McCain Pollster Explains Loss, Calls Frank Luntz A Moron

The chief pollster for John McCain's presidential campaign offered a candid diagnosis of how his candidate was done in, on occasion reserving harsh words for fellow Republicans.

Bill McInturff, speaking at a National Journal breakfast on Thursday, said the political environment for the GOP in 2008 was worse than anything he has seen in his time polling since former Soviet empires were breaking the shackles of communism.

"Reporters would call me up and say, 'have you ever seen this?'" McInturff said of George W. Bush's approval ratings. "And I say, 'yeah, Bulgaria 1992.'"

"We had a very unpopular war and the most unpopular president in American polling history," he explained, by way of summarizing the election. "We had a 70 percent wrong track and we were winning. We were winning. And what happened? We said that's not hard enough for John McCain. We should implode the financial markets. And what happens? We go from 70 percent wrong track to literally 90 percent."

Unrestrained by the formalities of the election, McInturff levied some sharps words at fellow GOPers who -- generally speaking -- never really were bullish on the idea of a McCain presidency. The most biting jabs were saved for communications guru Frank Luntz.

"I saw Frank Luntz," said McInturff, "who is a moron -- I want to make sure this is clearly on the record -- he was talking to Republican governors, making fun of John for not being able to use a BlackBerry. The man can't do it because he is much more disabled than people can imagine... I would like to take a hammer and start breaking bones in Frank's arms."

McInturff later noted that the Obama campaign ran an ad on this very topic, and vice presidential candidate Joe Biden criticized the spot because of its insensitivity.

In addition to going after Luntz, McInturff highlighted several factors that he credited with truly hurting the McCain candidacy. The first, and most obvious, was the crisis in the financial markets and the failure of the House of Representatives to quickly pass a bailout packaged.

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"We had the House not voting for the bailout," he said, "which kept that story going for another seven days and helped implode the campaign."

The second was McCain's age, which was a huge handicap in a change election.

"When you have a 70-year-old nominee versus a new generation candidate," he said, "it is very hard."

The final, and most surprising, was the Hispanic vote, which trended heavily towards Obama. McInturff said that the most effective commercial of the campaign was the Spanish-language spot, put up by the now president-elect, which claimed that conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was a McCain ally on immigration. Mainly, however, Obama had a huge financial advantage that allowed him to make great inroads within this and other minority communities.

"If the other team has 700 million and they are spending five times as much on Spanish language media saying that crap," he said, "it has an effect."

Comments

[Alex02139]

Disabled or not, anyone who can't use a computer has no business being president in 2008. It's like Eisenhower not being able to use a telephone. McCain is not a bad guy, and would have been much much much better than Bush in 2000. But his moment was 2000, not 2008, and not being able to use a computer is symbolic of that.

Thank heaven for Obama, even though his choices so far--with the exception of Hillary--are deeply disappointing.

[Timezoned]

Wow. This guy helped run the McCain campaign and he's calling others morons?

They sure have become whiners, these Republicans.

It's everyone else's fault, it's the economy, it's that the candidate was too old, and on and on. Oh and they should have made a BIGGER thing of McCain being handicapped and a POW, yeah that's the ticket.

I can't wait for the next Democrat who runs against this guy's next client, it should be just as big a landslide as this was. Not his fault of course, sure, fine. Just keep thinking that way, fine with me.

[Tiradrex]

Gooshhh. I wish I could use such excuses at work.

[nootrope]

mcsame would have lost with or without a financial meltdown. That was just the final straw. The country has rejected republican "feed the rich" policies and their neanderthal politics of hatred, meannes and division. The GOP is just going to have to get with the program or else go the way of the woolly mammoths their mascot is resembling more by the day.

[Heru1]

The GOP is finished. I can't get enough of you smearing each other.

[tajitj]

Wow, he still does not get it. The bailout passed that is why McCain lost. He should have rode into Washington to try and stop throwing $700 billion in the garbage. He believes in big govt solutions to every problem we face, that is why he lost.

[JoeAmerican]

Hm, obviously I don't know him well enough, but I generally enjoyed watching Frank Luntz as he made genuine attempts to learn what people were actually thinking and cared about, exercising tremendous restraint to not twist results for his own agenda but recognizing reality for what it is. With a virtual 2-year campaign, it can't be easy being "on" all the time and never making a mistake.

[JoeAmerican]

Amusing, read up some on Luntz and see he's been critcized for showing bias in the past. Doh! Well, at least the conversations I watched he seemed to have learned his lesson. But interesting...

[mamacat]

The GOP and their right-wing pundits decided to demonize hispanics for the sake of stirring up their base and making a quick profit. Mr. McInturff cannot claim that it was unfair of Democrats to remind hispanics that the GOP is the party of hatred and intolerance. At what point did Sen. McCain and the other Republican party leaders denounce the Limbaughs, the O'Reillys, and the Dobbses for their race baiting?

For Mr. McInturff to call it "crap" that the Dems reminded hispanics of who and what the Republicans are is insane.

[flamflurm]

I thought Calif Democrats were the party of H and I. Who voted for Prop 8 and how are they treated now?

[HoraceOvidson]

McCain explained it best himself. He lost because of his own mistakes. And that to pass the blame on others, or to make excuses would not be right. "Nobody likes a bad loser," he said in his concession speech. That speech, as has been noted by many, was the best of his campaign.

[bubbuh]

The occasional helping of curmudgeon pudding hits the spot.

[Bmantra]

Personally, I think the republican party will not make a comeback until they somehow wrangle control back from the intolerant, hate-filled, judgemental religious so called "christians" that have taken over their party. I have seen other posters mention something that I have found true, especially in moving to Texas from California, that I have met atheists that act in a more christian-like manner than those that tell you at every turn that they are christian. I am enjoying watching the GOP implode!!

[crazylikeafox]

Those aren't "Christians". They are hate-filled freaks.

[dartagnan]

"I have met atheists that act in a more christian-like manner than those that tell you at every turn that they are christian."

You'd better believe it. All the atheists I know are decent, ethical, compassionate human beings.

Too many evangelical Christians (there are exceptions -- think of Jimmy Carter) see their religion as a license to be as bigoted, cruel and heartless as they want to be.

[kevinw]

I would like any Repub to explain to me how the Party of business is hurt by the financial crisis. I believe their denial is getting in the way. Their politics of identity smearing was affective right after the convention. One of their main attacks was on how this strange and unknown quantity would react in a crisis Unfortunately for the McCain campaign, a financial crisis did pop up. They spent the first full week of the crisis floundering from everything is OK, to no its a crisis, to I am suspending my campaign until a bill is signed, to coming back with no bill, to taking credit for pulling the support together for passing the bill and the House not passing it. It was apparent that the campaign was playing to the news cycles and not doing anything at all effective or affective toward the real life crisis. It was that running around with his hair on fire that persuaded the voters to look at the other guy. Obama did not panic. He did not try to out gimmick McCain. It turned out that the person we did not really know was John McCain. He became completely unraveled with the financial crisis. After watching Cool Hand Luke Obama compared with Hair on fire McCain, it appeared that Obama was the more mature member with deliberate pace and judgment. Who ever decided to try to gimmick the financial crisis cost them the election.

[8isEnoughPeriod]

Absolutely correct!!!

[TheFoolkiller]

Dead on 8isEnoughPeriod.

[toppergem]

Could not have said it better myself. The country wants someone who wont get frustrated under pressure. Because being president is a pressure filled job.

[dreadlok68]

Yes, McCain's reaction to the financial crisis was a major deal-breaker. Here's an analogy: Those of you who have followed hip-hop (and are old enough) might remember the late '80s, when Public Enemy was catching heat for the anti-Semitic remarks that one of its members, Professor Griff, allegedly made to a reporter. The group's leader, Chuck D, imagined that he was heading a miniature Nation of Islam, and "suspended" Griff, which made him look both ridiculous and weak. He worsened the image by reinstating Griff not too long thereafter. It didn't kill PE as a group, but it certainly hurt them in the short run.

Grandiose moves like those that McCain and PE made work only if you have your game together and can see beyond the short term. McCain's people failed on both counts. Coupled with Palin's abysmal interviews, the campaign was dead.

[YesWeDid]

How about this: McCain lost because he offered nothing new, just more of Bush and potatoes with a cherry called Palin on top.

[chris48]

It's true....enough with the finger pointing. Mc lost because he had nothing new to offer..no new ideas...no new directions. And allowing himself to be bullied by the conservative extremeists. I'm glad he lost, but the reasons are very clear.

[Veratruth]

The Republicans, which included most of the evangelicals, and a dishonest Democrat, thought they could continue to bully everyone on the planet but it didn't work this time. They celebrated in 2000 and 2004 but, finally, their dishonesty came to a screeching halt., thanks to many hard-working Americans who have always loved this country and were sick of being labeled as ungodly and unpatriotic when they disagreed. Thank God.

[Byrne]

Don't over do the analysis. Over here in the UK we are all grateful that you have elected a person who has the makings of a great leader. The Bush years have been a nightmare. Welcome back, America. We missed you.

[CallMeCrazy4Now]

Sorry Byrne, the truth is... we don't care what non-Americans think about us or our presidents. For the record... Obama will more than likely be a huge failure if he starts to act like foreigners.

[Phillyska]

How about we act like human beings who happen to be Americans? Stop dissing the rest of humanity. Last time I checked we came from and are going to meet the same maker.

[kevinw]

That is the Republicans speaking here, most of us care about our role in the world community and what others think about us.

[larissa68]

Hey, not sure why you decided to be the default spokesperson for the WHOLE of the US but, um, that's not your job and it is not your right.

Those are some pretty big britches you're trying to wear there buddy.

If you don't care what the rest of the world thinks? Fine SAY THAT but don't lump ME and everyone else into that group in order to make your point somehow seem more valid. If you don't have to the balls to say you don't agree without the whole of the US backing you up then maybe you shouldn't comment?

Or is this a Republican thing with the grand gestures and lying?

[goldbry]

You don't speak for me, and I'm calling you crazy. It's good to be back, Byrne. I care what the rest of the world thinks.

[Mugzi]

You don't speak for me either! When I vote, I vote for the best candidate and how well he "plays in the sandbox"... overwhelmingly Obama!

[toppergem]

Byrne, that is your opinion, but I do not agree. It is important how the US president looks to the rest of the world. You have to be able to get things done in the world without acting like the spoiled, bully on the playground. I think being able to talk and see other sides of a situation are so very important to coming to a compromise or coming to an agreement on an issue. I want my president to be looked on with respect throughout the world. I think Obama is going to be excellent in this arena.