• May 26, 2012

Former McCain Strategist Does Not Like New McCain Strategy

by Sara K. Smith  9:48 am July 31, 2008

Cease the tomfoolery!John Weaver left John McCain’s campaign a year ago and ever since he has been mournfully briefing the press on how crappily his old friend is running things. Yesterday, in the wake of the dumb commercial calling Barack Obama a Eurofag pop star, Weaver talked with the Atlantic‘s Marc Ambinder and unloaded a little bit more.

The ad’s premise, he said, is “childish.”

“John’s been a celebrity ever since he was shot down,” Weaver said. “Whatever that means. And I recall Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush going overseas and all those waving American flags.”

[...] “For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness.”

He added: “There is legitimate mockery of a political campaign now, and it isn’t at Obama’s. For McCain’s sake, this tomfoolery needs to stop.”

Asked for a response, John McCain sucked meditatively on his Werther’s Original for a few moments before muttering, “Poppycock.”

Weaver, McCain’s Former Strategist, Calls “Celeb” Ad “Childish” [Marc Ambinder]

{ 44 comments }

Q2 July 31, 2008 at 9:51 am

Lead, follow, or change your Depends and get out of the way.

Happy Fun Ball July 31, 2008 at 9:53 am

Why does John Weaver hate America? And when did he stop beating his wife?

tsunami July 31, 2008 at 9:54 am

nice try, penisbreath, but anybody who says of mccain
“He can inspire the country to greatness.” is talking
out his ass.

AfghanVet July 31, 2008 at 9:55 am

Is Obama ready to lead? Yeah, lead everyone, not just the neo-tards and jesus freaks that McCain panders to now.

AngryBlakGuy July 31, 2008 at 9:56 am

…McCain has a strategy?!

Larry McAwful July 31, 2008 at 9:57 am

Is the old guy on the left in that photo James Weaver (Populist-IA)? You know, the Populist nominee for president in the 1892 election? It kinda looks like him. That’s sort of clever, if that’s what you’re going for.

This reminds me: how did John McCain weather the Panic of 1873? We he married to a beer heiress then, too? If so, which one?

queeraselvis v 2.0 July 31, 2008 at 10:04 am

Ooooh, tomfoolery. That’s gotta hurt. What’s next? Fiddle faddle? Balderdash? Hokum?

ManchuCandidate July 31, 2008 at 10:04 am

Weaver might be onto something. A former celeb looking to regain lost glory.
Two choices:

1) Toy Story
Obama = Buzz Lightyear (dark skinned version)
McCain = Woody the Cowboy and former media fave, if Woody were an rapidly unlikeable, thin skinned, Depends wearing, utterer of cunt/trollop oaths who helped torch an aircraft carrier and sold his plastic soul to Karl Rove.

2) Sunset Boulevard
McCain as Norman Desmond, “And I promise you I’ll never desert you again because after this we’ll win another election and another election. You see, this is my life! It always will be! Nothing else! Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark!… All right, Ms. Couric, I’m ready for my close-up. “

magic titty July 31, 2008 at 10:04 am

Anyone think the McCain campaign regards the Obama camp as something akin to the Scooby Doo gang? Pesky kids, and meddling dogs?

“And we woulda gotten away with it too if it wasn’t for those wily lil rascals! Blarrgghh!”

Also, James Weaver was almost not a fucking idiot, until he said McCain can inspire the country to greatness. Not factual nor possible. So get bent, Weaver. Your candidate sucketh.

freakishlystrong July 31, 2008 at 10:05 am

Sara, can you make “Werther’s Original” a tag line? I giggle every time you use it…

FMA July 31, 2008 at 10:11 am

McCain better stop making a mockery of his campaign. That’s our job!

WonksRunAmuck July 31, 2008 at 10:17 am

aww, but illegitimate bastard stepchild mockery is so much more fun.

Josh Fruhlinger July 31, 2008 at 10:17 am

Hey, don’t make fun of Weaver’s use of the word “tomfoolery.” He’s got to get his message to Walnuts in language that he can understand, which means using slang from the McKinley administration, obviously.

NotUrEvryDayWEzl July 31, 2008 at 10:24 am

[re=48689]ManchuCandidate[/re]: Don’t forget 3) Britney Spears
McCain shaves his head, steals babies and drives in the HOV lanes with them in the front seat, puts out a new gay pop hit with a really bad accompanying video.

Oh, wait, he’s already done most of these things…

TGY July 31, 2008 at 10:25 am

That’s ‘Eurofag Popstar-in-Chief’ to *you*, sir!

Monsieur Grumpe July 31, 2008 at 10:27 am

[re=48688]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]:
Don’t forget brouhaha.

slavojzizek July 31, 2008 at 10:27 am

Have the Republicans EVER run a campaign based on the strengths of their candidate, rather than the weaknesses of the Dems? Closest I can think of was Reagan’s re-election campaign.

Larry McAwful July 31, 2008 at 10:30 am

[re=48712]slavojzizek[/re]: They have. I think Theodore Roosevelt’s 1904 campaign against Alton B. Parker played up the GOP candidate’s strengths very well. Of course, Parker was a weak candidate to begin with. And don’t forget Abraham Lincoln’s 1864 campaign against George McClellan. So it’s not like there isn’t precedent.

Not_So_Much July 31, 2008 at 10:40 am

[re=48711]Monsieur Grumpe[/re]:
[re=48688]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]:

Oh my stars & garters! These shenanigans have got to stop.

weirdiowasculpture July 31, 2008 at 10:42 am

Yeah, but Alton B. Parker was, like, totally geyh . . .

cynbot July 31, 2008 at 10:42 am

McCain’s just mad that his arms won’t go high enough to wave the flag himself.

Larry McAwful July 31, 2008 at 10:45 am

[re=48726]weirdiowasculpture[/re]: That’s what sank his bid. That and the fact that Rogaine was still ninety years in the future.

ReelectTilden July 31, 2008 at 10:53 am

[re=48723]Not_So_Much[/re]: Horsefeathers!

shortsshortsshorts July 31, 2008 at 10:56 am

Whats with the ad in the corner telling me to vote against the California grocery bag trash?? Did anybody tell them it’s only for plastic bags? Which use petroleum?

Hacks.

[re=48726]weirdiowasculpture[/re]: And history’s greatest hero.

DieOnTheTurnpike July 31, 2008 at 10:57 am

[re=48676]tsunami[/re]: Maybe he can inspire the country to at least eat more prunes.

obfuscator July 31, 2008 at 11:00 am

[re=48688]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]:

You can’t really have hokum without an equal amount of bunkum.

“For McCain to win in such troubled times, he needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness.”

Depending on where you put the emphasis in that second sentence, it could be read as a plea from Weaver to remind the voters that McCain exists. I prefer to read it that way.

4tehlulz July 31, 2008 at 11:03 am

[re=48690]magic titty[/re]: Probably more like Buckwheat and the L’il Rascals.

Texan Bulldoggette July 31, 2008 at 11:09 am

Ambinder is such a McCain tool it’s amazing that this interview ever got the light of day! (Sorry, no snark!)

Larry McAwful July 31, 2008 at 11:11 am

[re=48752]obfuscator[/re]: I think “McCain exists” is a real humdinger of a campaign slogan. They should run with this.

queeraselvis v 2.0 July 31, 2008 at 11:13 am

[re=48752]obfuscator[/re]: I don’t see how you can read it any other way, which seems to be the basis for Weaver’s existential crisis about Grumpy McPoopants. All the American public sees now is Obama squaring off against some pissed-off, out of touch, old guy whose name nobody remembers and who doesn’t seem to do anything except complain. For all the public knows, McCain might as well be Archie Bunker.

Johnny Zhivago July 31, 2008 at 11:19 am

I hear McCain knocks them dead in Hanoi…

obfuscator July 31, 2008 at 11:25 am

As much as we joke about his age, I honestly never really expected him to come off so crushingly… old as the campaign progressed. A golf cart riding whiny old fart who consorts with known turtleneck wearers and hangs out at Ohio sausage fests while his opponent is giving inspiring speeches across the globe.

Being aware of things and existing is literally the least that the American people can require of a president.

gurukalehuru July 31, 2008 at 11:26 am

McCain exists, and he’s aware of the internet.

McCain exists, but keep him away from the applesauce.

McCain exists, you cunt.

obfuscator July 31, 2008 at 11:32 am

[re=48764]Larry McAwful[/re]:

They should run with this.

That’s a good way to shatter a hip, you whippersnapper trollop.

masterdebater July 31, 2008 at 11:37 am

What is wrong with republicans who don’t understand that the only way to preserve America, is to agree with everything the McCain straight shooter express says? You would think that the party that gave us Bush, would understand the importance of going along with everything you are told. How else can we survive?

lilblackcorvette July 31, 2008 at 11:49 am

[re=48711]Monsieur Grumpe[/re]: McCain is flummoxed.

lilblackcorvette July 31, 2008 at 11:50 am

[re=48740]ReelectTilden[/re]: balderdash!

Fear of a Black Reagan July 31, 2008 at 11:52 am

Why is it a picture of rabbis? Is it because John McCain’s people are all scheming Zionists?

Cape Clod July 31, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Isn’t that the guy who dressed McCain up in those ‘gay’ sweaters? What the hell does he know about about trying to sell a senile old man on the American public?

FreshCliches July 31, 2008 at 12:31 pm

[re=48752]obfuscator[/re]: [re=48688]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: Hokum & Bunkum were da shizzle when they were regulars in the Borscht Belt.

AxmxZ July 31, 2008 at 12:35 pm

[re=48780]gurukalehuru[/re]: McCain exists. For now.

BobLoblawLawBlog July 31, 2008 at 1:11 pm

[re=48688]queeraselvis v 2.0[/re]: (et. al.) Let’s not forget skullduggery!

pdiddycornchips July 31, 2008 at 1:18 pm

John Weaver? Wasn’t he shot dead at his brother Randy’s place in Rudy Ridge, Idaho? You can’t get rid of these people.

raider12 July 31, 2008 at 1:47 pm

Did anyone just see McLoser’s campaign manager Rick Davis’ appearance on the Andrea (I don’t know how to ask a question or reign in a guest or pretty much anything else) Mitchell’s show? This clown (who’s head shot they put up does look like he should have been at Ruby ridge) was more shrill than any gossip girl who’s BF had just cheated on & dumped her in trash talking Bama.
3 & 1/2 more months of this BS: UGH!

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