McCain and the general election
Posted: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 4:22 PM by Mark Murray
From NBC's Mark Murray
At a lunch meeting with dozens of Washington reporters today,
McCain manager Rick Davis said the campaign isn't looking ahead to the general election just yet. But that didn't stop the reporters from peppering him with questions about how the Arizona senator might match up against
Obama and -- to a lesser extent --
Clinton, especially considering the excitement surrounding their candidacies.
Davis noted that the crowds Obama has attracted so far this primary season is a phenomenon he hasn't seen in all of his years in politics, and he argued that it's important for McCain to begin matching that level of enthusiasm. "We've got to get the Republican Party excited about this candidacy," he said. "We have to show them there is a chance to succeed."
Yet Davis also wasn't sure if the excitement surrounding Obama necessarily equals success in November. "How that translates into the general election, I don't know." Davis did tout public polls that have shown McCain -- even during his campaign's darkest days -- as being competitive with Obama and Clinton.
Asked how the 71-year-old McCain would fare in what seems to be a "change" election, Davis replied that McCain has always stood for change. "If you look at John's record ... no one has been a bigger catalyst for change," he said. "He is not stay as you go. He is not status quo. He is the greatest change agent in our party."
Davis added that if the Democrats try to portray the four-term Arizona senator as part of the Washington establishment, "They have their work cut out for them."
And on references to McCain's age -- like when Obama recently talked about McCain's half a century of service -- Davis said, "I actually think a half a century of service to our country is a good thing. We'd love those kind of discussions."
Moreover, Davis maintained that McCain would abide by his promise with Obama to accept public financing in the general election, as long as both sides are committed to it. But he added that Obama -- who has been raising money at a rapid pace -- might see accepting public financing as a disadvantage against McCain. "If I were raising $35 million a month, I would think that through... I think there is more a more likely chance he'd break his pledge than John [would]."
Davis also said that McCain would disavow any ads that 527 groups try to run in the general election on his behalf.
He began his remarks to the assembled Washington journalists by noting that the McCain campaign is still in "primary mode." He expected McCain to wrap up the GOP nomination by March 4, and downplayed McCain's closer-than-expected 50%-41% win over Huckabee in Virginia yesterday. "I think a nine-point race is a blow out" -- considering earlier tight GOP races in Florida and South Carolina.
Earlier today, McCain said that he'd like Huckabee to end his candidacy, but that he also respects the former Arkansas governor's right to continue his campaign. Davis remarked that the sooner Huckabee quits, the better it would be for McCain and the GOP -- but he noted that Huckabee remaining in the race does have its benefits. "He creates a narrative that allows us to go out and compete." Also: "Winning is a good thing." And Davis said that Huckabee in the GOP race draws media attention away from the Clinton-Obama contest.
