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Kristol Tells McCain to Junk His Campaign

By TChris, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 07:24:00 AM EST
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Here's William Kristol's prescription for the McCain campaign:

What McCain needs to do is junk the whole thing and start over.

Right. Because junking the campaign and starting over three weeks before the election is a perfect way for McCain to counter the charge that he's erratic.

Kristol also wants McCain to run "as a cheerful, open and accessible candidate." Because that cheery smile (a/k/a forced grimace) is what will win the election for McCain.

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    Kristol Tells McCain to Junk His Campaign | 24 comments (24 topical)

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    Maybe he could junk Palin (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by akaEloise on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 12:28:18 AM EST
    and make Kristol his new running mate.  He's such a cheerful happy-go-lucky guy!

    For some unknown reason, although (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by oculus on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 12:39:20 AM EST
    don't agree with McCain on any issues, his mannerisms, including smile, do not annoy me.  

    It's contextual for me. (none / 0) (#5)
    by Faust on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 01:02:21 AM EST
    Sometimes he just smiles which is fine, but sometimes he does his smile right after he says something very serious, or after he makes a jab. At those times his smile is so incongruous that it's jarring to me.

    Parent
    Yes, it's the smile after serious (none / 0) (#7)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 01:07:56 AM EST
    comments which is jarring. I actually think he has a normal smile more than many politicians.

    Parent
    His smile looks like (none / 0) (#25)
    by Xclusionary Rule 4ever on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 06:08:56 PM EST
    he is cursing under his breath.

    Parent
    Wrong again (5.00 / 4) (#6)
    by TomStewart on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 01:02:24 AM EST
    Just a few weeks ago he was saying that McCain needed to attack Obama, bring up Ayers and Wright. As Jon Stewart says 'Oh, Bill Kristol, are you ever right?'.

    Kristol's selective memory is amazing.

    It doesn't sound any better (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Fabian on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 05:17:42 AM EST
    when pundits concern troll for their own party.

    They grate on my nerves when pundits oh-so-helpfully give advice to the Democrats, but it's just as incongruous when they do it to the Republicans.

    I'm waiting for Noonan to talk about whether McCain is Serious Enough.  (From a 2007 column where Noonan was unhappy with Bush and the GOP but couldn't complain about them without getting some digs in at the new Democratic Congress.)

    true dat (none / 0) (#18)
    by wystler on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:12:02 AM EST
    But one thing's become painfully clear over the past couple of weeks: the attack-at-all-costs is slamming the GOP across the board - top o'the ticket and down.

    Kristol's lips were moving, so one must appreciate that there's a fib involved. In this case, it's the "McCain can win" part. The real reason for the "advice" is to stanch the bleeding, and preserve a few seats on Capitol Hill (as well, perhaps, in state and local races).

    Parent

    The GOP needs a SuperReagan (none / 0) (#21)
    by Fabian on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:26:03 AM EST
    to save their steadily sinking party.

    I don't feel sorry for them at all.  They marched in lockstep.  They supported George W. Bush.  They attacked people on their lack of patriotism when they couldn't find anything else.  

    Maybe next time, they'll pick their leaders with more care and dare to dissent with their leadership more substantively.

    (And may the Democrats pay attention to this fine example of what playing good little soldiers leads to.)

    Parent

    teh golden Bush (none / 0) (#22)
    by Salo on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:26:42 AM EST
    ruined it for other Republicans like McCain.   The lock step loyalty to the dolt sewed up 2008 for the Dems.

    Parent
    But that's what they ARE! (none / 0) (#24)
    by Fabian on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 11:28:06 AM EST
    That's what they DO!  

    That has been their strength all these years - never question, never doubt, just rally 'round the Grand Old Party!

    This result really was inevitable.  Too much allegiance to unquestioned authority eventually results in a leader who will lead straight into disaster.

    (I wonder if the wingnut welfare system will break down now?)

    Parent

    Kristol is a 3rd rate pundit (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 12:34:25 AM EST
    And honestly, I'm not sure there's a new team that could tell McCain how to do it any better.

    Here's a new idea. He could try to (none / 0) (#4)
    by ThatOneVoter on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 12:40:51 AM EST
    run as the 2nd coming of Ronald Reagan. Yeah, that's what he's overlooked!

    Like being able to confess your sins, (none / 0) (#9)
    by Newt on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 01:21:37 AM EST
    ask for forgiveness, and move forward as a new person with no baggage from your previous actions.

    Hmm...

    Well, maybe (none / 0) (#11)
    by lilburro on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 08:02:01 AM EST
    this is where having Palin as a running mate may not have been the best choice.  Her resume offers only so many options.  And they are exhausting them.  

    She's not an economic whiz kid or anything, neither is McCain.  Huckabee probably could've campaigned on the economy better than either of them.  He would at least have an aura of economic knowledge and insight going forward based on his primary campaign.  But maybe that's just CW talking.

    The economy ruined (none / 0) (#12)
    by Fabian on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 08:14:46 AM EST
    what might have been a tight race right down to the wire.

    Such a shame, too.  I was kind of enjoying it up until then.  Now I'm just reminded of all the ways politicians and our government have failed us.  Boring and depressing at the same time just as the days grow ever shorter.

    Parent

    ya (none / 0) (#14)
    by connecticut yankee on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 08:44:50 AM EST
    I really think another hail mary is coming.  Probably something along the lines of what kristol suggests.

    I say go for it! (none / 0) (#15)
    by MikeDitto on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 09:12:36 AM EST
    I want to thank Kristol, Broder, Buchanan, McCain, Palin, and all those on the far right who have worked so hard to get Barack Obama elected to the White House and Democrats all the way down the ticket. Their efforts will not be forgotten.

    unfortunately, (none / 0) (#16)
    by cpinva on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 09:19:38 AM EST
    when you have little in the way of substantive material going for you, coming up with an effective campaign strategy is very difficult.

    that's bad enough. to then have an intellectually vacant hack like mr. kristol presume to tell you how to run your campaign, and get tv air time doing it, should be enough for any semi self-respecting politician to want to slit their own throat. or kristol's, whichever comes first.

    Today's Recommendation of Kristol (none / 0) (#17)
    by KeysDan on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 09:57:04 AM EST
    for McCain seemed more like a self-recommendation for Kristol, with an attempt to distance himself from the recent "paling around with terrorists" campaign and its vile consequences. Maybe his NYT editors called on him to help put out the fire he and his crowd started.

    well (none / 0) (#19)
    by connecticut yankee on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:17:17 AM EST
    Both Norm Coleman and Charlie Christ have dodged McCain events.  Maybe this is the beginning of Kristol's retreat from the fray.

    Time to start betting (none / 0) (#20)
    by mg7505 on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:24:21 AM EST
    on what the last-ditch move will be. Kristol can bloviate all he wants about ditching the entire campaign; we can rest assured that he's wrong.

    I think McCain is going to announce positions in his future administration like Treasury Secretary (to give his campaign a credible voice on the economy), Secretary of State (foreign policy) and maybe an AG/Court Justice. In other words expanding the campaign, exactly the opposite of Kristol's advice. Then again maybe he'll just add another vice president or two; that would be such a maverick move.

    Announcing the cabinet positions (none / 0) (#23)
    by ruffian on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 10:51:11 AM EST
    might balance out Palin's inexperience....

    Assuming he annoucnes people with some heft.

    Parent

    A minor point (none / 0) (#26)
    by lentinel on Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 06:25:24 PM EST
    I have always disliked - even detested Kristol.
    But he has enough of a reputation of having some intellectual capacity that the Times gave him a gig.

    That's why I was pleased to see him use the singular verb with the plural noun "media" in today's NYTimes.

    He wrote, several times, that the "media is" instead of the "media are".

    I like to see the red flag of illiteracy waving over his bloated noggin. I really does.

    Kristol Tells McCain to Junk His Campaign | 24 comments (24 topical)

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