Redstate

He's got a crush and I think he should leave McCain's campaign now.

By Mark Kilmer Posted in 2008 | McCain | McKinnon | Obama — Comments (15) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Last February, John McCain media advisor Mark McKinnon, a former Democrat, told his boss that he would quit the campaign if Obama were the Dem nominee.

"I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama," said McCain adviser Mark McKinnon in an interview with NPR's "All Things Considered." "I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."

McKinnon, who was a Democrat before serving as President Bush's ad maker in 2000 and 2004, said that he plans to be behind McCain "100 percent" no matter who the Democratic nominee is.

He's got a crush on Obama, according to this campaign's parlance. And he's not behind John McCain 100 percent, because if he were, he wouldn't go soft now or quit the campaign if Obama is the Dem nominee. Perhaps he is behind McCain 75 percent or 51 percent. Or perhaps it is a non-intenger.

In an interview published today at the National Journal, McKinnon reiterates his crush… on Obama to interviewer Linda Douglass.

Read On…

Said Mark McKinnon to Linda Douglas:

Well, this goes back to a memo that I wrote to the campaign when I came aboard more than a year and a half ago, and I simply let them know that I had spent time with Obama and read his book and I like the guy. I think he has strong character and a fascinating life story, and I disagree with him fundamentally on issues like Iraq and trade and a number of others. But I just flashed forward to the improbable scenario, at that time seemingly improbable, that John McCain and Barack Obama might face off against one other. And I just told them at the time that I thought that I would be uncomfortable being on the front lines -- being as aggressive as you need to be in a presidential campaign -- and not only that I would be uncomfortable, but that it would be bad for the campaign, and that if that circumstance were to come to be, that I would just take a step to the sidelines and continue to support John McCain 100 percent and be No. 1 fan and cheerleader. But just kind of take myself out of the front lines.

Again, Mark, it's not 100%.

He goes on to say that he doesn't want to run negative ads against Obama. He "admires" Obama, perhaps in the same way that Obama admires his minister, Jeremiah Wright. Obama says he disagrees with Wright but admires him. McKinnon claims that he disagrees with Obama but admires him.

He would stick around if Hillary somehow pulls this off. Why? Not because he thinks Hillary would be awful for the country; no, rather, he thinks we all are "tired of the Clinton-style politics."

Based on the above, I don't the John McCain should wait until Mark McKinnon leaves the campaign. His heart is obviously not in this campaign, Senator. I know McKinnon is good at what he does, having helped George W. Bush to be elected and reelected, but this is not a time to have someone in the campaign who is not completely behind the candidate. It's time to cut this tie, as you've already lost him to Obamamania. He's been hosed.