McCain's New Strategy

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July 30, 2008 7:59 PM

ABC News' Jan Crawford Greenburg Reports: McCain's tough new "celebrity" ad campaign, designed to portray Obama as an empty suit who -- like Paris Hilton -- is devoid of substance, is the first part of a broader strategy that ultimately could have ramifications for McCain's VP selection.

The campaign will continue to hit hard that Obama is not an agent of change -- but a man who merely plays to his audience and is unwilling to risk losing his adoring crowds by making the tough decisions. This is only the first volley, sources close to McCain tell ABC News.

There's a bigger point -- and this initial volley, they say, lays the groundwork for it. They will be sharpening McCain's message that he, not Obama, is the true change agent, a man who's repeatedly taken unpopular stands, made the hard calls and forged bipartisan alliances.

Part of the calculus now is how his VP choice will further sharpen that message. There is significant support among top McCain advisers that he make a "transformative" pick who would change the Republican Party -- someone who would appeal to moderate Republicans and Democrats.

This pick would be someone who, like McCain, has taken the unpopular stands, made the hard calls and stood firm on principle.

A person who fills that bill, these advisers say, is Joe Lieberman.

Lieberman, an Independent Democrat, flatly denied his interest to ABC's Ron Claiborne earlier this month, but McCain is now seriously considering him as that "transformative" pick, sources tell ABC News.

McCain is close to Lieberman, admires his willingness to stand alone on principle and shares his views that Islamo-fascism is the most serious threat to the nation's future.

What's more, some McCain advisers believe Lieberman would dramatically enhance the point they are now trying to make about Obama in this "celebrity" ad campaign.

McCain and Lieberman are anti-celebrities, the argument goes. They have, as one top adviser said, felt the heat after taking unpopular positions because they were willing to do "what's right for the country" -- whatever it meant for their own popularity.

Tom Ridge also would be that kind of pick -- and he, too, is on McCain's very short list, sources say. As a Republican who was Bush's director of Homeland Security, he is less dramatic than Lieberman. He also ran into some problems at Homeland Security with his color-coding system.

But as a moderate pro-choice politician and former Pennsylvania governor, he, too, could make a statement--and open the Party to moderates who now are up for grabs.

And looking at the map, Ridge also could deliver Pennsylvania -- a state McCain badly needs.

McCain has not decided which route to take. The transformative pick would anger a slice of the base, and he could decide, at the end of the day, to pick the conventional conservative.

That would be Mitt Romney, Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty or former Ohio Rep. Rob Portman, sources tell ABC News.

But of those three, only Pawlenty would help with McCain's "change" message.

Romney, a flip-flopper extraordinaire, is vulnerable to the "celebrity" tag himself--and Portman is defined as Bush's budget director.

July 30, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (143)

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jr
i think he lost a little more than moral fiber--perhaps what little he has for a mind.

Posted by: rodney | Jul 30, 2008 9:48:53 PM

Nonthing new here, Obama is a fake, hypocrite and empty suit from day one. The situation in Germany, when Obama snubbed our wounded troops, because he couldn't make a "photo-op" out of the visit, is proof.

Posted by: Al in GA | Jul 30, 2008 9:51:41 PM

jimmy stewart in one of his movies stated to never hit your children on the head ---you will make repubs out of them

I REST MY CASE

Posted by: rodney | Jul 30, 2008 9:51:50 PM

Senator Obama truly believes that Americans are dumb and he can fool them with his bogus promises and unrealistic political rhetric. He is an manufactured political candidate all wrapped up in superficial and artificial character traits and charismatic speeches written by other people and spoken with the help of a teleprompter. He can not think fast on his feet. He needs to have everything in a nice commercial package for delivery. He is all smoke and mirrors. He certainly reminds me of a celebrity with little talent other than an attractive package.

Posted by: Mary | Jul 30, 2008 9:52:55 PM

Obama is so deceiving that it takes a lot of strategy to expose him. I hope McCain eventually will find Obama's archilles heel, which I think is Obama himself...young voter
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McCain is the one that's doing all of the baseless and false attacks, yet Obama's the deceiving one.

McCain has come out with four negative and false attack ads in a row. Obama responded with an ad of his own, debunking McCain's false claims with actual facts from actual news sources. What does McCain have? A bunch of lame and tired GOP talking points leftover from 2004. Fortunately, the American public is smarter than that now and can see through all the BS.

Posted by: Jennifer | Jul 30, 2008 9:54:55 PM

mary
you sound like an angry old geser----would you please describe mccain for us----HA HA HA

Posted by: rodney | Jul 30, 2008 9:55:51 PM

McCain continues to shoot himself in the foot as one of his bigger contributors is Paris Hilton's parents. I don't think McCain using their daughter in this fashion is going to go over to well......

Posted by: Paige | Jul 30, 2008 9:56:44 PM

JR, I share your sadness. It must have been Jerusalem; no it was Berlin; no it must have been Hoa Lo Prison. Senator McCain is the Manchurian Candidate.

Posted by: flopez | Jul 30, 2008 9:57:23 PM

McCain:
The surge occurred during the Anbar Awakening.
Questioner:
Sir, the surge occurred in 2007, the Awakening occurred in 2006. What do you mean?
McCain:
What I mean is there was a counterinsurgency in Anbar and that counterinsurgency was the surge.
Questioner:
Then what was the 30,000 troop buildup?
McCain:
That was a surge too, but can you excuse me, I feel a surge coming on in my pants.

Posted by: John McCrank | Jul 30, 2008 9:59:57 PM

"celebrity" - a famous or well-known person
This is true, no political experience, no military understanding, no management experience and no foreign relations experience. McCain has described Obama, perfectly!

Posted by: Al in GA | Jul 30, 2008 10:03:36 PM

The situation in Germany, when Obama snubbed our wounded troops, because he couldn't make a "photo-op" out of the visit, is proof....Al in GA
____________________________________

That's a lie..

1) ABC July 30,2008
McCain Camp Continues Unsubstantiated Inconsistent Attacks on Obama Over Germany Trip

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/mccain-camp-con.html

2)Dallas Morning News July 30,2008
Fact Check: No evidence for McCain ad's claim that Obama troop visit was to be media event

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/topstories/stories/073108dnpolfactcheck.1a2b2fec.html

3)MSNBC July 29, 2008
MCCAIN VS. OBAMA: FACT-CHECKING TIME

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/29/1230437.aspx

Posted by: Jennifer | Jul 30, 2008 10:04:14 PM

McCain needs a great VP pick. He needs to tighten his message immediately. And if you want him to win people, you better be praying hard that he can survive the remaining grueling days of this campaign. Obama's team makes this campaign look like a cakewalk. Obama knows how to sidestep and say a whole lot of nothing when answering questions. McCain tends to truly try to answer the question...he doesn't seem to know how to spin anything. He has been a politican long enough that he should be able to present himself better. Maybe he is just too exhausted and I can understand that but he really needs to get focused and let other people trash Obama. As the candidate, he shouldn't be doing all the negative talking that he is doing right now. Where are his surrogates and why aren't they the ones going negative. His whole campaign seems disorganized. It is a miracle that he is staying within five points of Obama. Maybe Americans can see through Obama afterall. I hope so.

Posted by: Patrick | Jul 30, 2008 10:04:52 PM

AL DOES OBAMA LOOK LIKE PARIS HILTON TO YOU ????????????????

Posted by: rodney | Jul 30, 2008 10:05:44 PM

whose are the one? The one who put down the life for the country, or the one who always ................you know the rest.

Posted by: Jm | Jul 30, 2008 10:06:12 PM

John McCrank, The Daily Show already did that. You know the "boner" media get in the presence of Obama. Who can blame you.

Posted by: flopez | Jul 30, 2008 10:06:47 PM

Strategy?

Yesterday's? Today's or tomorrow's?

Posted by: Thinking | Jul 30, 2008 10:07:28 PM

To be a celebrity is great, but this does not give you the right to be nominated, much less the president.

Posted by: BR549 | Jul 30, 2008 10:08:14 PM

--Rodney--If your children climbed trees and fell out hitting their heads, they are now Obama supporters. They may have developed big ears too.

Posted by: Mary | Jul 30, 2008 10:08:36 PM

ABC news,
How come when McCain releases an ad, you have it on your front page with an "article" about it almost immediately, yet when Obama releases an ad it is rarely covered.

Methinks you are a bit biased. Not for the Democratic candidate.

Posted by: Brian | Jul 30, 2008 10:08:44 PM

Senator Obama truly believes that Americans are dumb and he can fool them with his bogus promises and unrealistic political rhetric...Mary
___________________________________

Well the same could be said for McCain. He thinks that people are dumb enough to believe these false and negative ads. Oh wait, people like Mary already believe these ads. These negative ads are targeted to the low-information voters or people who could care less about things called facts!!

Posted by: Jennifer | Jul 30, 2008 10:08:45 PM

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