McCain Camp Worries It Will Be Overshadowed Until Democratic Convention

John McCain has been forced to play the pip-squeak all week. The candidate has been trying to get one word in edgewise while Barack Obama has been swarmed by adoring officials and supporters overseas. Even when the McCain camp tried to drum up media criticism around Obama canceling a visit to US troops in Germany, they were silenced and made to look like the ones who had gaffed. They criticized Obama for canceling the trip, only to be told later that it was in fact a long-standing Pentagon policy that had forced the cancellation.

With the Olympics starting August 8, the McCain camp is now nervous it won't be able to get a word in before the Republican National Convention in September. The Washington Post suggests that fear will spur McCain to name a running mate very soon so his decision won't be overshadowed.

The Washington Post should beware of the McCain camp on this issue. Conservative columnist Robert Novak said they may have used him this week to drum up VP speculation. The ultimate reason for using Novak was of course to get some time in the spotlight!

Read below. McCain aides are indicating his decision will come very soon.

Anxious to counter the blanket media coverage that has followed Sen. Barack Obama on his overseas journey, Sen. John McCain is weighing whether to announce his running mate in the coming weeks before the spotlight shifts to China and the opening of the Olympic Games next month.

"He's in a position to make [the decision] on short notice if he wanted to," said Charles R. Black Jr., one of McCain's top political advisers.

Two top aides to the presumptive Republican nominee said the decision is likely to be announced after Obama returns from Europe on Sunday and before the Beijing Olympics begin Aug. 8. They said the campaign fears that unanticipated events coming out of China -- whether in the form of athletic accomplishments or human rights protests -- could deflect attention from the announcement if it were made during the Games.

The Olympics conclude the day before the Democratic nominating convention opens in Denver, and the GOP convention begins in Minneapolis-St. Paul just four days after the Democratic gathering ends.

Comments

[CocteausTwin]

Two things helped to make my day today. The many funny as H_ell repsonses to this article and the paltry 62 responses to Ed_sal's article.

[ChiGuy]

"...has been forced to play the pip-squeak all week."
__________­__________­__________­__________­________

Get used to it.

[SweetSydney]

I was really upset when I heard that Barry decided to workout instead of visiting the wounded troops in Germany.

Then I found out that Landstuhl was 420 miles from Berlin and he wouldn't be allowed to bring campaign aides or cameras. That's really too much of a hassle and besides, those poor soldiers probably won't even bother to vote.

[biglover]

Hey sweet and sour. Read the news lately. Your president gave instructions to the Pentagon who forbade him from going there. He was ready to and the Pentagon put the kabosh on it but I am sure you know that and are just trying to act stupid - on second thought you just are stupid.

[Kalima]

I left you a link for Mac Java Script downloads on page 2, 3 or 4.

[nellie]

Against the rules to visit military bases when funded by campaign money. In Iraq, he was funded as a Senatorial junket. Thought you might like the facts.

[BeyondGoodAndEvil]

Betty Jo is patently against facts. Fiction is more up his alley.

[RaiderGreg]

This question is killing me:

How can this old codger stay within 3 %points of Obama in the gallup tracking poll?

[GBartrem]

McCain has been on this Surge topic for 3 days or more. Obama has moved on to more current topics of course.

[eXcommunicate]

All in all I am afraid this overseas trip will be a short tern net loss for the Obama Campaign. In the long run it might burnish his "commander in chief" credentials, but for now, the polls are tipping back towards McCain. There are a lot of contrarian conservative Democrats out there. They don't like foreigners. They don't like showboating. And all they care about is the economy. I think overall this trip will cost him about 2% in the rolls in the short run (the next week or so). But what he has to do and what he will do, is get back to bread and butter issues that have been winning issues for Democrats for generations. He'll stop playing in John McCain's "foreign policy/com­mander-in-­chief" playground because there is no way he can top McCain in that category, no matter how good he is. Republicans and Centrist Democrats see a (D) next to the name and automatically that candidate has a 15 point deficit in that area. So, Obama is going to start playing towards his strengths after a week of shoring up his weakness. So, take heart guys. He'll have a slight dip in poll numbers, but he'll swing back.

[WLA]

Bwahhahaha! I love when they start scrubbing BJ. A meltdown is surely imminent.

[SweetSydney]

If you're happy, I'm happy.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

They are just taking out the trash.

[SweetSydney]

I'll bet Da-vid is contemplating the same thing.

Think that Jetta will be able to make the trip all the way to Beaumont? ( Beaumont!)

[SCG]

Dial "M" for mistake.

[WLA]

Top notch, old bean.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

"My friends. I remember my first cell phone as well as I remember my first wife. Always remember to trade them in on a new and improved model."

[305Rider]

That's cold man.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Not as cold as the candidate of the party of "family values" dumping his first wife, who was crippled, for an heiress in order to further his political career.

[SaviourMachine]

"911.What is your emergency?"

[NotThisTime2008]

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

?

[SaviourMachine]

"My campaign needs a defibrilla­tor,stat."

[rosal]

World leaders don't pay attention to me, Waaaaaa, Wahhhhh, Waaaaaaaa (The media and the pollsters run to console him)

[WLA]

I'm about to commit political suicide and I need someone to talk me down.

[BWonka]

"He got to go to Europe and all I got was a tiny Brat at the Sausage Haus." Waaaaaaaaa

[LAJimm]

Come on guys, give him a break. He's trying to build a bridge to the 19th century.

It's the past that is important, not the future. He doesn't care that much about the future. Why would you when you are 70 years+ old.

[Sabreen60]

H e l l no!! He gets no breaks. He's been lying on 0ba-ma the whole week - up to and including today.

[WLA]

He has some great energy policies, like "electrificatin' the rural areas."

[rosal]

Improving the Pony Express

[CocteausTwin]

Or just the unfortunate troops (G bless their families)

[rosal]

You can see the desperation on McEnvious attacks. Nothing like a politician feeling diminished by an opponent. McDesperate still has a consolation prize: Corporate Media, and Corporate Polls. The Media will do anything to show its "close". Keep the people interested in the "close" race. This will get you ratings, ratings, ratings. Not to mention the appreciation of Corporate America.. And the pollsters and the Talking Heads will never run out of work.

[SaviourMachine]

McEnvious/­McDesperat­e.

I like it ! Ha!

[Tropiholic]

poor mc surge, he insisted 0bama go to iraq and afghanistan and he's had the worst week ever lol be careful what you wish for pappy

[LarsGruber]

I'm hoping that McCåaaain will volunteer a few more suggestions

[pithy]

Not sure why the author thinks McSame didn't get a word in edgewise - his characterization of Obama wanting to win an election rather than the war was repeated ad naseum on all the channels.

We also heard from him plenty of times in front of that cheese aisle and at the bratwurst house, although the ride on the golf cart with doddering Bush one was a silent affair. I felt kind of sorry for Bush 1 - he looked pretty shaky.

Notice how ugly the rhetoric has gotten since the campaign picked up that former Pav-Rovian sidekick, what's his name - Schmidt?

[jesuswazasocialist]

Who is this old guy again?

He looks like my neighbor that old guy that keeps shouting out, "keep the noise down."

[Flagal]

Mr. Wilson from Dennis the Me-n-ace