Will “Grumpy McCain” Make an Appearance at Tonight’s Debate?
That’s the question raised by this piece on Politico.com:
What friends call “grumpy McCain” is showing up regularly on the campaign trail, and several top advisers worry that it’s hurting his campaign by making him appear peevish and hunkered down when the country is looking for a larger and more optimistic brand of leadership.
Politico cites several examples that make McCain’s advisers nervous:
When McCain sat down with Time magazine, a reporter asked him to define honor, and he snarled, “Read it in my books.” The magazine headlined its prickly McCain interview, “McCain’s prickly Time interview.”
When McCain sat down with The Des Moines Register’s editorial board for another interview, he got into a testy exchange with an editor who raised conservative criticism of his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
So why is the Republican nominee in such a bad mood? A close friend suggests that McCain feels guilty about taking the low road on the campaign trail:
“For him to be on the attack constantly, attacking Obama’s character … McCain is uncomfortable with that, and it’s made him grumpy.”
Such mudslinging could backfire on McCain tonight, according to one longtime adviser:
“McCain can’t appear to be desperate… He’s got to be upbeat and enthusiastic, and he’s really got to channel Reagan. If he goes into this debate and beats the [heck] out of Obama, Obama’s numbers are going to come up.”
h/t Halperin
It would be so lovely to see him lose it altogether and go into one of his rants. Are the questions pre-screened? If someone comes up with a Keating, Gosinski, MIA families or Gordon Liddy question, it will be like lighting the touch paper… stand well clear :)
October 7th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Mr. McCain, desperation is a stinky cologne…
October 7th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
If he is uncomfortable attacking Obama, why continue to do it? Run your campaign the way you want to run it, not the way some ding dong tells you to run it. Make sense to me.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Grumpy is what you guys are hoping for.
Truth is, Obama has spent tens of million of dollars since January, has the mainstream media on his side, and still has not closed the deal with voters. With all this in his favor, he should have a solid 15 point lead.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
“still has not closed the deal with voters”
WTF are you talking about.
Pollster.com
EV: O:320 M:163
toss up: 55
and guess whos going to get the majority of those toss ups. and plan to see some more reds going blue.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Frank Marshall Davis
October 7th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub
October 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Not sure if Grumpy showed up, but McCarthy didn’t either. McCarthy had the courage to use his slime face to face.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Mccain is mad as hell! why? because he is following SEan Hannity’s strategies(hate mongering).
October 8th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Dear Alan
Two things, number one, Obama-Biden are anti gay marrage. So are McCane-Palin. If I was McCane I will be POed. Modaretor was NBC’s ancherman. Even I know that NBC is a “Obama station.” It is almost like Sean Hanity or Rush Limbough is a modarator. Can you immagine Sen Obama’s reaction?
Sarah Palin and McCane’s debatets were modarated by Obama people. It was total waste of time. Modarators were asking idiotic questions.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:13 pm