John McCain's decision to turn his campaign operation over to Steve Schmidt is being treated as a sign of weakness by the media today. Although some have noted that McCain made a similar move during the Republican primaries; one that signaled his campaign's turnaround from disaster to eventual winner.What matters more right now is how Republicans respond to the change in leadership and their initial reaction seems to be a positive one. Schmidt is known for his discipline and he was mentored by Karl Rove and worked on the Bush re-election campaign, which is definitely comforting to Republicans who see a lack of direction coming from McCain HQ. But Schmidt also helped salvage Arnold Schwarzenegger's re-election when he too seemed in a helpless state. That should be reassuring to more moderate Republicans who worry about McCain running a race that's too conventional.
Patrick Ruffini, who initially supported Rudy Giuliani in the primaries, is happy with the Schmidt move:
I'm not completely impartial here, but this is the guy who took Arnold from less than a sure thing to a 20-point winner in 2006, who ran the confirmation processes for Justices Roberts and Alito, and and who was the Bush operative most responsible for defining John Kerry. So this is a big deal.
Liberal bloggers are going after Schmidt today for his ties to Karl Rove. But the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder says a direct comparison isn't accurate:
And what about Schmidt's relationship with Karl Rove? The two men do talk, but Republicans who know them both say that Schmidt is an independent operator -- not a Rove acolyte.
But even with the largely positive reception from conservative circles, not everyone is happy. Hot Air's Allahpundit worries that McCain's campaign may have already made too many major errors to bounce back:
What's the political strategy when you allow your opponent, who has just had a grueling four months, time to catch their breath, regroup, fundraise and start to define himself?
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