FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
He urged the media, for example, to focus on important policy issues an "not just why Barack [doesn't] wear flag pins on his lapel."
John McCain's chief media consultant is leaving his campaign because he doesn't want to work against Barack Obama.
Mark McKinnon says he's staying true to a vow he made months ago not to campaign against Obama. At the time, McKinnon said the election of Obama "would send a great message to the country and the world." Although McKinnon says he disagrees with Obama on issues like Iraq and he thinks McCain would make the best president, he still doesn't want to work against the likely Democratic nominee.
McKinnon insists he'll remain a "friend and fan" of McCain's campaign. He says he's just "moving from middle linebacker to cheerleader" for McCain.
McKinnon's resignation could symbolize some of the challenges John McCain might face running against an historic candidate like Barack Obama. In many ways, McCain is entering uncharted territory by running against the first black presidential candidate from a major political party.
Meanwhile, McKinnon becomes the sixth adviser to leave the campaign in recent days. And John McCain is now taking some heat from fellow Republican Senator Chuck Hagel. The Huffington Post reports Hagel says he's "very upset" with some of the things his longtime friend, McCain, has been saying. Hagel is especially disappointed with some of McCain's comments about Iran, as he attacks Obama on foreign policy. Hagel says he thinks McCain "is smarter than some of the things he is saying" and hopes there will be a "higher-level discourse" come the general election. This is from his friend.
Here’s my question to you: What’s the significance of a top McCain adviser resigning because he doesn’t want to work against an historic Obama candidacy?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Mishael from Florida writes:
My hat is off. He said months ago that this is what he would do and he has kept his word. I for one will take it at face value. Just maybe more campaign "experts" will pay attention and get us all away from the nasty, negative personal politics which has become the norm. Politics was never "clean", but we are sinking to new lows and it is killing democracy!
Matthew from Auburn, Alabama writes:
It means that even those in the McCain camp know what's coming and some of them do not want to be blamed for attempting to stop it. Obama will win states that a Democrat never dreamed of winning again. Some in the Republican Party do not want to be associated with what they know will be an utter failure.
D. writes:
It seems there are men of character in the Republican Party. McKinnon and Hagel are making it clear they won't stand for the campaign to turn into a free-for-all. It's a pity (for the Republicans) that the example doesn't come from their nominee himself.
Scott from North Carolina writes:
Change is coming, Jack, and he knows it. I think he is just getting out of the way so that he doesn't get stream-rolled along with the rest of the Republicans.
Dominic from Hattiesburg, Mississippi writes:
It says all of the nonsense about opinion polls and Hillary's attempts to divide the Democratic Party in April and May will be long gone once Obama's historic general election campaign begins. Most of the so-called problems to Obama's campaign are media-manufactured to keep the public from falling asleep while Hillary pouts in the sandbox.