McCain's South Carolina Mailer: He's The Only Conservative Who Can Beat Hillary
This direct mail piece, which a source sent our way, was just dropped by the McCain campaign in South Carolina:
Note the pic of McCain as a young Navy guy -- a reminder that neither Rudy, Romney nor Thompson served in the military. The piece also makes an argument that the McCain campaign is seeking to make more and more often of late -- namely, that he's the only conservative who can beat Hillary. The idea obviously is to trump Rudy's electability argument by telling social conservatives (of which there are many in South Carolina) that in McCain they have someone who is equally well-positioned to win a general election and who is with them on their core issues.
However, as the McCain campaign argued in a recent internal strategy memo, the Rudy campaign has been making the claim for months now that he alone is the best candidate against Hillary. The memo even confesses that the Rudy campaign has successfully "convinced voters" that this is the case. So it remains to be seen whether the McCain camp can turn this around with stuff like this, or whether it's too late.
Comments (22)
AJB wrote on October 30, 2007 5:58 PM:McCain can afford a mailer? Did he find some loose change in his sofa?
A.J.
Dave J. wrote on October 30, 2007 6:00 PM:On the heels of FOX News' notice to McCain that he can't use their footage on his website, it's kind of hilarious that the pull quote in his mailer quotes...FOX News.
Daniel wrote on October 30, 2007 6:09 PM:The ARG polls from this morning have McCain polling much better than usual, especially in Iowa where he is basically tied with Giuliani. Interesting, though, that he is making a major push in South Carolina, after what happened in 2000...
Anonymous wrote on October 30, 2007 6:10 PM:And the Clinton obsession continues...
And why were they so obsessed with Clinton? Because they COULDN'T beat him.
Jim wrote on October 30, 2007 6:13 PM:Its a good photo for McCain to use. Other than the fact that he's mailing in South Carolina, this isn't much of a story.
Edog wrote on October 30, 2007 6:21 PM:Fox News, McCain, Clinton Bashing... good god the GOP stinks like a turd this year. What on earth will ther run with after the primaries?
Kim Viner wrote on October 30, 2007 6:30 PM:Love TPM, but you made a mistake. FWIW McCain was never a "soldier." He was a Naval officer. Might be a small mistake but just the kind of things that your opponents seem to dwell on.
Kim Viner
Commander USN (ret)
How pathetic. All rumby old men are claiming they can beat up on 5'5 60yo lady.
dogeatdogi wrote on October 30, 2007 6:34 PM:Regarding the photo he chose, he's got to be hoping that the NC voters think he's actually that young!
Just back from Iraq.
Mitt Romney is spending money so freely, he accidentally paid for a McCain mailer.
Anonymous wrote on October 30, 2007 6:57 PM:Note the pic of McCain as a young soldier ...
McCain was never a "young soldier." He was a young Navy Pilot. And, yes, it does make a difference.
Adam Abeles wrote on October 30, 2007 6:58 PM:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAyrvbD3NTE
MIKE GRAVEL and Ron Paul are the ONLY candidates who will restore our freedom, and give America back her glory.
Cinderella Ferret wrote on October 30, 2007 7:04 PM:How pathetic. All rumby old men are claiming they can beat up on 5'5 60yo lady.
With the right screaming about how mean those hippie liberals are, makes you wonder how they ever got that Tough on Defense moniker. Gosh tomorrow (Halloween) is going to be tough on them with all those ghosts and goblins about.
jayjaybear wrote on October 30, 2007 7:24 PM:God, McCain was HOT!
Of course, that was back before I was born, but hey...you can't have everything.
Joe Monster wrote on October 30, 2007 7:48 PM:You know, when I was young I could have beaten her too.
Smokejumper79 wrote on October 30, 2007 9:01 PM:What a Photo-Op picture. Yes, most of us know McCains Naval history, and I greatly respect what he endured. But this picture has some problems. It is being used to convey the message that he's flying of to war to protect us. So where's his "G" suit and survival vest? Any Navy swabbie can throw on a parachute harness and stand in front of a plane for a picture. I've done stunts like that. I know, I'm being petty, but I think John has pictures that would be much better at getting his message across to Veterans.
OxyCon wrote on October 30, 2007 9:25 PM:Back in 2004, didn't McCain basically say that John Kerry deserved to get Swiftboated because Kerry had the audacity to showcase his military service in Vietnam?
I ask rhetorically, because this is the reason my opinion of McCain went from liking him, to thinking he was a butthole, because he was stabbing his friend John Kerry in the back for.
So if McCain gets Swiftboated again for being crazy from all the torture he withstood and for being a lousy pilot, then tough beans. He asked for it by showboating his Vietnam service.
a young Navy Pilot. And, yes, it does make a difference.
Adam Abeles @ October 30, 2007 6:58 PM:
You keep typing that but you forget to include the 'real' Republican hero:
Tancredo! Still bat-shit crazy in 2008 . . .
destor23 wrote on October 30, 2007 10:21 PM:McCain further commented: "Don't think that I'm getting cocky. I know this one mailer won't be enough to bring me to victory in South Carolina over Rudy Giuliani and his illegitimate black child."
oy wrote on October 31, 2007 7:06 AM:Note the pic of McCain as a young soldier -- a reminder that neither Rudy, Romney nor Thompson served in the military.
Thats what that is about?, I figured they didn`t want a recent photo of him looking old... Really really old. Cryptkeeper old. I also recall commercials with black and white video of the young McCain rather than a current governator/Romney style tanned full color photo.
Could it be they want people to vote for a historical person rather than the current agent of intolerance pandering torture ignoring no-gay-talk express?
vernonlee wrote on October 31, 2007 9:37 AM:Yes, McCain found some change in his sofa for a mailer: a 1/color one.
And "internal memo" my ass.
bill wrote on October 31, 2007 3:49 PM:Does he think no one will know he will be 72 years old in 2009, making him the oldest person to run for POTUS? I know John McCain from my years living in Arizona and trust me, he should not be president of anything.
REMEMBER the KEATING 5. Senator McCain was a leader in helping Charles Keating rip off senior citizens of all their life savings while he fly around the world on Keatings private jet. Somebody needs to ask John about his efforts to protect Keating while Keating was taking people's life savings so he could live in the stratosphere of wealth and conspicuous consumption.
