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McCain Admits Campaign Tensions Between Palin, Aides
Washington Post ^ | 10/11/2009 | Garance Franke-Ruta

Posted on 10/11/2009 8:23:33 AM PDT by Saije

Former presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz.) acknowledged on CNN's State of the Union Sunday that tensions flared during his campaign between senior strategist Steve Schmidt and those allied with his running mate, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"With a high-pressure situation, there's always tensions that develop within campaigns," McCain said in a video excerpt posted online. "And there were clearly tensions between Steve Schmidt and people in the Palin camp."

Schmidt has recently become a vocal public critic of Palin, predicting that a presidential run by her in 2012 would prove "catastrophic" for the Republican Party. McCain did not criticize Palin and called her an overall asset to his campaign for whom he still has affection.

"There are fundamental facts ... that cannot be denied," McCain said. "When we selected or asked Sarah Palin to be my running mate, it energized our party. We were ahead in the polls, until the stock market crashed. And she still is a formidable force in the Republican Party."

"And I have great affection for her," he continued. "Did we always agree on everything in the past? Will we in the future? No."

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008veep; election; mccain; palin; tension
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To: Saije
"There are fundamental facts ... that cannot be denied," McCain said. "When we selected or asked Sarah Palin to be my running mate, it energized our party. We were ahead in the polls, until the stock market crashed. And she still is a formidable force in the Republican Party."

A rare occasion where Juan says something I agree with. They were ahead, by 4% as I recall, until the financial crisis broke and Juan went into his man on the white horse routine and made all the wrong moves, including a threat to cancel the first presidential debate at Ole Miss. (And he sure didn't help the cause with his debate performances.)

And that true statement from Juan throws into doubt everything this Schmidt character has been saying, that the selection of Palin was a big mistake, and that it damaged the Republican chances. The opposite is true, they surged ahead until Juan blew it with his mishandling of the financial crisis.

21 posted on 10/11/2009 8:36:38 AM PDT by Will88
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To: Saije
“And there were clearly tensions between Steve Schmidt and people in the Palin camp.”

Not all of our enemies are democrats. You burned your bridges Schmidt . I'm sure you'll have a future being a political analyst for MSDNC or CNN.

Sarah and McCain will probably continue a cordial relationship but McCain should have a talk with Schmidt and tell him if you want to work again shut your trap about Sarah Palin.

22 posted on 10/11/2009 8:37:07 AM PDT by McGruff (Go rogue baby, go rogue!)
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To: Wally_Kalbacken
about the only thing worse than him [Obama] winning would have been McCain winning
Sad, but true.
23 posted on 10/11/2009 8:37:41 AM PDT by Clara Lou
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To: Will88

Sarah Palin is a formidable force FOR Americanism.


24 posted on 10/11/2009 8:38:23 AM PDT by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: yongin
Do you honestly believe McCain is behind the trashing of Palin by ALLEGED McCain/Palin staffers?
25 posted on 10/11/2009 8:39:05 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: newfreep

Not only her book, but in cya mode for 2010! I think he knows his @$$ is grass.


26 posted on 10/11/2009 8:39:25 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: All
This is the "weasel" who tried to bamboozle social-conservatives into trying to elect Lefty-Traitor McCain and move the party to the LEFT... He thought that Palin would put MaCaca over the top... NAHHHH... We are not that dumb. And now, after the election, his CAMPAIGN MANAGER, is showing his true colors... And of course, MaCaca KNEW NOTHING of his views right?... Riiiight!

Not to mention that his fat daughter MEGHAN MCCAIN (smile) is another queer-lover and so is his wife...

Warning: this links to the Huffinton Post!... We should not go there, but that is where the article came from)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/17/steve-schmidt-mccain-camp_n_188354.html

27 posted on 10/11/2009 8:40:09 AM PDT by ElPatriota (The SILENCE of the Catholic Church on the war on family-values, is ** DEAFENING **)
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To: Will88

If McCain had voted AGAINST TARP he would have won.

He didn’t set himself apart from fake conservative Bush or liberal Democrat Obama. They all promoted and voted for TARP.

If McCain had taken a principled stand and NOT VOTED FOR TARP I am convinced he would have won.


28 posted on 10/11/2009 8:40:45 AM PDT by deannadurbin
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To: Saije
Schmidt has recently become a vocal public critic of Palin, predicting that a presidential run by her in 2012 would prove "catastrophic" for the Republican Party.

Yeah, they've been really effective campaigners and legislators this past decade, wouldn't want to see their sterling record of achievements, vision, and backbone tarnished.

29 posted on 10/11/2009 8:41:09 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: Cedric

{Do you honestly believe McCain is behind the trashing of Palin by ALLEGED McCain/Palin staffers?}

I believe McCain is capable of many things.


30 posted on 10/11/2009 8:41:16 AM PDT by yongin
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To: Saije
If McCain had "affection" for me I'd creep out.

Leni

31 posted on 10/11/2009 8:41:25 AM PDT by MinuteGal (Somewhere in Kenya, a Village is Missing Its Idiot!)
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To: Saije
Schmidt is ALL -PRO_GAY because he is either gay or because his sister IS....McCain has a Gay daughter it seems.

ANY Republican...ANY who would hire Schmidt or Mark McKinnon are TOO STUPID and to win!

32 posted on 10/11/2009 8:41:25 AM PDT by Ann Archy
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To: deannadurbin
“IT WAS McCAIN WHO PROVED DISASTROUS FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!”

The McCain candidacy was a result, not a cause of COP problems.

33 posted on 10/11/2009 8:41:46 AM PDT by Cedric
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To: Wally_Kalbacken

You are saying McCain is worse than Barry? Unbelievable!


34 posted on 10/11/2009 8:42:22 AM PDT by presently no screen name
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To: bray

Who has hired Schmidt and McKinnon this year????


35 posted on 10/11/2009 8:42:43 AM PDT by Ann Archy
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To: Saije

I posted in the live thread, the evening of McCain’s concession speech, that something was awry.

That evening, the body language between McCain and Palin revealed that there were tensions between the two camps.

McCain seemed to handle the brief event awkwardly. IIRC, he hardly acknowledged Palin and did not give her a opportunity to speak.


36 posted on 10/11/2009 8:43:20 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Saije

If Mccain has any chance of a legacy in politics, Palin will be it.

I can’t believe he’s not supporting her better.


37 posted on 10/11/2009 8:43:25 AM PDT by Finalapproach29er (A woman will be the next President; I hope it's Palin instead of HRC.)
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To: Cedric

You have to go back even further. If the Republican Party had not nominated fake conservative Bush, but a REAL CONSERVATIVE, there is NO WAY that ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT would have fallen to socialists.


38 posted on 10/11/2009 8:43:44 AM PDT by deannadurbin
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To: Saije

39 posted on 10/11/2009 8:43:58 AM PDT by greedo
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To: Cedric

IMHO the GOP implosion began at a very specific moment in time:

That moment, was when George W Bush called those Republicans who had voted for him, supported him and considered him their inspiration: “Vigilantes”.

Then, threw those two border agents in jail, sucking up to Mexico to such an extent - as to utterly demoralize the entire conservative movement in America.

That was the beginning of the GOP’s current mess.

For all the good things George W Bush did - he really jumped the shark on globalism.


40 posted on 10/11/2009 8:45:22 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (2012: Repeal it all... All of it!)
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