the third debate, Palin refused to go onstage with New Hampshire GOP Sen. John Sununu and Jeb Bradley, a New Hampshire congressman running for the Senate, because they were pro-choice and because Bradley opposed drilling in Alaska. The McCain campaign ordered her onstage at the next campaign stop, but she refused to acknowledge the two Republican candidates standing behind her. McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin (perhaps once a week when they were not traveling together, estimated one adviser). Aides kept him in the dark about Palin's spending on clothes because they were sure he'd be offended. In his concession speech, McCain praised Palin, but the body language between them onstage was not particularly friendly. (Palin had asked to speak; Schmidt vetoed the request.)

I'm loving this next one:

The ad attacking Obama's former pastor was slick, with much better production values than the crude Reverend Wright videos running on the Internet. But it was too little, too late. When a NEWSWEEK reporter e-mailed a top Obama adviser for reaction, a reply came back reading simply: ZZZZZ.

Gramm-pa McCain has the worst judgment imaginable. The right candidate won.

Understatement.

UPDATE: The denials begin.

Quickie-O'-The'Day: Gramm-pa McCain Campaign Post-Mortem

By GottaLaff

I usually don't do this, but there's too much to post. I did give you a preview of this here.

This is the New York Times Magazine article in full, released today.

Chris Cillizza gives you highlights here.

Coming Sunday: NYT Mag Lifts Curtain On Palin Choice, Angst With Schmidt, Worry In Gramm-pa McCain's Campaign

By GottaLaff

Oh-h-hboyoboyoboy!

The New York Times Magazine is set to publish an explosive story this Sunday on the inner workings and combative personalities of what has been a wild few months for the McCain campaign.

The piece, written by Robert Draper and titled "The Making (and Remaking and Remaking) of the Candidate," breaks some new reportorial ground, including a growing weariness within a campaign that seems more interested in tactical victories and the next compelling narratives than an overarching strategy. [...]

Having interviewed several of the Senator's chief aides, Draper details the process by which McCain ultimately chose his running mate (New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was surprisingly high on the list). And the decision may have been even more impulsive than initially thought. Gov. Sarah Palin, who had never been on the VP shortlist, was advanced at the last minute by Schmidt and Rick Davis, and was picked after a less-than-hour-long chat in with McCain at his ranch in Arizona.

[...] There are additional, juicy nuggets that he uncovers earlier and along the way. These include the birth of the Obama-as-celebrity attack line -- the campaign felt it was on the wrong track, its pollster described their situation as "third and nine," and Schmidt "blurted out the epiphany concerning Obama. 'Face it, gentlemen,' he said. 'He's being treated like a celebrity.'"

Then there is Schmidt's -- perhaps fatal -- push for McCain to "go all in," leave the campaign trail and head to Washington to work on the financial bailout package.

"Schmidt evidently saw the financial crisis as a 'true character' moment that would advance his candidate's narrative."

[...] His reporting will undoubtedly spur an early start to the campaign postmortems. Even McCain aides waxed skeptically about their bosses chances.

Can't wait!

H/t: Ellen

Shallow Thoughts: Steve Schmidt edition

By GottaLaff

Shallow Thought:

Steve Schmidt never blinks, never moves anything but his lips when he talks, and resembles Uncle Fester of The Addams Family:

That was today's Shallow Thought.

SIDEBAR: The text of the bailout plan will be posted on line at noon Eastern, should you want to dig it up and read. I'm sure either Paddy or I will link to it when the time comes.

Axelrod v. Schmidt on Meet the Press

By GottaLaff

Steve Schmidt's response to David Axelrod's point that Gramm-pa McCain never uttered the word "middle class" at the debates was:

"Obama never said the word 'victory' [in regard to Iraq]."

Can someone tell me the relevance of that answer to Axelrod's remark about Gramm-pa's take on the economy? I didn't think so.

They're starting to get desperate

Other than just trying to blame the Dems for the financial meltdown, now they're frothing over being called out on the truth by, gasp, the media!!

John McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, harshly attacked the New York Times in a conference call today, after the Times reported that McCain's campaign manager had worked, indirectly, for the mortgage giant Fannie Mae.

"Whatever the New York Times once was, it is today, not by any standard a journalistic organization. It is a pro-Obama advocacy organization that every day attacks the McCain Campaign, attacks Senator McCain, attacks Governor Palin, and excuses Senator Obama," said Schmidt.

(snip)

Schmidt, who has been foced to steadily raise the volume on attention-getting ads and statements like this one, as they become daily fodder, called the Times "completely, totally, 150% in the tank for the Democratic candidate."

Schmidt took as his example of a "compliant" media the lack fo reporting on Joe Biden's son's work as a lobbyist.

"His son is a lobbyist for the credit card and banking industry," he said. "The Obama campaign is surrounded by people who have worked in the lobbying industry."

Biden's son said he was leaving the lobbying business earlier this month. (Here's the Times's story on it.)

Ben hits it on the head in another post about the McCain campaign blathering on about Obama and Ayers-

This is a bit more of, incidentally, of what Jonathan Martin described as "'Hey, look over here' politics" — the campaign's urgent attempt to change the subject from the economy.

UPDATE- Added video via TPM.

Hey John Sidney McMuddy, how's Steve Schmidt working out for you?

By GottaLaff

John Sidney McMuddy just can't seem to pull it together, no matter who's running the show:

Last week, the Republican presidential candidate elevated Steve Schmidt, a veteran of the tightly controlled Bush 2004 campaign, to head day-to-day operations, hoping to clear up muddiness in McCain's message.

There you have it: McCain's muddied message mires momentum.

At the Denver Center for Performing Arts, the advance team set up not one but three teleprompters to make McCain's often stilted delivery more natural. He still missed a few words, but appeared more practiced.

McMuddy just can't seem to get the hang of them durned telepr0mpters, can he?

Technicians toned down the house lights to avoid drawing attention McCain's white hair.

Wait. McMuddy is... old?

There was even new music. The jarring mix of Abba and techno beats at McCain's events was replaced by songs from homespun country crooners -- Rascal Flatts' "Mayberry" and Alan Jackson's "Tequila Sunrise."

And thank you for playing "Cringeworthy Republican Campaign Decisions!"

Though McCain fielded far-flung questions, he managed to hit his central themes -- which has not always been the case.

Steve Schmidt has shown himself to be a real asset... to the Obama campaign. Thanks Steve! Y'all come back now, hear?