McCain aide cites 'failure of management'
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/14/art.davis.gi.jpg caption="Davis managed McCain's campaign."](CNN) - Rick Davis, the campaign manager for former John McCain's White House bid, came to Sarah Palin's defense in an upcoming interview with the National Review, saying the now-infamous $150,000 clothing tab for the Alaska governor was caused by a "failure of management."
In the interview, set for publication next week, Davis notes Palin's appearance at the Republican convention came only days after she was named to the GOP ticket, and the Alaska governor had few clothes on hand that were appropriate for the event.
“We flew her out from Alaska to Arizona to Ohio to introduce her to the world and take control of her life. She didn’t think ‘dress for the convention’, because it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn’t click with John. Very little prep had been done and if it had, we might have gotten picked off by the press. We were under incredible scrutiny."
"We were under incredible scrutiny," he added. "We got her a gal from New York and we thought, ‘Let’s get some clothes for her and the family.’ It was a failure of management not to get better control and track of that. "The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing, what it was worth or where it was going. No one knew how much that stuff was worth. It was more our responsibility than hers.”
News of the pricey tab caused a media firestorm days before the presidential election, and McCain aides appeared to blame Palin for the mishap, while the Alaska governor said she was forced to buy the clothes.
From CNN Politics
- Progressive group launches $3.2 million advertising buy to push federal voting law March 23, 2021 11:01 am
- US and allies announce sanctions against Chinese officials for 'serious human rights abuses' against Uyghurs March 23, 2021 10:32 am
- Trump's army takes aim at 2022 touting his election lies March 23, 2021 05:01 am
- Why Republican voter restrictions are a race against time March 23, 2021 04:27 am
- Warnock's seat comes into focus amid battle over voting laws and filibuster rules March 23, 2021 03:06 am
- White House aides prep $3 trillion jobs package for Biden March 23, 2021 02:30 am
Just as most of us have known all along, minimal if any vetting, because you did not want the press to pick up on it?
So, you were willing to endanger the lives of every man, woman and child in the U.S. all 350 million citizens, because, you did not want the press to find out Palin may have been a candidate?
Republiancs are beneath contempt. No, wonder only the Southern reds and religious fascists vote for a party that calls this "rational" thinking and decision making.
Dumb-o-crats,
Can't you see that this 'dear woman" keeps jumping if front of the cameras and injecting herself into the limelight. if she didn't want the conversations to continue she would granting interviews. That would please me too.
Donna, the $600M that was spent on the Obama campaign was spent on the campaign as it should have been. I doubt that McCain contributors had an inkling that $150K of their campaign contributions would be used to clothe Palin.
At any rate, it's a mistake for Davis to come out now and claim mismanagement. The more the republicans refuse to let this sleeping moose lie, the more it will be scrutinized.
nice of you to admit your failures. luckily the american people saw that would be the way McCain would run this country too the same way the republicans have crashed and burned it for 8 years. We voted to make sure you idiots did not get a chance to screw it up more.
Al Dodson wrote, " 'We got her a gal from New York. . . ' Well, at least the republicans are consistent. They are still racially insensitive sexists!"
Lighten up, Al. The word "gal" is not sexist. I personally love my gal. It's like "guy" or "pal" or "buddy." It expresses no contempt for the woman.
How utterly ridiculous. At issue here was never the candidate's clothes, but rather the campaaign's AND McCain's failure to properly vet Palin. Had she not been the shallow and uninformed bimbo she turned out to be, and had instead had a more thorough understanding of her own government and foreign affairs, the public would have accepted her even had she been dressed in burlap. Typical Republican mindset: All image and no substance. That party is in real trouble with people like Rick Davis and Sarah Palin in positions of authority! This country deserves far better!!!
From a Republican:
Sorry governor Palin, but you definately helped lose this election. I don't know why the Republicans think you are the future of the party. No way. And McCain definately didn't help. All of those weird expressions at the debates, not very political. Too much slander, the list goes on and on.
I voted for McCain because I think Obama is too inexperienced. But, I was happy when he won. Hopefully the "change" will help motivate everyone and his speeches will inspire us to get moving.
The clothes are the least of it. What concerns me the most is the brain power, or lack thereof, of Palin, and the GOP's insistence on crediting her with intelligence (or, are they just pretending...?). Amazing. Not only does she need some serious lessons in history and economics and foreign affairs, she needs how to speak English in a way that doesn't make people cringe. And this God thing of hers...I really wish she'd drop that talk when she's speaking in public.
enough already
Stinking liberals are like dead corpse – Obamanation is at hand! I'm for the environment – I'm for the animals – but when it comes to your own baby... just use sex as a moral pleasure don’t worry about the consequences. Abortion is the answer- WOW!
There were many mistakes with Palin, the first is selecting her as VP when she knows NOTHING. Talking about Obama being a celeb, Sarah far is the biggest CELEB.
Donna asked, Why are we focusing on $150K spent by the RNC when the Obama campaign spent $600M?
Because Obama didn't use my campaign donations or matching taxpayer dollars to buy Michelle clothes!
It's called "ethics".
Not a Palin fan, but this subject is getting ridiculous. There were more pressing issues than the cost of Sarah Palin's wardrobe. I don't know why we're even still talking about this.
Thank God they won't get the chance to run the country in this fashion. The left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Poor judgment, poor management, poor leadership = the GOP.
Palin went back to Alaska right after the convention to send Track off to Iraq. She could have packed up her own clothes and those of her family members and brought them back with her. There is no excuse for spending $150,000 on clothes.
Dear Board:
Let's treat any topic regarding Sarah Palin as non-gratis. Any topic about Sarah will be considered troll-topics and we'll just ignore the topic and her. The sooner we ignore her the sooner she will go back to Alaska and stop talking. My ears have had enough of non-English, English speaking people.
She is an insult to our beautiful language because she butchers it, just as she butchers moose.
Send her packing.
This makes me wonder if the Republican party even exists, except on paper. Its leadership is completely bankrupt of intelligence, competence and purpose (except winning at all costs). This campaign was a replay of the last eight years. This is why the term "wrecking crew" is used do describe how they act when they govern. Now that they haved wrecked the U.S.A. they have wrecked themselves as well.
Didn't Mr Drysdale do the same thing to Granny, Jed, Ellie Mae and Jethro?
At least their show was successful.
THEY NOT ONLY FAILED ABOUT HER APPEARANCE THEY ALSO FAILED TO CHECK AND SEE IF SHE KNOWS HER MATERIALS FOR BEING ONE STEP CLOS TO THE PRESIDENT.THEY SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT HER ABOUT WORLD AFFAIRS.THIS IS NOT ALASKA POLITICS.PLEEEESE
The clothes weren't as bad as the dope wearing them
Obama is letting all his staffers have a cut of HIS campaign money by giving them free blackberries, etc. What the heck is the difference, liberals?
Oh that was the reason John McCain lost the election – had not a thing to do with policy or lack there of a policy hehehehe
Well, the GOP is the party of fiscal responsibility, after all...
The truth is, the money really isn't that important, as multi millions were spent on both campaigns, but even this mea culpa points out something important; if the McCain people couldn't manage this, how did they expect us to trust them with the country?
Also, this is Politics 101. Any consultant worth their salt would have spotted the potential disaster in all this.
"Failure of Management?" WTH? How 'bout a failure of decision-making in the first dang place, when they chose Sarah "If I only had a brain, but I don't so give me clothes" Palin. IMO, the campaign started tanking the night she made her so-called acceptance speech, which was actually a vitriolic diatribe. Heck, I live a whole bunch of miles from Minnesota and I am still wiping the spite and hatred off of myselft after that little "failure of speech writing". Bottom line, the entire endeavor of McCain/Palin was a failure, simply put, and best forgotten as we endeavor to work with our newly-elected POTUS in turning this country around for the change we can believe in!
They sent some folks out to buy clothes and didn;t put a LIMIT on how much tospend!?
$150,000.
Just THINK about that!