The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

What’s Wrong With the Republican Party in Two Words: Mark McKinnon

Posted on | December 11, 2010 | 17 Comments

Which is a synonym for “unprincipled opportunist.”

You may recall Mark McKinnon as the Republican political strategist who worked to help John McCain win the 2008 GOP nomination, but then quit because he refused to campaign against Barack Obama.

You may recall Mark McKinnon as the Republican political strategist who accused Rick Santorum of having “a lack of character.” 

You may recall Mark McKinnon as the Republican political strategist who in May 2009 told ABC News: “If the Republican party does not expand its tent, it’s going to turn into a circus, and it’s going to become a minority freak show that sort of features Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney.”

In other words, you may recall Mark McKinnon as the Republican political strategist who is always predictably bad-mouthing conservatives (whom he accuses of “drinking the Kool-Aid”) and generally doing everything he can to turn the GOP into a carbon-copy of “those of us who don’t choose the extremes.”

Given that Mark McKinnon is a vicious backstabbing opportunistic crapweasel — an inarguable fact, I think you’ll agree – we should scarcely be surprised to find that he is a late-arriving fanboy of Marco Rubio:

If Palin chooses to run and is not the presidential nominee, Rubio fixes what will certainly be the “Palin problem” for the GOP. With her unmatched magnetic appeal, which attracts headlines as well as campaign donations, there will be enormous pressure on whomever is nominated for president to pick Palin as a running mate. The only other option that provides any real conservative cover for a VP pick is Rubio. Otherwise, you will have a grassroots riot on your hands.

Obvious Fact No. 1: The “Palin problem” (whatever that is imagined to be) exists entirely in the mind of Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon.

Obvious Fact No. 2: Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon was MIA when grassroots conservatives declared war on the GOP Establishment over the attempt of party insiders to fix the Republican primary for Charlie Crist.

If it were up to gutless worms like Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon — who spent years with his best buddy Paul Begala working for the campaigns of Democrats like Lloyd Doggett, Ann Richards and Mike Dukakis — Charlie Crist would have gotten the GOP nomination, not that radical Tea Party extremist Marco Rubio.

And let’s not forget that Sarah Palin supported Marco back when Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon was declaring that ”Republicans look more like a glue factory than an idea factory.”

Helpful advice for Marco Rubio and to Republicans everywhere: Don’t hire Mark McKinnon.

Don’t return his phone calls. Don’t invite him to your events. Tell everyone on your staff to treat Mark McKinnon like a contagious disease. And if you’re a possible 2012 presidential contender, don’t let Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon anywhere near your campaign. Avoid him at all costs, even if you have to take out a restraining order to keep him away.

Because the minute it becomes public knowledge that McKinnon is an “advisor,” “consultant,” or “strategist” on your campaign, you’re doomed.

You have been warned.

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Category: Vicious Backstabbing Crapweasels

Comments

  • TR_Sterling

    Stacy, YES!
    You are sounding more like a RedState Blogger and w/r to McKinnon that is good. I read his piece today. I suppose he thinks like most of the two-faced liberal political pundits (Nicolle Wallace, and Peggy Noonan come to mind) that if you use your verbs and nouns and a good makeup job for TV, everyone will be mesmerized into your elitist view points. McKinnon is working for the Nanny of the Century to put Bloomberg into the Perot slot on the 2012 ticket.

    Luckily Sarah Palin has a BS meter that has been fine tuned and she is less suceptible to BS from Nicolle and the other Daily Beasts.

  • AnonymousDrivel

    Agreed. Good recall.

    To invite Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon into a campaign is to invite nitroglycerin… into a campaign. Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon is just. that. helpful.

    However, Sen. Lindsey Graham, you should disregard this awful advice. Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon is just the man for you. Hire him immediately!

  • Ran

    Yield no ground.

  • Anonymous

    McKinnon can always invite the Frums over for cocktails. The Brooks family too. And Kathleen Parker may find her self not as busy in the future.

  • David

    Does John McCain only hire traitors to his staff? Mackinnon, Wallace, Schmidt?

  • Anonymous

    Quoting Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon in his op-ed “Send Joe Wilson Home”:

    “I’m a Republican [Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon], but I’d rather have a Democrat in Congress who I may disagree with but who has some fundamental character and decency that Wilson clearly lacks. So, today I’m volunteering for Republicans for Rob Miller, Wilson’s opponent, a former Marine and Iraq veteran [and a Democrat], and am sending him a $1,000 check…” [September 11, 2009 - 1:19 pm]

    Wilson (R)( i) beat Miller(D) in the 2010 midterm 54/44 in spite of Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon’s financial and rhetorical contributions and despite Wilson’s truthful assertion.

    See http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-11/send-joe-wilson-home/full/full/

  • Adobe_Walls

    Well there’s the plan then. Get the Conservative candidate in any given race to piss off Mark McKinnon. He will then form a Republicans for whatever generic Dem candidate. As he appears to be the “kiss of death” to what ever candidate he supports or gets involved with, I wonder how thin his “negative power” can be spread before the effects start to diminish.

  • Speciher

    Actually I would argue that McKinnon could be quite useful in a campaign. Let him come in and give his advice and then do the exact opposite of what he suggests. If McKinnon’s many past failures and humiliations are any indication, it could be a sure-fire recipe for victory!

  • M. Thompson

    McKinnon is just another one of those Country Club weasels.

    Tim Pawlenty said it right-The republicans need to campaign for the guy who goes to Sam’s Club’s vote as much as the one from the Country Club.

    And I’m willing to bet there are more Americans who shop at Sam’s than are members of country clubs.

  • http://www.rightviewfromtheleftcoast.blogspot.com Mark J. Goluskin

    Was McKinnon on the Meg Whitman payroll?! Must have been. Look at her win. OOPS! My bad! I mean her L O S S! And McKinnon is NOT a Republican. He is a Democrat. But every now and then, he throws a bone to conservatives. Bury that bone!

  • AnonymousDrivel

    Exactly. And, conversely – whatever anyone does – DO NOT permit the Maine sisters to say, nay, even infer, that Obama lied. As far as they’re concerned, Obama is “wonderful, honest as the day is long.” Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon will swoop in like a fruit bat to peaches.

    Then we suggest the Underpants Gnome business model:

    Phase 1: Hire Republican political strategist Mark McKinnon
    Phase 2: ?
    Phase 3: Profit

  • Adobe_Walls

    I’m not sure that would be safe. Electoral doom may not necessarily be the result of following Mr McKinnon’s advice. The “kiss of death” effect may result from merely associating with him no matter how insincere that political relationship may be.

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  • http://theothermccain.com smitty

    So, past all of the whitewash, what is your opinion of Mark McKinnon?

  • kansas

    I place Mary Matalin in the McKinnon basket.

  • http://twitter.com/JSF1970 Joseph Fein

    Don’t forget to add Mike Murphy as another consultent who also sells out the Movement Conservatives and makes a pretty penny doing it.

    Don’t support any candidate that hires Mike murphy!

    http://valley-of-the-shadow.blogspot.com/2010/11/first-annual-mike-murphy-rotten-orange.html

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