Say Anything Blog

McCain strategist Steve Schmidt was on the Scott Hennen Show today and he had some interesting things to say.  Things that illuminate, I think, what the McCain campaign will be focusing on down the stretch into election day.

Here’s an audio copy of the interview.  A full transcript is at the bottom of this post.

Schmidt concentrated on Obama’s tax plan, which represents wealth redistribution, and Obama’s fund raising which Schmidt points out is decidedly non-transparent.

It looks like the McCain campaign is going to make a big deal out of Obama trying to buy this election with big-money contributions, many of which aren’t being disclosed for the sake of transparency.  That would jive with the RNC’s filed complaints about Obama’s fund raising.

Will that tactic work?  Time will tell, but with the media unwilling to report much of anything negative about The One at this point in the race it’s going to be a tough row to hoe.

Scott Hennen: “The Chief Strategist of the McCain campaign…our friend Steve Schmidt back on the program. Steve how the heck are you?”
Steve Schmidt: “I’m doing great Scott, how are you?”
SH: “Well I’m fabulous, appreciate the time today I know you are a busy guy, just got off the phone with the Senator, give us a little insight on how things are going and feeling right now fifteen days before the election day.”
SS: “Well as the Senator said last week, we’ve been written off by the national media, so we have ‘em right where we want ‘em. We’re in a close race, the race is tightening through last week and this week, we’re being badly outspent, clearly, much of the national media has decided that the race is over…or they want it to be over. We have some challenges in that environment. But, the crowds are huge, we think we’re behind 5 or 6 points nationally, we have some distance to make up, but we feel very good in our ability to close that gap in the final stretch coming down the road here. And if you look what happened last week, Barack Obama revealed himself very directly in the driveway of a average American: he said “let’s spread the wealth around.” That’s not the type of policy that will get this economy growing, and there are two things that Americans have noticed on that. One is just how liberal and out of touch Obama is with regard to the redistributionist policies, and then two, I think Americans are appalled then about the media attacks and the Obama campaign attacks on this ordinary American, Joe the Plumber, Obama showed up in his driveway. All he did was ask a question.”
SH: “It was amazing to me. In contrast you have the New York Times hit piece on Mrs. McCain over the weekend, you have the relentless attacks on Sarah Palin, now they’re taking after Joe the Plumber, they fawn over Obama, what questions should they be asking Barack Obama Steve at this point fifteen days from the election?”
SS: “Oh, there’s so many. There’s so many associations from his past, that have been totally unexplored, that there’s a media blackout over, he’s run an incredibly negative campaign, by 2-1 he’s put up more negative ads than McCain has, if you look at his speech yesterday, literally every attack on John McCain is an inaccurate one, a negative one, there’s just no…accountability, you know, that he’s subjected to his statements or his policies.  Ya know? For example, Joe Biden went out—-it’s an incredible statement—-talked about if Barack Obama is President of the United States, we can expect to be tested by our adversaries from around the world in the first six months. That we’re going to have an international crisis to test his metal. This country has enough challenges, and enough problems, without having an inexperienced President whose going to invite an international crisis in a period of testing. We know that no one has to test John McCain to know his metal.”
SH: “Absolutely.”
SS: “We want a President that does not invite testing, who does not invite crisis. And really a remarkable statement by Joe Biden on that.”
SH: “Ya know Steve, given Barack Obama’s broken promise on his pledge not to accept public financing, your campaign is at a disadvantage right now being outspended. Some stories suggest it’s 8-to-1 in some key battleground states, and by the way, I used to remember the days when the media would talk about too much money in politics and they’ve forgotten Barack’s broken promise…how do you overcome that here in the ninth inning?”
SS: “Well, I think the American people reject the idea that you can buy the Presidency, and I also believe they reject the idea that the national media decides who wins. People get to vote in this country. The people are sovereign. And at the end of the day, Barack Obama broke his word—-it’s not covered very much—-but the level of spending—-300 million dollars completely undisclosed, in clear violation of the spirit of the law, and that’s something for us to ponder. He’s spending more money than anyone else in history, much of it on negative and misleading ads. And we are disadvantaged in spending. We have enough to communicate a message out in the states, but this campaign against the Obama campaign in terms of fundraising and other things is like the Little Engine that Could. We are still in this; we have every ability to close it, and you have to remember that coming down from the Democratic Primary you saw the same dynamic. Hillary Clinton was written off completely, but she kept on winning these primaries coming down the stretch.”
SH: “And by the way, Hillary Clinton used a line coming down that stretch that some of our listeners suggest that you use in the final weeks and it was “Shame on you, Barack Obama” for some of the same tactics he’s employing against Senator McCain. Do you plan on dusting that off and using it in any ads in the next coming weeks?”
SS: “Well, we uh, you know, we talk about it all the time Senator McCain talked about it in his speeches, but we’re going to focus very directly coming down the stretch about his inexperience to deal with international crises, we’re going to talk very directly about his bad economic ideas—-his plans to raise taxes to increase spending in a recession, to put this country into a depression.”
SH: “Speaking of which, the mantra of Obama’s campaign has been his promise of tax cuts for 95% of Americans. Given the tally of his political spending proposals, and the current state of our economy, if he were elected President, what are the chances that he’d pull a Bill Clinton and renege on that promise?
SS: “There…well…100 percent. You know, here is what is important to remember about his tax cut or quote-end-quote tax cut: when you judge it against the “spread the wealth” comment, his 95 percent tax cut. That is a government check for millions of people who do not pay federal income tax, written to people by people who do pay federal income tax.
SH: “Spreading the wealth.”
SS: “That’s not a tax cut, that’s a social welfare program, a European-style social welfare program, and we don’t do that in this country.”
SH: “I’m sorry Steve, it’s exactly what Barack Obama promised in Joe the Plumber’s driveway—-spreading the wealth.”
SS: “Yes. Absolutely. And then the second thing is, is this to consider: when you have a trillion job dollars in new spending promises, above and beyond the 700 billion dollar bailout package, and your running mate says it’s patriotic to pay higher taxes, how long do you think it’s going to be after inauguration day should he be elected, before this country is told it’s time to be patriotic and pay more taxes for his spending programs?”
SH: “Absolutely and it’s been done before.”
SS: “I would give it about seven days.”
SH: “Exactly. Alright, lightening round, we have only about a minute left here but I want to know quickly what you think. Minnesota is part of our listening area here. Still winnable for McCain/Pahlin?
SS: “It is bud it’s a tough state and we have some ground to make up.”
SH: “Alright, Secretary of State Collin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama. Does it matter a, and b, is Collin Powell a Republican?”
SS: “Um…look I don’t think, uh, look: I think people make their own determinations. I don’t think late endorsements particularly matter in the race.”
SH: “Lastly, does the conservative punditry—-those of us in the talk radio world, the TV talking heads, the bloggers, do we have your back enough in this and, uh, you know, do you have any voices for the conservative cause?”
SS: “We hope you do, cause you’re an important voice for the American people and when you look at the national media, they certainly have Barack Obama’s back. So, um, there’s no question that a lot of the information about Obama’s true record, about what his plans are, are disseminated to the American people by talk radio so it’s a very important medium. 
SH: “You’re the best, Steve. Appreciate the time today and go get em.”
SS: “Bye.”