McCain/Palin Media Strategy?

The McCain campaign still continues to play it smart.

There are a number and sites that have a “Palin Watch” or something that measures the time until she gives a press conference.

The pundits also are getting very frustrated as she has refused to grant interviews. (How many times have I heard “We don’t know ANYTHING about her!”)

Some thoughts:

  1. There simply is no upside, with the momentum that the McCain campaign has at this point, for her to do a press conference/interview.

  2. I think that with two months left to go, she will stay RELATIVELY mum except for a) on the stump and b) at the debates.

From picking Palin; to dealing head-on with the daughter issue; to Palin staying mum…

Very smart moves.

Thoughts?

Mufasa

Oh shit, McCain’s got three extra chins. That does it.

It’s all dead, Obama’s gonna win. It’s natural, people just swing from one party to another, and W more than made well sure of that.

By the way; I asked this on another thread, but it got lost between some other debates.

Is Karl Rove involved in both the Palin decision and subsequent strategies?

If so, the guy is TRULY an “evil genius” who knows how to win elections.

Note:

I realize that he isn’t PUBLICALLY involved; but what I am wondering is how much is he acting as sort of an “unofficial” advisor to the McCain campaign?

Mufasa

Interestingly, McCain/Palin have captured the mantle of being the “reform” ticket. They are on the balls of their feet, with plans to take on the status quo - from drilling (which is popular) to “good government” reform (ethics, pork barreling, etc.) - and Obama/Biden are on their heels as second verse, same as the first.

One unique twist - even though Bush and the GOP have mucked up in many ways with their recent K Street brand of politics, Obama and Biden are promising more of that approach.

It may be in different policy areas, but the big-spending, Washington-insider, dole-out-the-pie-to-influence-peddlers that the GOP sunk its recent fortunes on is the same flavor Obama/Biden has advertised.

I think people may be tired of the “Washington Party” to a certain extent, and McCain, though he has been a Senator since 1989 (I think) is in Washington, but not of it, and he can run against both Bush (indirectly) and Obama by positioning them both as members of the Washington Party.

That seems to be what he is doing, and Obama is reacting to it in exactly the way that favors McCain, and the polls are reflecting its success.

I just watched my taped “Face the Nation” (between half-times!)

It looks like McCain has promised that Palin will be on next week.

Bob Schieffer is not a “hack”; so it should be a good first public interview for Palin.

Mufasa

Update:

It looks like Gibson on ABC will get the first interviews with Palin, sometime near the end of the week (Thursday or Friday).

Mufasa

Again, I agree with you, Mick!

I’m of the opinion “What does the campaign have to gain?”

The people who seem to “want to know more about her”, and are doing so with this sense of extreme urgency probably are not going to Vote for her anyway.

(On a side note: McCain has made more appearances on “Face the Nation” than any one guest. Also, in listening Sunday, it appears that McCain and Bob Sheiffer really respect each other).

Mufasa