With Obama Abroad, McCain Fights for Photo Ops | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008

Say Cheese! But Watch for the Applesauce.

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Close friends have urged McCain to pay more attention to the way he comes across on camera. "Senator Obama does a good job with visuals. We need to do a better job," says Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of McCain's closest friends and advisers. "The story is told without anyone having to say one word … We need to do more of that."

Some polishing is already underway. New day-to-day campaign boss Steve Schmidt has brought in White House staging pros to help brighten up the dreary, underlit events. One is Bob DeServi, a former NBC cameraman who left television to work for the White House and is renowned in the business for his obsessive attention to lighting. When Bush gave a speech in New York for the first anniversary of 9/11, DeServi stationed massive floodlights on barges to dramatically illuminate the Statue of Liberty behind him. Greg Jenkins, a skilled Bush advance man, is now working full time to create camera-friendly backdrops for McCain's events.

Instead of standing alone onstage, McCain now speaks surrounded by supporters, as Obama often does. When he takes questions during a town-hall meeting, he has been instructed to approach the audience so they're in the shot. And McCain speaks less from a teleprompter—something he hates doing and has yet to master. Instead, he has memorized his remarks to make his delivery more natural—and to help him stay "on message."

This has been especially difficult for McCain, who continues to riff on any topic that comes to mind, even though it can get him into trouble. Last week McCain told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the "Iraq–Pakistan border" remained extremely dangerous. (The two countries don't share a border.) Aides later said he clearly had meant the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and had simply misspoken. Ditto for McCain's recent identification of the Czech Republic as "Czechoslovakia"—a country that hasn't existed since 1993. (Republicans noted that Sam Nunn, a possible Obama veep contender, made the same slip.) Despite McCain's missteps and Obama's ability to generate big crowds and pretty pictures, polls indicate the race is close. Aides say this is proof that voters don't care about staging nearly as much as reporters do, and that they see McCain's genuineness in his imperfection. They may have a point. Polls released last week showed McCain gaining in several swing states, including Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and he has taken a slight lead in Colorado. That's one message McCain is having no trouble sticking with.

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This is interesting: A good government group is set to ask the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into the two big McCain stories of recent days -- the bundled contributions from Hess executives, and the bundling by Harry Sargeant, the guy who raised cash for McCain from a host of unlikely donors.

The request, which will be made on Monday by Campaign Money Watch, which first flagged the Hess story to us, raises at least the possibility that such a probe could be initiated during the campaign. Barring that, it could keep the stories going in the press a bit.

David Donnelly of Campaign Money Watch confirms to me that they'll make the formal request on Monday, and also is request for a Federal probe in an email that just went out to supporters. Donnelly says that his group's request is being triggered by McCain's letter to the donors whose contributions had been bundled by Sargeant.

Donnelly said that the letter, which advised the donors of the legal ins-and-outs of such contributions, didn't go far enough in trying to determine what had happened.

"What he didn't say was, 'Tell us who was responsible for giving you money to give to me, and we'll urge the authorities to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," " Donnelly said. "The letter raises the question, 'Is the McCain campaign covering for his bundlers?"
Asked why Sargeant, whose company holds a huge contract to deliver fuel to military bases in Iraq, merited an investigation, Donnelly said: "An executive from a company that has a billion dollar contract to deliver oil to U.S. bases in Iraq possibly violated election law to funnel contributions to McCain. We think that warrants an investigation."

And on the Hess matter, Donnelly said: "An office manager for an oil company that stands to gain millions in profits from offshore drilling makes donations for the first time this cycle to McCain, and did it at the same time nine other Hess donors do. That's worth an investigation."

"Drill here drill there drill everywhere" McCain said:

Extend your oil boring PAIN with your vote for McCain

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Posted By: sharenews @ 08/09/2008 11:24:30 PM

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Saturday, August 09, 2008

With Leaners:

McCain - 47%

Obama - 46%

Without leaners

TIED:

McCain - 44%

Obama - 44%

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that the race for the White House is tied - Barack Obama and John McCain each attract 44% of the vote. When leaners are included, it???s McCain 47% and Obama 46%. With leaners, the candidates have been within one point of each other for nine straight days

Tracking Polls are released at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time each day.
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Posted By: Driver of wagons @ 08/08/2008 9:42:27 PM

This is interesting: A good government group is set to ask the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into the two big McCain stories of recent days -- the bundled contributions from Hess executives, and the bundling by Harry Sargeant, the guy who raised cash for McCain from a host of unlikely donors.

The request, which will be made on Monday by Campaign Money Watch, which first flagged the Hess story to us, raises at least the possibility that such a probe could be initiated during the campaign. Barring that, it could keep the stories going in the press a bit.

David Donnelly of Campaign Money Watch confirms to me that they'll make the formal request on Monday, and also is request for a Federal probe in an email that just went out to supporters. Donnelly says that his group's request is being triggered by McCain's letter to the donors whose contributions had been bundled by Sargeant.

Donnelly said that the letter, which advised the donors of the legal ins-and-outs of such contributions, didn't go far enough in trying to determine what had happened.

"What he didn't say was, 'Tell us who was responsible for giving you money to give to me, and we'll urge the authorities to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law," " Donnelly said. "The letter raises the question, 'Is the McCain campaign covering for his bundlers?"
Asked why Sargeant, whose company holds a huge contract to deliver fuel to military bases in Iraq, merited an investigation, Donnelly said: "An executive from a company that has a billion dollar contract to deliver oil to U.S. bases in Iraq possibly violated election law to funnel contributions to McCain. We think that warrants an investigation."

And on the Hess matter, Donnelly said: "An office manager for an oil company that stands to gain millions in profits from offshore drilling makes donations for the first time this cycle to McCain, and did it at the same time nine other Hess donors do. That's worth an investigation."

"Drill here drill there drill everywhere" McCain said:

Extend your oil boring PAIN with your vote for McCain
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Posted By: daveh @ 08/06/2008 5:36:52 PM

McCain fatigue sets in as soon as he opens his mouth. After 8 years of Bush/Cheney/Rove, it is unfortunate that the best the Repubs can offer is McCain of the same. I am so tired of the swiftboating type attacks, and so should you.