After all the hardened, saccharine-looking smiles on the faces of the Republicans this week when asked about the choice of Palin for running-mate, and after all of the forced-sounding soundbites proclaiming Palin to be the best thing since sliced bread.... After all of that GOP-speak, we finally get to hear exactly what two top Republican strategists REALLY think about McCain's huge mistake in choosing Palin.
Peggy Noonan (speech writer and special assistant to Reagan), and former McCain campaign manager Michael Murphy were caught red-tongued when the mic was left open after a piece they were doing with Chuck Todd on MSNBC.
(Thanks to the Christian Science Monitor and Talking Points Memo for the following transcript):
Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we’ll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We’ll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she’s the right woman for the job Up next, one man who’s already convinced and he’ll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman.
(cut away)
Peggy Noonan: Yeah.
Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys — this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it’s not gonna work. And –
PN: It’s over.
MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.
CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.
PN: Saw Kay this morning.
CT: Yeah, she’s never looked comfortable about this –
MM: They’re all bummed out.
CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?
PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this — excuse me– political bull**** about narratives –
CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.
MM: I totally agree.
PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that’s not where they live and it’s not what they’re good at, they blow it.
MM: You know what’s really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.
CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.
MM: Yeah.
Click this link for the news story and click here for the YouTubed video of the debacle.
Refreshing to know that even the Republican strategists are thinking EXACTLY what the typical American is thinking about the Palin choice!
- T
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