McCain: 'Competing spheres of influence'
Posted: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 9:15 AM by Domenico Montanaro
MCCAIN: “Competing spheres of influence”
The New York Times’ Nagourney looks at the internal politics of the McCain campaign and mentions both Karl Rove and Mike Murphy. "After a period of relative calm on that score, it is becoming clear that his campaign is once again a swirl of competing spheres of influence, clusters of friends, consultants and media advisers who represent a matrix of clashing ambitions and festering feuds. The cast includes the surviving members of Mr. McCain’s 2000 campaign, led by Rick Davis and Mark Salter; a new camp out of the world of Karl Rove, led by the recently ascendant Steve Schmidt; and on the periphery, the ever-present Mike Murphy, Mr. McCain’s strategist in the 2000 presidential race who has been dispensing advice to the candidate to the annoyance of the other camps, and is the subject of intensifying rumors in Republican circles that he is about to re-enter the campaign."
VIDEO: As the RNC approaches, John McCain looks to clarify the official message of his campaign. A Race for the White House panel talks about how the Republican party will react.
And the
New York Sun looks at the possibility of the return of Murphy. "The chief concern expressed about Mr. Murphy's arrival is that he might be an awkward fit with an operative from President Bush's 2004 campaign, Steve Schmidt, who took over day-to-day operation of Mr. McCain's campaign just last week in response to concerns that the operation was listless and failed to capitalize on a three-month head start over the Democrats. ‘I don't know if it could work or it could be incredibly combustive,’ a regular surrogate for Mr. McCain's campaign said of the potential pairing. ‘Steve is much more of a rapid fire, relentless, hammer-the-message-home-until-everybody-gets-nauseous, only-then-is-it-really-getting-through kind of guy. I think Murphy gets rapid-fire but he's very much into stagecraft and bigger thematic messages.’”
The LA Times looks at McCain's first post-shakeup event through the prism of advance. “[T]he advance team set up not one but three teleprompters to make McCain's often stilted delivery more natural. He still missed a few words, but appeared more practiced. Blue-and-white banners heralding McCain's ‘Jobs for America’ plan framed the stage and a large blue rug with the McCain logo gave the room a finished look. Technicians toned down the house lights to avoid drawing attention McCain's white hair.”
“There was even new music. The jarring mix of Abba and techno beats at McCain's events was replaced by songs from homespun country crooners -- Rascal Flatts' ‘Mayberry’ and Alan Jackson's ‘Tequila Sunrise.’ Though McCain fielded far-flung questions, he managed to hit his central themes -- which has not always been the case."
