McCain’s advisors are saying they were “too optimistic” about their candidate’s fundraising prospects, having built a campaign around the assumption that they could raise about $100 million in total. Now they’ve laid off 50 staffers and campaign manager Terry Nelson is working for free (though given Nelson’s passion for dirty tricks, he may be happy enough doing it all for love of the game).
Nelson and senior strategist John Weaver have said they’ll focus on having McCain “talk directly” to voters in early primary states. But Race 4 2008 reports that McCain’s Iowa organization has been all but wiped out:
I’m told that the cuts in Iowa were deep. Sure McCain’s Straw Poll coordinator was cut, but so was the Iowa campaign manager who just moved back to Iowa. People were also cut from the coalitions department, as well as most of the field staffers. What once was a staff of around 20-25 is now under 10.
While the campaign says they still plan to compete in Iowa and win the Iowa caucuses, the remaining people on the McCain payroll are not the type who could turn it around in Iowa for his campaign. I have not heard about any of McCain’s high paid Iowa consultants getting cut. I think it’s safe to say that Chuck Larson Jr., Ed Failor Jr., Karen Slifka, and Marlys Popma are still on the payroll, but they might only be receiving a percentage of what they were getting paid before yesterday’s cuts.
It’s over for John McCain in Iowa.
Meanwhile, at the Corner, John Podhoretz urges McCain to fire Weaver (whom Podhoretz mistakenly identifies as McCain’s campaign manager):
John McCain’s campaign has been a disaster — overstaffed, under-thought, and incredibly profligate…. Weaver actually left the GOP because McCain didn’t win the nomination in 1980. Now he’s back. They’re clearly very, very close. But McCain is going to have to shake himself free of Weaver if he’s to have any shot at coming back. If he isn’t prepared to do so, then he might as well quit now.
No money, a disastrously mismanaged campaign, and a decimated organization in Iowa. And if McCain is hoping to make a stand in New Hampshire, things aren’t looking good for him there, either.
Something to say?
