An Interesting Conversation with a McCain Advisor

[abluelady]

Mark McKinnon, who helped orchestrate McCain's resurgence is the same man who helped George W. Bush crush McCain's first presidential campaign in 2000. He was interviewed on "All Things Considered" on NPR today. He said even though he will support McCain, he will step down from working for his campaign if Obama is the candidate. He will not work against Obama. Hmmm....I found this very interesting.

npr

[Pirate Smile]

1. Here is an article on it - you can stick it in your OP if you want:

I'm a McCain Man, Through and Through--Unless the Democrats Nominate Obama. Then, Forget the McCain Thing

Richard Wolffe

Barack Obama cultivates an image as a politician whose appeal reaches across party lines. But even he might be surprised to learn that one of his biggest admirers works for GOP Sen. John McCain--a Republican rival for the presidency in 2008. Mark McKinnon, a senior media adviser to McCain--who led George W. Bush's ad efforts in 2000 and 2004, and remains one of the sitting president's closest friends--has told the McCain campaign that he would quit if Obama wins the Democratic nomination.

McKinnon, a lifelong Democrat until he decided to team up with Bush, developed a bond with McCain over their shared belief in the need to remain committed to the troops in Iraq. McKinnon helped organize McCain's last book tour and has traveled extensively with the senator, offering media advice to the candidate for much of the last year. But he wrote a memo to the campaign in January, explaining that he would quit if the general election pitted McCain against Obama. McKinnon wrote that while he opposed Obama's policies, especially on Iraq, he felt that the Illinois senator--as an African-American politician--has a unique potential to change the country. Therefore, McKinnon argued, he wanted no part in any efforts to tear down Obama's candidacy. (McKinnon, who has previously told friends he was inspired by Obama's autobiography, refused to comment on the memo, as did Brian Jones, McCain's communications director; Obama's campaign said that the senator had never met McKinnon.)

But McKinnon's views have not stopped McCain from launching attacks on Obama. Last month, the two senators traded personal barbs over Iraq. McCain accused Obama of having a policy of surrender on Iraq, while Obama accused McCain of being out of touch with reality in Iraq. The skirmishing at the staff level was fiercer still; an unnamed McCain aide suggested that Obama wouldn't know the difference between a bomb and a bong.
--With Holly Bailey

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2007/06/06/i-m-a-mccain-man-through-and-through-unless-the-democrats-nominate-obama-then-forget-the-mccain-thing.aspx

[rpannier]

4. ...belief in the need to remain committed to the troops in Iraq.

Yeah. Leaving them in Iraq to be shot at by competing groups.

McKinnon sounds a hell of a lot like Dennis Miller in this regard.

So, in the spirit of fairness, F*CK YOU McKinnon. (I already posted F*CK YOU Dennis Miller many times)

[abluelady]

6. Why Are You So Nasty

I said nothing nasty. Now I understand why DU gives us the ability to block posters.

[Justice]

2. I heard that too - said he would not be part of a campaign that would go after Obama

The reporter asked him about this, and at first he said it was contained in a confidential memorandum that he gave to McCain and he would not discuss it. She pressed him, and he said
he said he has met Obama and read his book, and likes him. He said he would support McCain 100% but from the sidelines - he said something weird like he would not be part of a campaign that would go after Obama -

My impression/take away that he was concerned that McCain would make the race about race - and he would not be part of a smear campaign.

I thought it was VERY enlightening.

[beachmom]

3. Very interesting. It seems he is attracted to Obama's bio as well.

I have never heard of anything like this before.

[rpannier]

5. But he still is going to support Mc Cain

Quite bizarre

[abluelady]

7. I was Talking With Someone IRL

And they also thought it was about race. I guess there is a lot of talk out there that you can say nasty sexist stuff but no racist stuff. Abd god forbid someone would want to run a truly clean campaign.

[RoadRage]

8. Yet again.. we see how broad Obama's appeal is to join this country.

That's why I like the guy.. i'm not a far left Dem that is "hoping" for revenge.. i'm hoping for Unity. Gobama!