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McCain’s Pre-Debate Press Strategy

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Media, Politics.
Sep 23rd, 2008 | Comments

It has been reported that Team McCain has shut down editorial press access to Sarah Palin. Most of the response from the MSM and the blogs have been negative and has revolved around current and potential conflict issues between the press and John McCain. The McCain campaign is fully aware of the risk and I think they have made a wise choice to limit access to Palin over the next three days.

McCain is going to be on center stage for his political life on Friday. If he does not perform well, this campaign is over. His campaign cannot afford to be distracted by good or negative news about his running mate. Palin has been used effectively to rally the Republican base and to shift attention from Obama. This blackout is not designed to distance Palin from the media; it is a calculated move to focus attention on McCain between now and the debate.

Why else would the McCain campaign finally schedule a press conference after 40 days of silence?

From now until Friday’s debate, McCain and Obama will be more accessible to the press than they have been in weeks.

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DLS

McCain's stronger supporters have said he's a good debater and will teach Obama a humiliating lesson, from what I remember several weeks ago on various sources on-line. Well, it's now time. This first debate won't settle everything, Tony. But it's obviously more important that McCain win this than Obama, whom I believe will be favored by many and who is obviously sharp and smooth. At the very least, Obama is all but guaranteed to put Obama fans' minds at ease and boost their confidence.

The economy puts McCain at a new, recent disadvantage. (He is not everything, as far as his campaign is concerned; Palin remains the subject of most interest of his campaign currently.)

Limiting media access to Palin is simply payback and proper response to abuse.

Ricorun

This blackout is not designed to distance Palin from the media; it is a calculated move to focus attention on McCain between now and the debate.

Huh? I suppose this comment would take a few steps towards being believable if McCain himself was making himself available to the media. But he isn't either. Therefore, this comment doesn't come anywhere close to passing the sniff test.

You would think that pulling this kind of malarkey those two would be tanking big time. But they're not. So either people aren't paying attention yet, don't trust anyone in the media more than the McCain campaign, or don't give a rat's ass. I almost hope it's the first option.

Polimom

DLS -- if the McCain campaign is shutting off access to Palin (such as it is) because she's a potential distraction right now, then strategically it makes sense.

However, simple "payback" and "response to abuse" is not acceptable.

We (as in, the public) were presented with a virtual unknown a mere few weeks ago. We have many questions, and platitudes in front of adoring worshippers don't ease my mind in the least. The more the McCain campaign keeps her wrapped up, the less viable she is -- and ipso facto, so is he.

DLS

Polimom -- most of us know more already about Palin than about Obama.

And yes, payback and response to abuse are fully acceptable, given they have been so truly earned.

As to McCain and strategy, the big thing McCain is going casual, low-key -- which is risky. No matter what some of his hard-core supporters say, if I were he I wouldn't be cocky any more than I should be timid. Hopefully some of what he is doing is deliberate low posturing. (Note that this simply shifts extra burden onto Palin later.)

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/23...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008...

JSpencer

If I was McCain I might be a little concerned about the subject of Palin (being kept in isolation) popping up in the debate. Transparency is desirable in a democracy, and most citizens realize this, despite the poor examples set by Cheney, Bush, Gonzales, etc. I expect this debate could have a record viewing audience - at least I hope it will.

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