Were you McCain's campaign manager, what would you tell him to do at this point?

[BuyingThyme]

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Give up

[graywarrior]

2. Stop the hate and anger.

But he can't. It's his nature.

[MindMatter]

32. Take the high road. Try to leave a positive legacy

McCain entered this process with a mixed legacy. He now faces a decision. His chances of winning the election are almost nil. He needs to decide whether he wants to be remembered as a man who was honorable in the time of crisis or a man who behaved in the worst way, inflaming hatred and anger at the very moment when the nation needed leadership to pull together.

But the question has a false premise. Nobody dares tell him anything, for fear of igniting that famous violent temper. there is simply no such thing as a campaign adviser who would talk to him this way, so the whole thing is a moot point.

[liberal N proud]

3. Stip Palin from the hate speeches

[Oceansaway]

4. change his underwear ?....n/t

[yardwork]

5. Quit.

[rurallib]

6. give his money to charity in a show of magnaminity

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Free beer and hookers?

[BuyingThyme]

21. McToberfest? OctoberMcFest? McFestober?

That might work.

[gateley]

8. STFU. nt

[LaurenG]

Discuss the weather, say something truthful and encouraging, I'd tell him

to prepare for a democratic washout and apologize for thinking I could give him a win through fear.

[Sodan]

9. Resign

[zulchzulu]

10. Take him prisoner and have him act like he was kidnapped

Fake a rescue and have McWackjob beat up 10 black guys (who look like Obama) with his bare hands.

That would be a game changer.

[BuyingThyme]

13. Yes, I think it's come to that.

All of the standard approaches are falling flat.

[WeDidIt]

11. John, we must now consider your brand.

It's time for us to take the Bob Dole option. Go through the motions. Don't attack. Don't rile up the crowd any longer. This is now about your legacy because the numbers have solidified and there is now no way for you to win.

[Overseas]

29. Yes please. Get him to dial it back to preserve his legacy.

He could rebuild the old maverick thing by REFUSING TO CONTINUE THE HATE TRACK. That would be refreshing.

Convince him that he could still preserve his legacy by stopping the ugly hatred and returning to the Senate to lead his fellow Republicans to support the new president's efforts to re-regulate the economy and develop a more efficient and nimble 21st century intelligence and national defense apparatus.

But alas, he has been pushed around by Phil Gramm for a long time. Deregulating with a fervor.

And he has been ham fisted in his approach to military matters, too. He doesn't want us to be nimble and networked behind the scenes with our allies to disarm our enemies quickly and stealthily. He's McBombBomb. He wants to clobber our enemies with brute force around the globe. But alas, that is reckless and unsustainable without dangerous privatized armies of mercenaries that do better at creating new enemies than at protecting our country.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. I'd tell him that he needs to consider how history will regard this campaign.

That he has lost is a given. He could still do the right thing here and lose with honor, actually put country first and stop the divisive hate-mongering and race baiting, or he can continue down the path he is on and lose while fostering the sort of division within our republic not seen since the Civil War.

[opihimoimoi]

14. Ya cannot tell Bullies whad to do. They cannot unnerstan how to lose with Grace...they don't LOSE

He will grow callouses from licking all his wounds....

[Mother Of Four]

15. Buy two of these-

Because he can afford it...




And then tell him to have them handy for himself or Palin for when they feel like acting immature. Maybe they'll learn to curb their tongues.

[renie408]

16. Stop negative ads. Get real. Take your chances. n/t

[wileedog]

17. Come up with an actual economic plan.

The dumbest person in that whole campaign is the one who said if they "talk about economics they will lose"

If McCain came up with something coherent (and no, not a bad mortgage bailout), went on the air and explained it, he could still have a chance with some Independents who initially liked him and may be a bit put off by Obama's inexperience. Probably too late to win, but at least he may salvage his reputation some.

If course this assumes McCain could actually do that, which is probably why they are in Ayers mode.

[CatBO]

18. Interesting thought...

1. Go on television and apologize for the divisiveness. Promise to make amends, to work to unify the country.

2. Get rid of Palin - choose Huckabee instead (the though of this makes me squirm but I do think that Huckabee would hold onto the crazy rabid fundies in the party)

3. Acknowledge my weakness on the economy and bring on board an adviser, hinting strongly that he would become a cabinet member, who can be my official surrogate and bring that person to my rallies as well. Basically hide behind him.

4. Prepare to lose.

[frickaline]

19. seek professional help. (nt)

[LiberalAndProud]

20. It's too late now.

There is no saving it. His 'fundamentals are strong' comment followed immediately by the transparent grandstand play of "suspending his campaign" did him in. Early on there was a way for him to win by distancing himself from Bush/Cheney policies, acknowledging and owning the mistakes his own party has made over the past 8 years and *authentically* moving in a new direction. His "change" meme has rung hollow throughout the campaign, because it doesn't veil the fact that he has no intention of changing anything in Washington, with the exception of earmark spending. I think he means that sincerely. His spending freeze bullshit is wrong-headed in a Nixonian kind of way.

His goose is cooked to a crispy finish.

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. He needs to pull it back

Moderate Republicans are abandoning ship as McCain pulls closer and closer to the lunatic fringe.

McCain had one value that recommended him as a national candidate: he gave the impression of sensible centrism. That's it. Period. His move in the last three weeks - and this has been forced by the Obama campaign - has pushed him so far into the arms of the fundy wackos that he is essentially an untenable national candidate. He's like Huckabee without the charm and good sense. He's essentially a Pat Robertson with more funds. But that doesn't win national elections. Instead, he's just making the markets and country recoil at the true face of contemporary conservatism.

He's going to lose, but pulling it back may save some down-ticket races.

It's a campaign catastrophe that will be studied for years and years, the logical culmination of the Bush-Rive tactics, which are essentially a set of tactics for good economic times, being deployed in a moment when they gain no real value outside the most committed partisans. As those partisans feel increasingly powerless because nobody else agrees with their ideological worldview0, they become increasingly frenzied and dangerous. People are going to get hurt. McCain has the power to stop that, to save people. The real test of his character is whether he has the courage and patriotism to put the country above his own political ambitions.

[Applan]

23. Not to worry too much

Because we can manipulate the election and then get the MSM to explain the last minute swing on people "just not ready to vote for a black man as President". They'll say that Obama needed a 15 p[oint lead going into the election and he only got 14.

[Jennicut]

24. Stop the hate filled words and lose on your ideas. If you lose, at least it with

dignity.

[Meshuga]

25. Go back to the 2000 McCain

I know it's too late but his strategy now should be to save face.

[kick-ass-bob]

45. I agree - I almost liked him back then.

Now he is just a shell of that person, and the innards have been filled with Rovian defecation.

[iceman66]

48. He should have gone back to the 2000 McCain

as soon as he had the nomination sewn up, to appeal to moderates and independents. The fact that he didn't suggests that his handlers are either severely misguided or feel that they don't have to because the election is rigged in their favor.


We'll find out Nov. 4.

[VWolf]

26. Hemlock or Arsenic n/t

[Larry in KC]

39. Black capsule

Hey, it was good enough for Hitler and Eva Braun, wasn't it?

[Patient]

27. "Hey John....

I think we should start using the "N" word about now. Palin already has a volunteer group from her church working on making flamable crosses. Her daughters are teaching the young ones how to make noose. We better step it up!"

[BuyingThyme]

30. Welcome to DU, Patient !

(I think.)

:hi:

[Jersey Devil]

28. Buy Army surplus gear and go to Pakistan to get OBL

It's about the only chance he's got. Even if Bush got OBL now it would not save McCain. In fact, since his "strong" point is supposed to be the "War on Terror" there'd be less of a need for him.

[murbley40]

31. QUIT!!

[doc03]

33. Apply for a mental disability. n/t

[Deep13]

34. If I answer, it might give the real manager ideas.

With that in mind, I would advise McC to wear a Klan robe on TV and use the N-word.

[BuyingThyme]

36. I suspect he's already done that.

[Deep13]

40. In that case he should wipe his ass with a US flag in TV.

[leftist.]

35. Publicly call out Palin on her hateful rhetoric.

It would certainly fit with the "Maverick" image he likes to play up.

[Captiosus]

37. Ratchet back the hateful, divisive comments

Because it doesn't just hurt him, it hurts Republicans as a whole.

I would tell him that they gave it a shot, but they've lost. Dial back the hate, try to repair the republican "image" with independents and start working to support Congressional republicans so it's not a complete Democratic blowout on Nov 4th.

That's the best thing they can do at this point. If they want to hold onto any power - legitimately, of course - they need to cut McCain loose and let him lose so they can spend their resources on Congressional contests. And they need McCain to stop acting like an irrational ass and get on board if they want to have any hope of winning Congressional seats in battleground states.

[TexasObserver]

38. I'd ask him to do the honorable thing ...

... for a defeated Samurai.

[Window]

41. Suspend his campaign....this time for real.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

42. I'd have him say that an alien had occupied his flesh but he has just had it exorcised

and he will be back to being a decent human being tomorrow
after getting a good night's sleep under his belt.

[theothersnippywshrub]

43. Announce that he is voting for Obama. n/t

[Brazenly Liberal]

44. I would tell him he's in VERY dangerous territory

His current campaign tactics are pouring gasoline on the fire of hatred that burns in his craziest far rightwing supporters. The anger being displayed is frightening and potentially explosive.

If this country has any importance to him over and above his ego - let alone "country first" - he needs to face the fact that some of his supporters are not having a rational reaction to the prospect of the historic election of our first African American President.

He needs to dial down the rhetoric and loudly condemn the ugliness he has thus far seemed to enjoy and encourage. Let there be no misunderstanding: If he does not and one of them crosses the line to violence, it will not only be a terrible tragedy for America - a fair share of the responsibility for that tragedy will sit directly on McCain's shoulders.

[Vinca]

46. Talk like a sane human being. McCain is coming off as a deranged fool.

Fortunately, they won't follow that advice.

[mak3cats]

47. Call Kevorkian? (n/t)

[carnie_sf]

49. Start talking sense nt

[Are_grits_groceries]

50. When you are in a grave, quit digging! nt

[complain jane]

51. Bail.

[TheDonkey]

52. Conduct a respectful campaign, focus on real issues, salvage your integrity

because that's the only thing you got right now. Your dreams of a state funeral are over.

[Barrymores Ghost]

53. "Hire a new Campaign Manager."

[RichardRay]

54. Get a letter absolving me of all the BS decisions the campaign has

made in the last month or so. McCain is toast, Palin was never fully baked, but maybe the people from the campaign will be able to find work again if they're lucky.

[wildeyed]

55. I would tell him that this election is his legacy.

He is going to lose, but he can choose how he will be remembered by history. Either as a good man with big ideas and bad timing or as a slimy bigot willing to do anything to win an election. Sadly, it appears he has already chosen door number two :(

[AZBlue]

56. Stop the hate, it's bad for everyone.