John McCain - Moderate Democrat?

Alternative headline: "McCain Turns to Maria Shriver Approved Aid"

McCain Turns to Man Who Made 'The Governator' - Financial Times - 05 Jul 08

"Late in 2005, Maria Shriver, the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor, led an overhaul of her husband's staff as he prepared for a tough re-election battle. Ms Shriver, niece of John F. Kennedy and a lifelong Democrat, recommended Mr Schmidt to run the campaign. It turned out to be a wise choice as 'The Governator' bounced back from a 33 per cent approval rating to win by a landslide."

"People who know Mr Schmidt say he will instill greater discipline into the campaign. Mr Schmidt headed the 'rapid response' unit that kept Mr Bush on the offensive against John Kerry, his Democratic opponent in 2004.

While Mr Schmidt will try to replicate the ruthlessness of the Bush operation, he is not wedded to its conservative ideology. His pragmatism was proven during the Schwarzenegger campaign, when he steered the governor towards the centre."

Of course, McCain has similar problems to those that Hillary ended up with once she got behind in the polls. Going negative on Obama is a tricky business indeed.

Target: Barack Obama. Strategy: What Day Is It? - NY Times - 04 Jul 08

"Despite a three-month head start, Senator John McCain has struggled to solidify lines of attack against Senator Barack Obama for the general election, Republican operatives say and some of his own advisers acknowledge, running into problems that bedeviled Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s primary campaign against Mr. Obama.

The McCain camp faces the challenge of negatively defining an opponent who has a relatively short tenure in office and a thin record to dissect, unlike longer-serving senators like Mrs. Clinton or John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. McCain advisers also say they are wary of unleashing allies to attack Mr. Obama, given how some conservatives have overstepped and been criticized for racially tinged remarks."

John McCain - Moderate Democrat?

Alternative headline: "McCain Turns to Maria Shriver Approved Aid"

McCain Turns to Man Who Made 'The Governator' - Financial Times - 05 Jul 08

"Late in 2005, Maria Shriver, the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, California governor, led an overhaul of her husband's staff as he prepared for a tough re-election battle. Ms Shriver, niece of John F. Kennedy and a lifelong Democrat, recommended Mr Schmidt to run the campaign. It turned out to be a wise choice as 'The Governator' bounced back from a 33 per cent approval rating to win by a landslide."

"People who know Mr Schmidt say he will instill greater discipline into the campaign. Mr Schmidt headed the 'rapid response' unit that kept Mr Bush on the offensive against John Kerry, his Democratic opponent in 2004.

While Mr Schmidt will try to replicate the ruthlessness of the Bush operation, he is not wedded to its conservative ideology. His pragmatism was proven during the Schwarzenegger campaign, when he steered the governor towards the centre."

Of course, McCain has similar problems to those that Hillary ended up with once she got behind in the polls. Going negative on Obama is a tricky business indeed.

Target: Barack Obama. Strategy: What Day Is It? - NY Times - 04 Jul 08

"Despite a three-month head start, Senator John McCain has struggled to solidify lines of attack against Senator Barack Obama for the general election, Republican operatives say and some of his own advisers acknowledge, running into problems that bedeviled Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s primary campaign against Mr. Obama.

The McCain camp faces the challenge of negatively defining an opponent who has a relatively short tenure in office and a thin record to dissect, unlike longer-serving senators like Mrs. Clinton or John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. McCain advisers also say they are wary of unleashing allies to attack Mr. Obama, given how some conservatives have overstepped and been criticized for racially tinged remarks."