McCain's ad guy won't attack Obama

I don't think I've seen anything like this.

Mark MacKinnon, who designs Mr McCain's advertisements, said he could not face being part of a campaign that "would inevitably be attacking" Mr Obama.

"I have met Barack Obama. I have read his book. I like him a great deal. I disagree with him on very fundamental issues but it would be uncomfortable for me and it would be bad for the McCain campaign," he told National Public Radio.

He said he would support his current boss, but would do so "from the sidelines". Given the Illinois senator's new status as the narrow Democrat frontrunner, Mr MacKinnon could be out of a job within a few months.

The confession by Mr MacKinnon, who was a Democrat before joining George W Bush's presidential campaigns, underscores the respect and affection that many moderate Republicans and independents feel for Mr Obama as he attempts to become the first black US president.

I don't quite know what to say about this.  The article goes on to mention Lincoln Chafee's endorsement of him and then on to some more mundane details of the campaign.  But if this isn't a strong indication of the Obama campaign's potential for transformation I don't know what is.  This guy isn't just compromising political alliances.  He's giving up money!

I suppose the counterspin can be "why are so many conservatives and moderates supporting him?"  You can then go on and analyze those positions of his which are "to the right" of Senator Clinton's, while ignoring those which are to the left.  You can chalk it up to a Reaganesque "good feeling" sans substance.  But here we are talking about a political operative whose job is to hit people, and he has too much respect for Obama to do it.

This to me is just phenomenal.

•  Then they'll get a new ad guy.

  I do think it's kinda amazing that McKinnon said this, but if he sticks to his guns on it he'll be out the door come the GE.

  by Pegasus on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:00:27 AM PDT

  •  Maybe Obama can hire him nt

    by Drummond on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:05:02 AM PDT

  •  I think he's already offered

    to resign if Obama is the nominee.

    by reid fan on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:07:18 AM PDT

    •  Hamlet.

      by Salo on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:12:48 AM PDT

    •  I heard the original interview on NPR

      and I recall he made it very explicit that he would leave the McCain campaign if Obama is the Dem. nominee.  It was quite extraordinary.

      by extradish on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:17:15 AM PDT

  •  And McCain loses the guy he wants

    That's not good for Mister Hundred Years.

    by Tusconian on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:34:54 AM PDT

•  I also thought this was fascinating

  Surely something you don't see every day.

  This is one of the main reasons I support Obama instead of Clinton. I actually like her a lot and would be very happy to vote for her in the general. But...

  When I picture myself over the next 9 months telling my conservative relatives, or people at church, or just random non-political-obsessed people "I'm voting for Clinton" vs "I'm voting for Obama"--the second conversation just seems a thousand times easier to have. And when I picture myself knocking on doors and facing my own neighbors, it just seems light years easier to be representing Barack instead of Hillary. I know I should just suck it up because issues matter and SCOTUS matters and all that, but I honestly don't know if I can knock on my neighbors' doors for Hillary. Canvassing is REALLY pushing my comfort level even in the best of circumstances, ya know. And I would just dread spending the next 9 months defending Clinton and defending my voting for her.

  Obama has a natural appeal that even people who 100% don't agree with him on the issues don't get all worked up about him.

  by reid fan on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:06:29 AM PDT

  •  I personally already know one Republican...

    who intends to vote for him.  He's a moderate, but I see him as a bellweather.  I know many independents who will vote for him.

    Granted, this is all before the slime machine gets its hands on him.  But already one soldier in that fight is gone.

    by Drummond on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:12:24 AM PDT

    •  If the slime machine can get its hand on him

      They may not be able to. Just because they got their hands on Gore and Kerry means they can with Obama. He's a much better candidate than either of those men.

      by Tusconian on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:36:21 AM PDT

•  Very odd

  I heard that last night, too, and I have no idea what to make of it.  McKinnon is an odd bird.  Unlike some of his counterparts, he occassionally seems to have flashes of conscience, and personally seems a bit embarrassed by some of the hatchet jobs he does for Bush and crew.

  Having said that, though, my first guess is that McKinnon just sat down and ran the numbers.  He thinks that Obama can appeal too well to the middle.  McCain could get caught between the middle and the right and lose in a landslide.  McKinnon may have just decided that he doesn't want to go down with that particular ship...

  by weasel on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:09:02 AM PDT

  •  Ohh

    And on the giving up money thing, not really.  He'll have plenty of other candidates for state office who will pay through the nose for his wisdom.  What he is giving up is prestige, the prestige of working at the top level of a national campaign.

    by weasel on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:10:32 AM PDT

  •  Okay

    Then that's even better news.

    by Drummond on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:10:50 AM PDT

  •  I believe McKinnon used to be a Democrat.

    by extradish on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:19:04 AM PDT

•  what about the 527's?

  This is just strategery from the McCain campaign.  bu$hie boy's campaign didn't attack John Kerry either.  They let their surrogates do the dirty work.  The swiftboat team is flush with money and just as nasty as ever.

  by kbman on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:12:39 AM PDT

  •  I think the DNC is ready for them this time

    That was a one shot deal.

    by Drummond on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:23:16 AM PDT

    •  But its the LBJ conundrum ...

      "I want you to plant a rumor that my opponent fucks pigs."

      "But Lyndon, you know that's not true."

      "That doesn't matter ... I just want to hear him denying that he does."

      by kbman on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:13:04 PM PDT

•  He WHORED for W. Enough said.

  Quit with the noble crap.

  by Los Diablo on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:44:55 AM PDT

  •  So he had bout of conscience

    We all have our dark sides.  The point is that this individual is moving beyond it, for the moment.

    by Drummond on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 12:45:09 PM PDT

•  Taking a step back from the Abyss

  I think this is what Obama offers us.  Will the repubs change their tone overnight, not likely.  Could Obama have enough coattails to bring a significant number of Democrats with him in 08.  I think so and I think many others agree.  Will Iraq go away on 1/1/09 or will the huge national debt disappear? I don't think so.  I just hope we have someone willing to look at solutions with a different point of view.

  by mystic on Fri Feb 15, 2008 at 10:48:45 AM PDT