McCain Adviser Won't Stay if Obama is Dem Nominee
In a surprising twist, Mark McKinnon - chief media adviser to Senator John McCain - told Michele Norris on All Things Considered that he won't stay with the McCain campaign if Sen. Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee.
In this photo from 2000, then Gov. George W. Bush (R) gets some direction from Mark McKinnon (L) during a dress rehearsal at the Republican National Convention.
STEPHEN JAFFE/AFP/Getty Images
McKinnon, who helped George W. Bush beat back McCain's challenge in 2000, said that McCain would have his support 100 percent if he is the GOP nnominee, but he would be uneasy about facing Obama in an election because of the use of the kind of attack tactics that inevitable come to the fore in a general election.
"I met Barack Obama, I read his book, I like him a great deal. I disagree with him on very fundamental issues. But I think, as I said, I think it would a great race for the country. I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama. I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."
McKinnon, who also said that the plan since last summer's nadir for McCain had always been to just "stay in the game," also talked about the challenges still facing the McCain camp, especially with conservative Republicans.
10:07 AM ET | 02-14-2008 | permalink

