Posted on 11/06/2009 11:17:53 PM PST by Route797
A new book reveals for the first time the drama that unfolded on election night 2008, when McCain campaign staff battled Sarah Palin over a concession speech she planned to deliver. An excerpt published in The Daily Beast includes both the victory and concession speeches Palin had prepared to give, depending on the election outcome. The McCain campaign insisted several times that she not give the speech, and even turned the lights out on her while she and her family took pictures, fearing that she would speak anyway.
The revelations offer little for those looking for more inside dirt on Palin; she apparently tried to "go rogue" by giving a concession speech on election night, an uncommon move for a vice presidential candidate, but eventually acquiesced to the campaign's wishes that she refrain from speaking. Her prepared speeches, drafted by former Bush speechwriter Matthew Scully, were uncontroversial, both offering gracious compliments to her opponent and thanking the diverse group of people who supported the McCain campaign. Both of Palin's pre-written speeches praised Barack Obama in mostly the same words, offering well wishes for his "beautiful family" and commemorating the historicity of the moment. In the victory speech, she planned to say that Obama's "extraordinary campaign" had "achieved a great thing, for himself and for our country." If she and McCain lost, she planned to express belief that Obama would be a good president despite their ideological differences. "If he governs America with the skill and grace we have often seen in him, and the greatness of which he is capable, we're gonna be just fine."
The speeches were full of the folksy style Palin had become famous for on the campaign trail, incorporating numerous references to her husband and children and home state. In the victory speech, Palin joked about her husband being demoted from "First Dude" of Alaska to "Second Dude" of the United States. Her concession speech included a joke about the "bright side" for Todd Palin being that he could now take time off to prepare for his next snow machine race.
Palin's concession speech also hinted at her resolution to keep a high profile in national politics, saying she was "neither bitter or vanquished." But she couldn't refrain from taking a parting shot at the media, with whom she had waged a tumultuous war throughout the campaign. "It would be a happier night if elections were a test of valor and merit alone," the speech said.
They had Sarah. Not just another VP candidate. They had SARAH. such a dynamic and amazing figure. and they treated her like dirt. they misused her. and they abused her like a baseball manager ruining some kids’ arm. And then they never had her back after throwing her to the wolves.
Steve Schmidt, you suck. I hope your career is over. you P.O.S.
Geez, what a team. Where do losers like McCain, Dole, etc. get their campaign advisors?
I’m still on the fence as to whether or not things would be as bad or worse with Mr. reach-across-the-aisle in charge rather than Mr. hope-and-change. I think a President Maverick would have turned out even worse than anticipated as he would almost certainly have embraced even more liberal notions in a desperate attempt to win back the love of the NYT. He sure enjoyed campaigning but I cannot believe he wasn’t deliberately screwing up.
Again, the reason they fear Sarah is that she’s not a Dear Sweet Old Loser or an Affable Doormat like our recent GOP “leaders.”
From the same place. There are several names on McCain’s campaign who are exactly the same people from Dole’s campaign staff.
Start with Charles Black Jr. And then start sniffing around the “Prime Policy Group” out of DC, where Black is the chairman.
Don’t know about McLame’s but Dole got his “advisors” in his own bathroom mirror each morning and bedtime.
Yup. 96’ campaign aside, my most vivid memory of ol’ Bob will be of him wanking off to Britney Spears in the Viagra ad.
I need to learn more about how candidates choose their campaign managers. I seriously think a lot of them are secretly paid to work for the other side.
It probably helps NOT to hire an amoral mercenary but rather someone with known principles and a track record.
Give me a break - McLame marries the heiress to millions - Dole became rich......oh, yeah, on his salary while serving in Congress and the Senate, while keeping his home in KS & a posh place in the Watergate!
It's called corruption, whether one has a D or an R beside one's name.
Plain and simple - no more "career politicians retiring on 80% of their salary" after serving 6 years in DC!
Oh, yes, it's also NOT the same Social Security and NOT the same health insurance as we purchase for ourselves -- we "purchase" far superior retirements and health insurance for our "public servants" than we, ourselves can afford for ourselves!
It was worse than that.
They set her up.
But she will rise over phony war hero milquetoast McCain.
These people act like they are straight out of the 8th grade. No wonder the campaign was a train wreck. That McCain let these shenanigans to happen and apparently agreed with them makes it that much worse. Where do I go to donate to his next primary opponent?
"she apparently tried to "go rogue" by giving a concession speech on election night, an uncommon move for a vice presidential candidate"
I dunno if it is all that uncommon. Edwards whined for a while in 2004. In 1992, Dan Quayle gave a very gracious concession speech - actually better, I think, than the one H.W. Bush gave. Dunno about 96, though after Kemp's performance in the VP debate, maybe that was just as well (By the way, I really liked Jack Kemp, but he just never seemed to get into the flow during the '96 campaign). 2000 was, well 2000.
bookmark
Inside job with the evil witch Nicole Wallace.
Contrast the Palin concession and victory speeches with the tone of the liberal speeches. In a concession speech from a Democrat the message is “we wuz robbed and demand a recount” and a victory speech the message is “we won and will do whatever we want”
If McCain had won, the economy would still be bad at this point in time. The Democrats and the media would be talking about the failed economic policies of the administration, even if McCain had acquiesced to huge socialist spending. Dems would have won the NJ governorship minimally and possibly the VA governorship as a repudiation of the Republican administration. The 2010 congressional elections would be another disaster for the Republicans setting up the Democrats for a 2012 landslide of epic proportions which would have locked in one party rule for decades.
Instead we have the opportunity for a new leader to communicate a new conservative vision to an American population tired of living through a socialist nightmare, high unemployment and crushing taxes. McCain was not that leader and he would have failed. Can that leader emerge or will another compromising moderate carry the flag in 2012?
As I look back at recent history I now believe the nation would have been better off had the Florida electoral votes gone to Gore. He would have won both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The Republican Congress could have blocked his far left environmental and social policies. He would likely not have passed a tax cut so the economy, already in recession, would have gotten worse and the housing bubble would not have occurred or at least not have been as dramatic as it was. 9/11 would have been blamed by the public on the weak foreign and defense policies of the Democrats. There would have been no Iraq war and likely no protracted Afghanistan conflict. The leftist/socialist agenda would have been completely repudiated by 2004 and even if a Democrat won the 2004 and/or 2008 presidential election, he/she would not have the overwhelming congressional majorities Obama enjoys. It is the unbalanced legislature that gives Obama the power to implement his policies and ignore the Constitution. Those majorities are so disproportionate as to minimize the checks and balances in the system.
To view it, just click HERE
Dunno about 96, though after Kemp's performance in the VP debate, maybe that was just as well (By the way, I really liked Jack Kemp, but he just never seemed to get into the flow during the '96 campaign).
Jack Kemp was heroic in his way. He was inclusive, he believed in the people, and his leadership redefined conservatism to mean low taxes in preference to a balanced budget. But his way was not suited to being a national candidate, and certainly not a vice presidential candidate. Because he was not willing to be politically partisan, as a VP candidate must be.The essential disconnect was between the requirements of a Republican constituency, which was and is to defend the middle class (which is predominantly white) against those who affect to speak for the lower class (which is not predominantly white). Those who affect to speak for the lower class are not merely (and not even usually) poor people, but limousine liberals and prosperous demagogues. Jack Kemp simply did not see himself in that role - with the result that during the Gore-Kemp debate he allowed Gore to savage the reputation of the people whose vote he had to have to be elected. It was an insulting performance which transformed Kemp from presidential timber to a goat.
Painful.
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