An interview with Mike Dennehy, the national political director for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and the architect of his comeback strategy. I asked Dennehy about comparisons to 2000, independents, and for specific evidence that McCain is moving in the right direction in the state.
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AtlantiCam: McCain's Architect
20 Dec 2007 11:36 am
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Comments (10)
Hello, all- (McCain-site publisher)
Thanks for putting up this link. One of the best uses of the new technology, is to permit extended interviews w/ campaign staff. This is another example of how the Internet can provide us information that would have been reserved entirely to highly-wired political operatives and national reporters and local reporters in key states...
I learned a great deal about the NH campaign from this interview... most valuable were the insights into the independent-vote factor, as well as the Ron Paul question...
I just put a link to this on my site:
Thoughts?
On the contray, McCain is surging as people are hearing his message. To say he is a 'creation of the media' is the cry of someone whose candidate isn't even on the radar. Please don't speak of "the people" as if you have some sort of omniscient knowledge about how 'they' think. I, for one, have no interest in surrendering the war, particularly now that it is doing well. I want it to end, of course, and McCain is best positioned to do that with a clear win. Not only would McCain make the best Commander-in-Chief we've ever had, I agree with his stand on most of the other issues. I also trust him to consider alternative viewpoints. His life of service is testimony in itself. No one else in this race comes close to McCain in terms of experience. Plus, he's the only Republican who has a prayer of beating the Democrats. In my opinion, a vote for anyone but McCain is a vote for the Demorats next Fall.
Were the attempts to spike the NYTimes story the final straw for McCain?
ARG just came out with some completely insane early-state polls that have McCain in front of Romney in Iowa (?!?!?!) and in a tie in New Hampshire!
The IA poll HAS to be an outlier, but the NH one confirms all trends we've seen.
I think that polling during the holidays will become very volatile lol.
Skeletons in McCain's closet will destroy remains of his campaign.
According to rethug's very own Drudge:
MCCAIN PLEADS WITH NY TIMES TO SPIKE STORY
Thu Dec 20 2007 10:56:57 ET
Just weeks away from a possible surprise victory in the primaries, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz has been waging a ferocious behind the scenes battle with the NEW YORK TIMES, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, and has hired DC power lawyer Bob Bennett to mount a bold defense against charges of giving special treatment to a lobbyist!
McCain has personally pleaded with NY TIMES editor Bill Keller not to publish the high-impact report involving key telecom legislation before the Senate Commerce Committee, newsroom insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT.
The paper's Jim Rutenberg has been leading the investigation and is described as beyond frustrated with McCain's aggressive and angry efforts to stop any and all publication.
MORE
The drama involves a woman lobbyist who may have helped to write key telecom legislation.
The woman in question has retained counsel and strongly denies receiving any special treatment from McCain.
Rutenberg, along with reporter David Kirkpatrick, has been developing the story for the last 6 weeks.
Rutenberg had hoped to break the story before the Christmas holiday, sources reveal, but editor Keller expressed serious reservations about journalism ethics and issuing a damaging story so close to an election.
McCain campaign officials Rick Davis, Charlie Black and Mark Salter are also said to have met with the NEW YORK TIMES in an effort to halt publication.
Developing...
ARG just came out with some completely insane early-state polls
That poll (for Iowa) has some very strange numbers if you dig into it. Among other things:
- 98%(!) of Romney's supporters supposedly say they will 'definitely' support him. Normal numbers here are in the 40-70% range. Statistically, it's far more likely that someone at ARG botched the numbers while doing some goofy weighting exercise than that this figure is correct.
- Huckabee has more support among independents than Romney, while Romney has more support among Republicans. Huh? Again, counter to all logic.
And as you note, the McCain figure is an outlier (though Rasmussen did also show him in double digits right after the Register endorsement). I would put little confidence in this poll, and wait for a couple of other ones to confirm the McCain surge.
The Drudge NY Times story is a plant. Wake up people and realize that you are being led around. The story was denied by the NY Times and planted by Mitt "Flip Flopper" Romney.
Mitt Flip FLopper will lose Iowa to Huckabee and then NH to McCain. Then we can finally get rid of the Flip Flopper and his back stabbing brand of politics.
QUOTE: The MSM and McCain campaign are living in fool's paradise that McCain is surging. Name a single state where McCain is at the top.
-- TP
TP might want to rethink that comment.
| 
The MSM and McCain campaign are living in fool's paradise that McCain is surging. Name a single state where McCain is at the top.
McCain is a creation of media. In reality he has sold his principles to gain sympathy from right wing. The other thing is people do not want to continue the Iraq war which McCain does.
Posted by TP | December 20, 2007 12:22 PM