Why are McCain aides leaking negative press about Sarah Palin?

[Anonymous]

I'm not a fan of Palin by any means but I'm just curious about this. I've heard her described as a "wack-job" and "diva" by McCain campaign aides. Why would they do that so close to election day?

[Anonymous]

Its called scapegoating. These people are true experts at shooting themselves in the foot - these leaks just demonstate that they are not say sure of a "win" as they would have us beleive.

[Anonymous]

1) McCain aides want to get jobs on future campaigns and as strategists to build the tattered Republican party;
2) Romney folks want to knock her out of contention for 2012, which shouldn't be difficult given her poll numbers; and
3) The brainy, policy-focused faction of the party, of which most of the staff in the McCain camp are a part, would like to beat the peasants with pitchforks in the impending GOP civil war.

[Anonymous]

They could also be trying to distance themselves and salvage some of the McCain brand or it could be a threat to Palin to stay on message.

While I am no Palin supporter, I could understand her desire to try to explain the wardrobe problem. It really speaks against her brand and she probably did just put on whatever the handlers told her to wear. Now, at a certain level she is responsible for being so naive and even if it was the handler's fault , hey you are responsible. I can also understand the McCain camp's position that she shouldn't say anything and create another newscycle on this one.

I actually admire her though for trying to take questions from some reporters against her handler's wishes. Yes, the McCain camp has reason to fear that she will create a gaffe but all candidates IMO have an ethical responsibility to speak often with the media, stand by their ideas and let the voters decide. McCain's camp approach of shielding her from the press is unfair to voters.

The biggest problem is her reported desire to start stumping about Rev Wright. The McCain camp is right to try to shut this down and do whatever they can to threaten her not to go down this road, including leaking damaging descriptions of her. Stumping at rallies on Rev Wright is bound to gear up racial hatred in some of these rallies. For the white supremists who are already mentally unhinged it doesn't take a lot for them to interpret it as a call to action. Some poor innocent African American somewhere will end up getting shot. This would enrage the nation. If Palin was stumping about Wright and there was a racist bent on the messaging, they would have then linked the McCain and Republican brand to the incident for a very long time. You could also see policy implications. You would see gun control come front and center. Republicans desperate to distance themselves would jump on the band wagon. Palin is very naive to think this is a good thing to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could also be trying to distance themselves and salvage some of the McCain brand or it could be a threat to Palin to stay on message.

While I am no Palin supporter, I could understand her desire to try to explain the wardrobe problem. It really speaks against her brand and she probably did just put on whatever the handlers told her to wear. Now, at a certain level she is responsible for being so naive and even if it was the handler's fault , hey you are responsible. I can also understand the McCain camp's position that she shouldn't say anything and create another newscycle on this one.

I actually admire her though for trying to take questions from some reporters against her handler's wishes. Yes, the McCain camp has reason to fear that she will create a gaffe but all candidates IMO have an ethical responsibility to speak often with the media, stand by their ideas and let the voters decide. McCain's camp approach of shielding her from the press is unfair to voters.

This whole episode falls under the category of "Be careful what you wish for because it might come true." This was too much too fast for her and she would have been better served with a less meteoric rise to the top.

The biggest problem is her reported desire to start stumping about Rev Wright. The McCain camp is right to try to shut this down and do whatever they can to threaten her not to go down this road, including leaking damaging descriptions of her. Stumping at rallies on Rev Wright is bound to gear up racial hatred in some of these rallies. For the white supremists who are already mentally unhinged it doesn't take a lot for them to interpret it as a call to action. Some poor innocent African American somewhere will end up getting shot. This would enrage the nation. If Palin was stumping about Wright and there was a racist bent on the messaging, they would have then linked the McCain and Republican brand to the incident for a very long time. You could also see policy implications. You would see gun control come front and center. Republicans desperate to distance themselves would jump on the band wagon. Palin is very naive to think this is a good thing to do.

Additionally, if Palin goes after Wright, then she is risking even more scrutiny of the ministers she has been associated with. That would definitely scare some voters off.

[Anonymous]

I think that Palin will go "off the reservation" one more time and go after the "Wright issue". At a certain point she will make a decision that she had nothing to lose and will do in order to endear herself to the far right of the party.