Bush Strategist: McCain Knows He Put Country At Risk With Palin Pick

Matthew Dowd, a prominent political consultant and chief strategist for George W. Bush's reelection campaign eviscerated John McCain on Tuesday for his choice of Sarah Palin as vice president.

Dowd proclaimed that, in his heart of hearts, McCain knew he put the country at risk with his VP choice and that he would "have to live" with that fact for the rest of his career.

"They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP," Dowd declared during the Time Warner Summit panel. "When Sarah Palin got picked instead of Joe Lieberman, which I fundamentally believed would have given John McCain the best opportunity in this race... as soon as he picked Palin, that whole ready versus not ready argument was not credible."

Saying that Palin was a "net negative" on the ticket, he went on: "[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."

The other panelists were surprised, a bit, by Dowd's bluntness. Not least because McCain's well-known campaign motto is "country first."

"No, I don't agree," said Mark McKinnon, a former McCain aide, after chiding Dowd for claiming particular insight into McCain's soul.

"Well," responded Dowd, "that's even more disturbing than my thought" -- the implication being that it would be truly frightening if McCain didn't know how bad Palin truly was.

Time columnist Joe Klein summed up what seemed to be the panel's Palin consensus.

"It was a gimmick," he said of the pick. "It was one of the most disastrous decisions I have seen in a presidential campaign since I've begun covering them."

Later in the session, Hilary Rosen, the Huffington Post's Washington editor at large, noted that the Palin pick had been successful in energizing the Republican base -- and McCain himself. But Dowd wasn't biting.

"To me it is like Halloween," he said. "You get energized by eating all that candy at night but then you feel sick the next day."

Comments

[MajorKong]

I must say, it's fun watching the Republicans self destruct. Nothing like a hot steaming mug of schadenfreude before bed.

[HallStyle]

AMEN! The Wheels are falling off the Straight Talk Express! LOL!

http://www.hallstyle.blogspot.com

[faithfully]

Good Grief-who will actually be running the country should McCain win? I always wonder who is actually running our country now. Certainly not Bush. If McCain didn't have the power and command to choose his own VP heaven help us when other crucial decisions are to be made.

[MountPanic]

The same people who EVER run the country when the Republicans hold office; The Carlyle Group and The Heritage Foundation.

[BuzzEGreen]

Who would be running the country should McCain win?

1) Todd (Alaska First) Palin
2) Karl (Republicans Uber Alles) Rove
3) Dick CheneyHaliburton
4) The oil companies (and their Saudi friends)
5) Wall Street

Take your pick...or maybe all of the above...but given the state of McCain's campaign, it would NOT be John McCain.

[BannedInBoston]

Schadenfreude (like revenge) is a drink best served cold, I think. (Takes a snack from the fridge....)

[HallStyle]

McCain likes to GAMBLE! I think we can all agree with that. BUT! This isn't working. Palin only plays with the BASE of the party. They need a few Dems, and Independents for McCain to win. He SHOWED VERY BAD JUDGMENT! Now, he is paying the price in the polls. I only hope and PRAY that the polls are right!

http://www.hallstyle.blogspot.com

[KennaP]

the thing about gambling is that the odds are stacked AGAINST you--something he has figured out in 72 years. but it's one thing to gamble for yourself, it's quite another to gamble with the lives and future of the american people.

[HallStyle]

McCain might not even have a future! Hell, he is living in the PAST!

[Seldomright]

Maybe Mr. Dowd should rummage around in his own heart of hearts and take a long look at how he could have been Bush's reelection point man. It was pretty clear for a long time before the 2004 election that W wasn’t up to the job, but as long as Dowd could feather his nest by making believe this guy was fit to be president, he happily went about his job. I really don’t see much difference between McCain and Dowd, except that Dowd has been able to cash in on his cynical choice better than McCain will likely be able to on his.

[glamorous1908]

will someone tell me what the vetting process is or what it consists of? Thanks!

[HallStyle]

Well, it consists of doing a little background check on your candidate. Its that simple. A lot of that could have easily been done by just doing a Google search. But! McCain doesn't know how to work the Google! LOL!

http://www.hallstyle.blogspot.com

[wagthedog1001]

The vetting process SHOULD consist of a written "application form" complete with sources, background check, financial check, interviews, interviews of family, friends, colleagues. It's basically what anyone would have to do to be considered for a high level job. Most of these people are public figures and/or politicians who have been around for a long time, so there is a lot of information out in the public domain about them. Still, there are secrets all people keep from everyone else. A good vetting process should uncover most of this. There was one VP candidate who was chosen, Thomas Eagleton, who was not vetted very well and a few days after he was chosen it was found he had "mental health" issues he hadn't revealed. He was dropped and the presidential candidate, George McGovern, went on to a resounding defeat in part because of that.

McCain did not do his homework on Palin. That is his problem now.

[wagthedog1001]

So now, Bush strategist Dowd must be a part of the ELITE MEDIA always beating up on the Squirrel/Moose ticket.

[economicwhiz]

This was McCain subconsciously throwing the election and mocking the far right with the Palin pick.

The right would not let him pick Joe Lieberman so he lashed out but it was on a subconscious pick. He's actually mocking the right with Palin.

[KennaP]

*in thick Russian accent* ve-ry, ve-ry in-ter-est-ink...

[Jetling]

Natasha! We must get moose and squirrely (McCain)...

[MountPanic]

He's mocking all of us with Palin. It shows just how little regard he has for this country.

The truth is, he'd still be sunk with Lieberman. The guy was dead weight in 2000, and that was before we knew he was a turncoat.

But it certainly sheds a even more light on the lie of McCain as being a "maverick" in his own party.

[GabrielXL]

I was thinking the very same thing. I saw the Sarah Palin pick as John McCain giving the GOP the ultimate middle finger. Never underestimate the damaged sensibilities of an aging "maverick".

[StillIRise]

John McCain was not mocking the far right. In fact, he abandoned all of his "Maverick" principles to pander to the far right to win their support, and it was the far right who also encouraged him to select Palin, a choice he alone made. McCain wants to win the presidency, by any means necessary, and he wants it more than anything, even if it means compromising everything he ever stood for, which became evident in his choice of Palin. The only person he ended up mocking was himself. His campaign is in shambles, the far right has deserted him and his political career is virtually destroyed. No one will ever think of him the same again. John McCain has hurt no one but John McCain.

[lornejl]

I like how some of the Corporate media asks GOP stooges if they would be comfortable with a Pres. Sarah, they all say yes, so at least they are all on record as being complete mor ons with absolutely no cred.

[DeAnnaClaudette]

I had a metaphoric dream the other night that Sarah Palin had fallen down a very steep mountain after climbing it with no protection or climbing gear. About sums up her rise, and the coming fall, I believe.

And yes, it's disturbing that I dreamed about ANY of these candidates. I am soooo ready for this election to be over. I'm fatigued.

[jesuslovesObama]

Coming fall?

Have you seen her recent polling numbers? She's half way down the mountain...

[karinct5]

She's hit about bottom.

[collprof]

Palin is already in free fall. There is no recovery. She is a joke on the stump except for the wild zealots who attend her "speeches". Today she was shamed by her own state's papers. She is done. America's perception of her is not the Palin we see night after night. It is the Palin we see portrayed by Fey.

McCain has shamed himself. His lack of organization, leadership, choice of Palin, wild swings of running to DC & suspending his campaign/debate, then back on again, economy and again wild swings of this program and that program, the senseless attacks against Obama with Ayers/Acorn. The backlash has been NY Times Poll (albeit biased?) publishing 53/39.

John Sidney McCain has disappeared. Whoever this guy is...when he gets back to the senate/Arizona he will try to be the recovering campaigner but the stigma of his campaign will be with him for years. I believe he is done. He will slowly fade away. As a Democrat I couldn't be more delighted that Bush/McCain are done. As an American I want my country put back together again. That is one hell of a problem and I feel sorry for the winner than the loser.

[Jwoods21]

Thats funny that you had that dream. Although i never have had the same dream i always thought about that when they aired those marine commercials and they had the marine climbing up the mountain with no climbing gear. Grant it he made it to the top, the fall would not of been so good. I always thought that commercial was horrible.

[wniccolo]

Palin is not a very good long term decision, especially seeing the chance that she'd become president *shudder*

And I don't know how many hillary supporters were desperate enough to change their allegiance for her, seeing how little she has in common with clinton besides her gender.

[theMightyT]

i know of one. she used to post here all the time. :)

[mafina]

Hilary Rosen, what Dowd stated is the exact sentiment of many many republicans and independents. There is no sugar coating this to indicate that she energize the base, any fool can do that. The question is whether this dimbo was this qualified to take on this task.

[songman]

Check out the new McCain youtube song/video parody - "McCain's Way".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaQOAnwdIVg
And pass it on!

You can also check out the Palin parody "The Lady is a Sham", also by PoliticalRalph

[meede]

For McCain to pick Palin, along with First Dude, have had ties to extremist group AIP, it's like climbing in bed with Bin Ladin. We've known of sleeper cells and just never know. They say they
re not associated anymore -- with all the lies told -- hold can we trust someone like that. Line that comes to mind -- How can you tell Palin is lying -- Her lips are moving.

Look at Palin at the rallies, she has been wearing a polar bear pin. She wore large American Flag pin at VP debate and few rallies but for pretty much this last week worn Polar Bear pin. The reason this is symbol for AIP. Is this supposed to be 'shout out' to them?? Here is a section of their bylaw:

"1.02 Symbol

The symbol of the Alaskan Independence Party shall be a polar bear depicted with the Big Dipper and north star in the background. The party symbol incorporating these elements may be used on clothing, on pins, signs and other means for advertising and raising party funds"

CNN did piece today about AIP. McCain campaign sent release to CNN they were not happy it was being aired. Compared it to doing a piece on Barack's religion. AIP is not a religious group. It's similar to group that Timothy McVeigh was a member of -- the one who blew up the building in OK. That kind of group. Scares the he11 out of me -- in the white

[grizhead63]

"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

Joe Vogler - Founding Father Alaskan Independence Party (AIP)

[artfri]

Did Palen deliver Florida to Obama? I haven't seen anything to prove or disprove my theory, but I know a thing or two about my parents' generation in Florida. I believe that the Palin pick enabled them to feel better about voting for an African American. The elderly Jewish voter in Florida who values education, erudition and eloquence above all else, took one look at Sarah Palin and decided, "People who shoot Moose don't like Jews." Obama may be Black, they may have reasoned, but he's nothing if not educated, erudite and eloquent. Game over. McCain was no longer Good For The Jews, and Florida went blue.

[fauve]

I think you have it completely right.

[AC500]

So much for McCain's patriotism. His pick of Palin clearly indicates he screwed the country over for his political ambition. How can he be trusted as President when he has exposed his true shallowness and serious lack of concern for the country's well-being. Like Palin, McCain doesn't seem to know that he doesn't know. I mean, does he seriously believe he "puts country first"? RED FLAG Voting to keep McCain as far away from the Oval Office is a no-brainer. The Gambler played a Joker ... yes, Palin ... and deserves to lose.

[Gary47]

Hello people, the gimmicks started when they offered up Regan, and have been continuing ever since. The repubs run government as a sham and basically take from the middle class and give to the rich. And then run around seeing what foreigners they can put in their gun sights. Way past time for them to be history.

[forpeace]

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Correction:

John McBush puts Country and the whole World at risk by running for Presidency.

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