NY Times set to post explosive article on the McCain campaign this Sunday

[NYCGirl]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/21/nyt-mag-lifts-curtain-on_n_136632.html

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. Draper writes:

"By October, the succession of backfiring narratives would compel some to reappraise not only McCain's chances but also the decisions made by Schmidt, who only a short time ago was hailed as the savior who brought discipline and unrepentant toughness to a listing campaign."

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.

From there, Draper tracks the campaign through Palin's widely praised convention speech, the roaring early campaign events, and then the first glimmer of doubts. 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."

MUCH MORE AT LINK

[endarkenment]

1. I'll wait for Nov 5

But I am leaning toward: Worst.Campaign.Ever.

[NYCGirl]

3. You may be right. NT

[yellowcanine]

2. Maybe Peggy Nooner was right for once. She said the McCain campaign "went for the narrative" in

picking Sarah. Can it be, I am admitting that Peggy might have been right about something? Zounds!

[speedoo]

7. Noonan's been right about Palin., pretty much 100%.

Give her credit for that and that alone.

[yellowcanine]

17. Not 100%. She backtracked a bit later before recently again writing a snarky piece.

I guess she can't decide if she is for her or against her.

[racaulk]

12. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. n/t

[DrToast]

4. Schmidt sharp as ever....

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

How did this guy get a reputation as being some sort of genius? He's been a mess. Granted he hasn't had much to work with, but still.

[Marsala]

25. If Rove was an evil genius, Schmidt is his incompetent henchman

Total screwup.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

5. Thanks for the post, I will look forward to this week's Sunday Times. n/t

[Geek_Girl]

6. His Campaign has been a complete disaster

In the 2000 campaign not even Bush came across as a complete wingnut. McCain's ran as some right wing wack job just to pander to the GOP base. Everyone knows that after the primaries you move to the center.

[TexasObserver]

8. McCain reminds me of a mediocre chess player, who plays to take pieces, with no strategy.

McCain has proved that he is not a big picture guy. He is simply incapable of thinking BIG. He's a angry man who has made a career of being an angry man.

[DrToast]

9. McCain brings out his Queen on the second move.*

*

[TexasObserver]

22. Yes, he's got that one play that only works with an opponent who doesn't know how to play!

[jefferson_dem]

10. Love the way the NYT has not cowered in the face of the media bully-boy tactics by Team McCrypt.

They are exposing the bullshit, the media should do.

[blueclown]

11. Explosive?

I don't see anything explosive about this write-up?

Informative? Probably.
Entertaining? Most likely?

Explosive? Doubt it.

Explosive to me would indicate an article that would completely derail McCain's campaign.

We know what the McCain campaign's reaction to this will be, though. They are too predictable.

[ErinBerin84]

14. I'll wait and see

some of the articles about in-fighting in the Hillary campaign ended up hurting her...yeah, we know what their reaction will be, I'll be interested to see what the article is...at most, it will just show how gimmicky they are.

[spanone]

13. k&r

[GoneOffShore]

15. Palin is far more of an 'Insider" than we think

If Jane Mayer's article in the New Yorker is correct. And I'm far more likely to believe the New Yorker than just about any magazine out there. Their fact checking and sourcing are superb.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/081027fa_fact_mayer

Palin’s sudden rise to prominence, however, owes more to members of the Washington élite than her rhetoric has suggested. Paulette Simpson, the head of the Alaska Federation of Republican Women, who has known Palin since 2002, said, “From the beginning, she’s been underestimated. She’s very smart. She’s ambitious.” John Bitney, a top policy adviser on Palin’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign, said, “Sarah’s very conscientious about crafting the story of Sarah. She’s all about the hockey mom and Mrs. Palin Goes to Washington—the anti-politician politician.” Bitney is from Wasilla, Palin’s home town, and has known her since junior high school, where they both played in the band. He considers Palin a friend, even though after becoming governor, in December, 2006, she dismissed him. He is now the chief of staff to the speaker of the Alaska House.


Upon being elected governor, Palin began developing relationships with Washington insiders, who later championed the idea of putting her on the 2008 ticket. “There’s some political opportunism on her part,” Bitney said. For years, “she’s had D.C. in mind.” He added, “She’s not interested in being on the junior-varsity team.”

[nichomachus]

16. Even the hired guns in the campaign know that they're selling "turds on a stick"

These people aren't totally stupid. You can polish a turd to some degree -- and they might have been able to sell McCain to more people with a stellar VP pick. But Palin was the last nail in McCain's political coffin.

Some of the lower-level folks and the Bachmans of this world may still believe, as do the senior citizen numbnuts who live near me, cheering McCain on as he goes after their Social Security and their health care. But the political pros, whatever you think of them, know they're selling crap to people who know it's crap.

They went for the cheap narratives and the sleazy attacks because they had nothing else.

I speak from experience. Many years ago, I was hired to work on the campaign of a total douchebag. I needed the money -- and he was running against another douchebag. So, I had no qualms about taking their money. But, it was really really tough to try to come up with ideas when you knew you were trying to get people to support a douchebag. You couldn't extol his virtues, because he didn't really have any and everyone in town knew what he was. So, all we could do was point out that the other guy was a bigger douchebag.

In this case, because Obama is far far from a douchebag, they have to make shit up.

[bluedawg12]

18. This is inside baseball- regular peeps don't give a damn

they do however smell fear and loathing from the gummpy camp and the weight of a brain dead wolf killah from wassilah.

gummpy dropping like a muddy rock sinking in a clear Democratic pool of fresh water. ( LOL, lame metaphore, just saying...)

[WinkyDink]

24. Oh, I don't know. "The Making of the President" series did pretty well, IIRC.

[Phx_Dem]

19. Couldn't have happened to a nicer group

of fucking losers. Karma's a bitch.

[Zookeeper]

20. Good. I would also hope that people will read the article about...

McCain in the latest Rolling Stone. The heroic narrative about McCain is a crock.

Make-believe Maverick:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

(Don't mean to hijack your thread....just adding fuel to the fire! :) )

[MadMaddie]

21. I guess turning on the Media hasn't turned out so well for McCain!

I hope to see more articles about the debacle of a campaign!

[WinkyDink]

23. "more interested in tactical victories and the next compelling narratives" = AKA, THEY'LL. SAY ANY-

THING.