McCain Admits Tensions Over Palin Among Former Staff (VIDEO)

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) demurred once again when asked to divine the kind of candidate for president his former running mate, Sarah Palin, could be in 2012.

"I have a degree of clairvoyance," the Arizona Republican said, "but in 2009 to predict what would happen in the 2012 election is -- I'm not capable of."

While McCain wouldn't wade into presidential politics, he did offer a bit of retrospection. In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," McCain acknowledged what has become quite obvious -- that during the course of the 2008 election, serious rifts developed within his campaign ranks. Asked about comments made by his former campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, disparaging the role Palin could play in the Republican Party, McCain offered the following reply:

Look, whenever there's a political campaign -- and I've been involved in them for many, many years -- there's always tensions within. You know, when you -- how -- with a high-pressure situation, there's always tensions that develop within campaigns. And there were clearly tensions between Steve Schmidt and people in the Palin camp.

There's -- there are fundamental facts, though, that cannot be denied. When we selected or asked Sarah Palin to be my running mate, it energized our party. We were ahead in the polls, until the stock market crashed. And she still is a formidable force in the Republican Party. And I have great affection for her.

Will Sarah and I -- did we always agree on everything in the past? Will we in the future? No. But look let's let a thousand flowers bloom. Let's come up with a winning combination the next time. We -- and -- and let's -- let's all go through the process, rather than condemning anybody's chances. And I'm happy to say we have some great people out there, and Sarah is one of them.

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Comments

[DSM-IV-TR]

McCain has lost all credibility for me. If it was up to him, he would have put Palin one heartbeat away from the Presidency. That's totally irresponsible and scary. That decision cost him my respect.

[ImissBush]

wow

only took the str8 talk express 9 mons 2 admit that

[PragmaticStatistic]

Here is why this long-term fiscally conservative Republican switched his party affliation to unaffliated:

1) Sara Palin was a stupid choice for VP.
2) McCain's understanding of the economy was totally wrong.
3) He couldn't manage a good campaign, so how was he going to manage the government?
3) His logic for war would have us at war for decades when our economy can no longer support it.
4) His privatized social security concept nose dived last fall, I lost half my 401K following this concept.
5) For 26 out of the 28 years the fiscally-c­onservativ­e Republicans controlled Congress, he helped to spent us into a staggering debt that will take decades to repay.
6) He does a good talk about controlling lobbying and political contributions, yet he has been ineffective at changing things, and his loyalties to Corporate Capitolism are hidden in the political contributions he received in the last election:

Securities & Investment­/Commercia­l Banks:
$10,950,382 (Can anyone see bank bailouts?)

Health Professionals:
$5,251,741 (Can anyone see backroom health care deals for big business?)

There is nothing the Republicans can do to make me return to the nest. On the other hand, I will keep a watchful eye on the Democrats and TeaBaggers as well.

As long as Corporate Capitolism continues, we need to put "No Confidence In Congress" on the ballot for 2010, 2012 and beyond?

[Protoguy]

All this talk about how she can't win. Bush won twice

[cloudmaker]

Let's be fair Protoguy, Bush Jr. won once. His brother Jeb won the first time.

[annieR]

As amArizonan, I didn't know who would be the worst president, McCain or Palin. McCain would have us stay in Iraq and Afghanistan and invade Iran and North Korea. We contained Russia for 40 years, and that seemed to have worked well. And they were really big!

[littlechuckie]

sorry. Maybe you can do better in AZ next time around.

[John Bowler]

Interesting. 'Let a thousand flowers bloom' was a quote and political trap of chairman Mao!

[John Bowler]

Let a thousand flowers bloom

Meaning

Encourage many ideas from many sources.

Origin

Let a thousand flowers bloom is a common misquotation of Chairman Mao Zedong's "Let a hundred flowers blossom". This slogan was used during the period of approximately six weeks in the summer of 1957 when the Chinese intelligentsia were invited to criticize the political system then obtaining in Communist China.

The full quotation, taken from a speech of Mao's in Peking in February 1957, is:

"Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land."

It is sometimes suggested that the initiative was a deliberate attempt to flush out dissidents by encouraging them to show themselves as critical of the regime. Whether or not it was a deliberate trap isn't clear but it is the case that many of those who put forward views that were unwelcome to Mao were executed.

Copyright © Gary Martin, 1996 - 2009

[John Bowler]

The funny thing is, History might very well look back at Katie Couric as a patriot who loved her country, and was able to bring down a ticket with a 72 cancer survivor and sarah palin second in line. We don't know how close the Republic came to it's possible demise. It's painfully obvious to any high school graduate and most drop-outs for that matter that sarah palin could not run a Dairy Queen. But she ran Alaska!!! She didn't run it. She was a figurehead with a great staff. That's it! And the whole world knows it! The empress has no clothes!(of her own). and to her millions of followers? Get a clue!!!

[NeoConsAreFinished]

Why is McIknowhow­towinwarCa­in even getting the airtime? Kerry never got as much airtime after he lost. Neither did Gore........

[truthmatterstoo]

The cracker Barrel was booked

[cloudmaker]

That's because they were busy doing other things to help America. John has nothing to do but yap.

[FeralFemale]

First off, I pay little mind to the opinion of a former campaign advisor who talks badly about *any* candidate he once worked for and did little to support. In the end, a campaign's failure usually is put squarely on the shoulders of the campaign staff. That advisor is trying to save his behind for putting out one of the worst campaigns ever. He let his personal pride get in the way of putting his candidate first. I always wondered why the McCain staff did so little to debunk the Palin smears and lies, and now I know why.

Secondly, Palin knows she has little if any chance of winning the nomination in 2012. I can't say she doesn't have ambitions, as her backing out of the public limelight clearly shows she is trying to regroup.

Thirdly, McCain's campaign advisors aside, McCain knows his actions after the economic collapse had just as much a part to play in his campaign's implosion as Palin did. I'm sure one of his advisors thought it would be a good idea, showing how serious he is about such a crisis, but Obama's response made McCain seem weak -- even if McCain's actions might have been the right thing to do. As McCain stated, he was ahead in the polls before the collapse. For the most part, it was his reaction to the collapse that sunk his campaign. *That's* when the tables turned.

[joshwa]

I agree with you completely. Here's another possibility.
McCain only wanted to be ELECTED president. He's no fool, well, maybe not completely. He knows he couldn't stand the rigors of the office. So he gets elected and then soon after claims it's too much for him and he retires. That leaves the "pitbull with lipstick", (no one says she is capable enough to handle the job) in as POTUS.
Before the election McCain was already picking his advisors, and most of those he announced that would be advising him were lobbyists. So the cabinet and who would really run the country were being set up in advance. Palin was just window dressing.
There was never really a question of having these people elected to this office. We as a nation wouldn't survive, and the majority of voters knew that and voted to not allow that to happen.

[tmo7734]

It's funny how the truth comes out months after an election. Actually, though, McCain didn't have to tell us -- everybody knew.

[truthmatterstoo]

Cindy just wanted a new white house...and preferred it in a whi.te enclave. ...with ser.vants

[Clovie]

D.C.'s not exactly a white enclave.

[marysmith1]

The man doesn't know how to use a computer. How far behind he is?. Whatever he says count least. No one could imagine him in the white house running this country, except those less intelligent republicans who voted for him.

[FeralFemale]

Not to be picky...but it's not that he doesn't know how to use a computer...it's that he can't. The man can't use his hands and can't use a keyboard or mouse.

[ByeByeBushie]

Stephan Hawkings uses a computer.

[writeon1]

His judgement was poor. He thought he could get even more votes by choosing a woman on his ticket. Did he really think reasonable thinking people would be more inclined to vote for him no matter what woman he chose? I'm sure plenty of his staff thought she was goofy as a bug. I mean they had to show her how to dress and buy her clothes, how goofy is that? http://newsy1.wordpress.com

[FeralFemale]

Nearly every candidate at that level of govt has a stylist -- even the dudes.

[Angry23]

McCain translation: I really thought Palin was a stupid flake, but I wanted to win more than I cared about any particular ideal. I dislike her, and won't endorse her for president, but I will claim to have "affection" for her, which means I hate her and hold her partially responsible for my definitive defeat. I am passive aggressive, so I won't just say that, I'll just hint it at her. And, again imply to Obama that I should have won and would have if people weren't so darn upset about losing their homes to the neocon system of robbery that's kept me wealthy for so long.

[joycehelene]

Worst mistake McCain ever made, other than running for the presidency in the first place.