by Jill Zuckman
With the economy continuing to sour at an alarming rate, Sen. John McCain's campaign pulled out of Michigan, a state once thought ripe for the taking from the Democratic column.
"We will monitor the state and if we see a swing back in our favor, we will reengage. It's been a state that has been the worst state of all the states in play," said a McCain senior adviser, calling Michigan "an obvious one" to ditch.
The campaign plans to shift some of its resources to Maine, which splits its electoral college votes.
McCain campaign officials insist that all they were doing was trying to force Sen. Barack Obama to spend money in what should be a Democratic state, just as he tried to do the same in places like Georgia and North Dakota before pulling out.
But in truth, McCain believed that the old coalition of Reagan Democrats in the swing areas of Macomb and Oakland Counties could help put him over the top in a state where voters are as mad at the Democrats as they are with Republicans.
Michigan has lost 400,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000, unemployment is the highest in the country and the state is just one of two in the nation losing population. In addition, the automakers are struggling to sell cars as they resturcture to eliminate jobs and even health benefits for current retirees.
Still, Republicans have not been able to win the state since Ronald Reagan's vice president, George H.W. Bush, swept Michigan in 1988. Since then, Democratic candidates for president have won, but only narrowly.
McCain was supposed to hold a rally in Plymouth, Michigan next Wednesday but scrapped those plans this morning. Michigan Republicans say the McCain campaign decided Wednesday night to give up the state and told them Thursday afternoon.
"There wasn't any reason given other than they were reallocating resources to other states," said Bill Nowling, communications director for the Michigan Republican Party.
McCain has not visited Michigan since holding a joint town hall meeting in Grand Rapids with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin more than two weeks ago.
Bill Ballenger, the editor of Inside Michigan Politics, called the McCain campaign "just plum stupid" for acknowledging that they are giving up. "To come out and acknowledge that's what they're doing is destructive - not only to their own campaign - but it hurts other Republican candidates down the ticket," he said.
Recent polls have shown Obama pulling ahead of McCain, but Ballenger said McCain was forcing Obama to spend time and money in the state. In fact, Obama campaigned in Michigan on Thursday.
"I think he might have made Obama sweat and he was making Obama sweat," said Ballenger. "I guess he doesn't have to worry now."
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Comments
HAHAHA!!!
Posted by: McCain - Founding Member of the Keating 5 | October 2, 2008 5:40 PM
When is he going to give up on Pennsylvania?
Posted by: Liz | October 2, 2008 5:46 PM
As the cat said when he got his tail caught in the door, "It won't be long now." http://enough2008.blogspot.com
Posted by: Levi | October 2, 2008 6:27 PM
Very soon the 28% dead enders will log in to remind us all that Obama gave up on Alaska and Georgia a long time ago. But this is still the apocalypse for mcBUSH and sara plain. As it should be.
Posted by: tried and true American | October 2, 2008 6:28 PM
Go Blue!
Let's be fair; Obama was considering pulling back from Alaska.
Posted by: Flo | October 2, 2008 6:42 PM
Judging by the way he talked to the Des Moines Register people yesterday he must have given up on Iowa too!!!!
Posted by: MDawson | October 2, 2008 7:29 PM
Quit Ohio while you are at it~
Posted by: LeBron is King, OBAMA President | October 2, 2008 11:01 PM
Quit Ohio while you are at it~
Posted by: LeBron is King, OBAMA President | October 2, 2008 11:01 PM
Quit Ohio while you are at it~
Posted by: LeBron is King, OBAMA President | October 2, 2008 11:02 PM
I'm really not surprised. My family lives in Grand Rapids, a conservative town, no doubt. My mom gave up on McCain last week even though she doesn't like Obama much. And when I last visited I saw a lot of Obama signs. To be sure, there were McCain signs too. But, like I said, West Michigan should be solidly in McCain's column and to see that much dissent is telling.
Posted by: Stephani | October 2, 2008 11:08 PM
Told ya so!
Posted by: tried and true Americand | October 2, 2008 11:09 PM
AND, FINALLY......THE VP DEBATE PROVED PALIN SHOULD HAVE A LAP DANCER SEGMENT ON THE OREILLY FACTOR'S SCRIPTED GOP INFOMERCIAL FOX NEWS. SHE'S A CUTE PERSONALITY AND ABSOLUTELY UNQUALIFIED TO BE EVEN A VP OF HER OWN HOUSEHOLD LET ALONE THE LARGEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. PALINIMBLE BRAIN IS A BAD JOKE & A GREAT EXAMPLE OF MCINSANE'S JUDGMENT. SCARY! LOVED HER COMMENTS ABOUT EXPANDING THE POWERS OF THE VICE PRESIDENCY WHILE MAKING CLEAR SHE WOULDN'T ANSWER TO GWEN IFII'S OR THE MEDIA'S QUESTIONS AS ASKED BUT WOULD ONLY RECITE GOP TALKING POINTS, LIKE A KID SHOUTING A WORD AT A SPELLING B. HORRIFIC! PALIN'S TALKING POINTS WERE GIMMICKRY WITH A WHINNY MEANNESS. WILL SHE BE DESIGNING/DECORATINGTHE USA-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN EMBASSY WITH A MOOSE LODGE IN MIND? HANDS DOWN: BIDEN WINS DEBATE!
Posted by: Wyatt | October 2, 2008 11:20 PM
McCain may be pleasantly surprised at the number of votes that he receives in Michigan!
Democats are disallusioned with Obama's deceptiveness, and his pro-abortion policy,
and have stated that, they are voting for McCain.
Posted by: Samuel | October 3, 2008 6:05 AM
WI, OH, FL, PA, MI, and VA will all be going that patriotic blue in November. Not certain about MO. This country doesn't need McCain. He has nothing to offer us. He's all about big corporations, big oil, and himself. He's dirty, dishonest, crooked, foul, and two-faced.
Posted by: Greg Gorski | October 3, 2008 9:51 AM
McCain’s Michigan surrender was the “Real Story” yesterday and marks the turning point in the presidential election of 2008. John McCain showed his true colors using the VP Debate to give McCain’s staffers cover while they ran to this State’s nearest exits. McCain had no problem sacrificing new comer Sarah Palin as the Media’s diversion along the way as a classical good news/bad news communiqué.
McCain proved to be McCain’s ultimate irony all by himself. Provided solely by John McCain as it turned out. If the truth were known, Governor Palin was probably kept in the dark on this maneuver as well.
McCain, hyped in the VP Debate, as the only candidate to “Have fought for us,” was literally waving the “White Flag of Surrender,” on the same day McCain himself pulled up stakes and withdrew from Michigan’s electoral battle field.
John McCain had a busy day yesterday. McCain whose Senate voting record was in lock step with President Bush’s (19 percent approval rated) administration 90 percent of the time was literally basking in the symbolic shadow of Harry Truman’s memory giving a speech as his handlers were cutting and running from the “Winter Wonderland State.”
McCain’s own actions make it abundantly clear that he has no solution to help the working middle class of struggling Americans and his record shows it in Michigan by his hasty retreat. His own people say McCain needs the money spent some where else instead.
Goodbye John McCain, Michiganders can finally believe your “Straight Talk Express” as you put petal-to-the-metal exiting southbound I-75.
John McCain - “Change We Can Believe In,” except in Michigan 2008.
Posted by: Bill Hirsch | October 3, 2008 1:48 PM
So long John, don't let the door hit you on the way out!
Posted by: Quippy | October 3, 2008 4:41 PM
Like many others I am very upset over McCain's recent pull-out of Michigan. While many of us with democrat friends have made them see the light and have brought them over to our side, McCain has decided not to really fight for Michigan. He just doesn't get it!
Posted by: Louise Willis | October 5, 2008 11:03 AM
McCain should start campaigning in michigan again. because he's losing votes there and now he kainda looks like a quitter. GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: cookie weathers | October 27, 2008 11:11 AM