"The alternative, of course, is to get on offense, to batter McCain for his gaffes and incoherence, hammer him for his flip-flops, highlight how his maverick status is a thing of the past, and turn him into a combination of Bush and Grandpa Simpson. God knows there are those in Chicago champing at the bit to do just that—not least, one imagines, Obama’s chief strategist, David Axelrod, who can wield the cudgel of negative ads with as much vigor and glee as any Republican. Yet Obama seems reluctant to go there. Tough pol though he is, he’s a conciliator and not a confrontationalist at heart; he seems to believe that once undecided voters know him better, he will have them eating, along with so many others, out of the palm of his hand."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Military leaders from the United StatesMembers of the United States SenateUnited States presidential candidates, 2000United States presidential candidates, 2008Politicians from Arizona
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
John Heilemann in Is Mudslinging the Only Way John McCain Can Win? (1 August 2008)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_McCain
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
John McCain
politician, naval officer, autobiographer
1936 – 2018 · United States
John Sidney McCain III (29 August 1936 - 25 August 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and United States Navy officer who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama.
463 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by John McCain →
Related Quotes
"I've fought for the right strategy and more troops in Iraq when it wasn't the popular thing to do."
"We lost -- we lost the trust of the American people when some Republicans gave in to the temptations of corruption. W…"
"I've found just the right partner to help me shake up Washington, Gov. Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska. ... …"
"I don't work for myself. I work for you. I've fought corruption, and it didn't matter if the culprits were Democrats …"
"I don't mind a good fight. For reasons known only to God, I've had quite a few tough ones in my life. But I learned a…"
"I fight for the family of Matthew Stanley of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Matthew died serving our country in Iraq. I we…"
"I know how to secure the peace."
"All you've ever asked of your government is to stand on your side and not in your way. And that's what I intend to do…"
"Change is coming."
"In this country, we believe everyone has something to contribute and deserves the opportunity to reach their God-give…"