Will McCain Skip Iowa Again? "Everything Is On The Table"

"Everything is on the table."

That's according to a senior McCain adviser who has spoken with Rick Davis and other remnants of McCain's top campaign staff. The adviser said that the campaign's new early-state strategy was up for reconsideration, with some McCain allies pressing McCain to once again skip Iowa, putting all of his resources into New Hampshire and South Carolina.

The thinking is that McCain has a much better chance to win South Carolina this cycle in a crowded field with a Mormon candidate among Southern Baptists (Romney), a cultural liberal (Giuliani), and Fred Thompson, who has yet to build an organization in the state. McCain has earned most of the state's top endorsements and has a strong field operation there. There is no George Bush standing in his way.

So long as McCain won both New Hampshire and South Carolina, and provided that no one expected him to do well in Iowa, he could repeat, break through the firewall that kept him from winning last time.

The push back is fairly obvious: McCain did well in South Carolina in '00 and nearly beat Bush there because he did so well in New Hampshire and defied expectations. And McCain quickly ran out of money.... and has very little to spare now.

Comments

Here in Iowa McCain's organization has been lackluster at best. I saw the candidate at an appearance in Cedar Falls(free lunch!) & felt he was really off his game. The train has left the station and Johnny Boy ain't on it. Time to pack it in while he still has some degree of self-respect.

Posted by Hawkeye | July 11, 2007 10:30 AM

McCain should give it up - it's over - the rats have nearly all abadoned the sinking SS McCain.

I mean even Ron Paul has more money on hand that McCain has.

People don't want to hear more noise on extending the war by bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran or how with should reward people who break our laws and come here illegally.

Time for him to quit wasting any more money.

Posted by Andy | July 11, 2007 7:52 PM