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.
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I consider this a failure on all their parts. She couldn't say... no I'm a hockey Mom, let's be sure to dress me nicely and with care for the cost in these hard times? Yeah... they wanted her to look WOW! and she was enjoying it. Come on!
Mismanagement is the hallmark of Republicans.
Let's hope that Pres. Elect Obama can call on their better qualities and bring folks together to work for all of us.
Palin did not say she was "forced" to buy the clothes. She did say that the clothes were purchased for her and the family by the RNC and picked out by the stylist. She did not ask for them or shop for them herself.
Such a fuss being made about Palin's clothing cost. Too bad. Who was responsible for asking her to get the clothes in the first place. Shouldn't they of told her what the guidlines for the budget were? Is it really that big of a deal? Typical GOP politics. Who needs them.
Oh one more thing. I hope this is the last of palin/pitbull in lipstick as she likes to call herself. let her stay in alaska where they seem to love her. we dont need or want her in the lower 49 (as she likes to say). NO MORE SARAH "PITBULL IN LIPSTICK" PALIN.
Go away GOP's enough with you!
Forced high-end fashion wearing? Oh, please! AND if she didn't wear them as she now maintains (another word for "lies") where did she get all those clothes she was wearing?
This comment is to Donna who wrote: Donna November 14th, 2008 1:59 pm ET
Candidates' wardrobes are part of the expenses of campaigns. The candidates are highly visible and then scrutinized especially the females. Therefore, they must look good. Why are we focusing on $150K spent by the RNC when the Obama campaign spent $600M??
Well Donna the difference is WE the people GAVE Obama the money to do as he liked and guess what...HE WON! All you republicans got for your money was a stupid hillbilly who won't stop talking after the guests have left and the party is long over.
The fact that they felt the need to fly her around the country and show her what america looks like before the convention really tells me how bad an idea Palin was. Yikes.
"...it might have just been a nice day trip to Arizona if she didn’t click with John. Very little prep had been done..."
Wasn't this just a few days before the convention??? Who would his VP have been if they didn't get along during that first "day trip"? Talk about poor vetting and mismanagement!!!
IT'S CLOTHING!!! WHO CARES?!?! It's sad that this was EVER an issue.
I'm a strong conservative but I don't think Palin was the best choice for VP or future Pres. She'd serve better in Congress as she has sound principals and commen sense for complex issues. Leadership and management may not be her strong points.
The GOP does have a strong pool of governors to look to in '12 and I hope they get rid of the current leadership, because they are soundly lacking in ideas and the identity that gave them the majority a decade ago.
If they can't even run a campaign, how are they suppose to run a country/?
Obama can afford to purchase his own clothes. He is a multi-millioniare. As are the McCains. The Palins are not.
Come on...I work at a University and I can come up with a minimum of 5 days of clothing and one that would for the convention. The truth is they had to "make", "create" what Palin is NOT. That's like taking a drug dealer off the corner and asking him to run the Trump empire. They have experience managing people and money, but they can't run the Trump empire. What is most telling is that the Repubs cannot be trusted. They will try to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters. They think more highly of themselves and everyone else are minions.
I couldn't have cared less about the money spent on clothing. What bothered me was that Palin seemed to throw a bunch of words together and think they were understandable sentences. I kept wondering what was going on in her head, because she often just didn't make any sense. Also, McCain and Palin seemed to draw their energy from the crowds they attracted. They never seemed to realize how negative and divisive the energy was, and that it was this generated hatred that "true" Americans rejected.
GO AWAY AND STAY AWAY
The entire operation was a failure.
Still, why did she go crazy and spend that sort of money other than arrogance and a profound lack of self-control? She could have bought beautiful clothing by designers like Evan Picone, Liz Claibourne, DKNY, Jones New York, or many, many others. Someone who touts herself as Everywoman is asking for trouble when she acts like Palin did, refusing to do anything except get snippy when challenged. It was apparently typical for her – look how she is ripping off Alaska what with her expecting the state to pay for her to drag those kids everywhere, charging to be at home instead of at work in Juneau, making the RNC pay almost $100 for a tiny little onsie for the baby! She made herself look ridiculous and still does. IF the GOP wants her to be their standard bearer, it is pretty sad.
Clarence, MO:
"First serious female VP contender."
Geraldine Ferraro was a more serious VP contender than Palin could ever dream of being.
And the RNC didn't vet her cultural or historical literacy, either. Perhaps, now, absent anything of real substance, Palin can lead the country to the rapture. We'd still like to know what her grade point average (GPA) was while she was attending those minor institutions getting her "education."
TOO LATE!!!!!!!!!!
How about some serious additions to her resume? She is not qualified. What kind of dress would you put on her mind??? You can only fool so many people in this day and age. As a nation we are more united and more educated than even 5 years ago and it can only get better because kids are smarter and more wordly and more inquisitive than ever. Knowledge is power and silly radio will also be a thing of the past i.e. hate radio.
Hmmmmmmmm. Perhaps if the campaign management had used the time from Senator McCain's nomination lock-up in March to the convention a little more wisely, there wouldn't have been a last minute scramble to select a VP running mate.
well finally some hoesty "very little prep was done"....by McCain....it was a shoot from the hip....cheap political trick
Well, we have known since the Couric interview that she cannot read and now Davis reveals the half wit cannot do simple math!
Palin 2012
PLEASE!
PALIN WHO????