Top McCain Aides Quit Struggling Campaign

The Washington Post ^ | July 10, 2007 | Dan Balz

[NonValueAdded]

John, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your speech on the Senate floor upon your return. That said, your stand on immigration and the First Amendment mean you will never get my vote no matter who you have running your campaign or how much money you raise. Your staff did the best they could with what you gave them to work with.

[quark]

[headstamp]

“Campaign manager Terry Nelson and chief strategist John Weaver issued terse statements announcing their departures from the McCain camp, which reportedly came after the candidate erupted after concluding that his top-level advisers had mismanaged the operation.”

Classic McCain.

[Kevmo]

gee, ya think they’re related?

Great post. Bump.

[Texas Federalist]

Is there any basis to believe that Romney has a temper problem or that his campaign, admittedly not surging, is in freefall the way McCain is?

How about the way his campaign is feeding Fred Thompson hit pieces to the media.

[JeffAtlanta]

McCain is beginning to realize he is toast and predictably he is blaming others. If he drops out it will be interesting to see who benifits most.

The Bill of Rights.

[JeffAtlanta]

When McCain drops out, Fred Thompson will take 75% of his support...putting him solidly in front.

If that is accurate, then I really have to wonder about Fred Thompson - or at least what people think he stands for.,

[JeffAtlanta]

Classic McCain.

I have to wonder whose idea it was to fall on the amnesty sword? I wonder if the strategists advised him that amnesty was a winning plan and McCain was furious when it backfired or if it was McCain's and the strategists left because he wouldn't listen.

Of course I have the same question about Bush and Lott and their decision to commit political suicide over the issue as well.

[PhiKapMom]

FWIW sources are saying that Weaver was fired and Nelson quit to protest Weaver being fired. I have heard it four times today and don’t have a clue if it is true or not but these people should have some idea since they know people in the McCain campaign.

[SergeiRachmaninov]

How about the way his campaign is feeding Fred Thompson hit pieces to the media.>\

Oh ~~SHRIEK~ ~SHRIEK~ those meanie campaigns are being hateful to my man! I've seen him in on TV and he is a great, strong hero! You can see the character all over his face whenever the camera moves in tight.

My man should be exempted from scrunity and opposition research! ~whine~

[Palladin]

I just want to say “So what?” A McCain candidacy is so irrelevant.

[ASA Vet]

[RockinRight]

Nothing like that at all. McCain’s supporters have refused to go to Giuliani or Romney. I think they like his “maverick” style - and while Fred’s not a maverick the way McCain is, he has that image moreso than the others.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Just exactly what anti-Thompson hit pieces did the Romney campaign release to the media ?

[NRA2BFree]

With his “inner circle” bailing out, McCain is finished. His arrogance is what drives him on. Can you imagine him “erupting” as the President? His anger problem is reason enough to keep him away from nuclear controls.

[bcsco]

By ROBERT PEAR and JIM RUTENBERG
Published: May 18, 2007

May 18th is the exact date the downward spiral began in earnest in your chart. Two bars to the right of the 16th is when it began, and free fell until the 23rd, with a somewhat less accelerated drop off since.

[bcsco]

FWIW sources are saying that Weaver was fired and Nelson quit to protest Weaver being fired.

Interesting if true. Weaver was close to McCain for years (according to the stories). One would think it would be the other way around. But as McCain's political guru, I wonder whether he took the hit for McCain's trouble with immigration.

[PhiKapMom]

You were right — it was the other way around. Nelson was fired and the other two quit — it just hit all the news wires.

[bcsco]

Just exactly what anti-Thompson hit pieces did the Romney campaign release to the media ?

Try this on for size: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1863812/posts. Not a 'release to the media' per se, but use of a bogus story nevertheless.

[bill1952]

I have to wonder whose idea it was to fall on the amnesty sword?

Privately, I do believe that they, the RINO herd, and the left of center dems are ideologically intertwined on this issue and they very much wanted it not to become a campaign issue as well.

This fits into the overarching issues that they share among themselves, and that those opposed to amnesty do not share.

Passage of amnesty would effectively moot the entire issue as being one of settled law, and would therefore remove a huge plank for their opponents, such as Fred and others, to run on, hence the fevor to give the conservative voters the Bum's rush on passage, asap.

Occam’s razor.