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McCain ’08 Adviser Steve Schmidt Decries ‘Mosaic Of Nonsense’ In 2012 GOP Pool

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» 46 comments

For many who follow political media, the current Republican presidential landscape is somewhat of a dream: you’ve got Donald Trump sending “investigators” to Hawaii on one hand, Rep. Ron Paul shouting about heroin on the other, the perennial threat of Sarah Palin and a man best known for his delicious pizza. But this campaign doesn’t seem as fun to actual Republicans, as former McCain adviser Steve Schmidt explained to Lawrence O’Donnell tonight.

Schmidt, who had taken about a year-long hiatus from television before tonight, began his evaluation with the news that Newt Gingrich is soon expected to officially drop his hat in the ring, but quickly widened his scope to the unpredictability of Palin and the field as it already stands today. He didn’t express much enthusiasm. “The field is… driving demand for other candidates to get into the race,” he noted, and expected to see candidates hopping in all the way up to the fall. The reasoning? “You need a lot less money to win the Republican nomination” given social media, which means more serious candidates can take their time until the sideshows fizzle out. And Schmidt is really hoping the sideshows fizzle out soon, particularly Trump.

The problem with the current field, Schmidt argued, is that serious candidates like Tim Pawlenty (who O’Donnell picks as the eventual nominee in the field by process of elimination) are being overshadowed by more entertaining candidates “spouting this mosaic of nonsense” that trivializes the issues that make the “somewhat compelling candidates” better known. Ultimately, he concluded, the louder but less promising character chatter “denies Republicans the ability to communicate.” O’Donnell agreed, but, having a horse in the race, requested Schmidt keep his “wisdom” to himself– or at least “on MSNBC, where none of the Republicans will hear it.”

The segment via MSNBC below:

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  • HTML5 Evangelist

    Ron Paul seems to always school everyone.I might disagree with a lot of his positions but when it comes to intellectual integrity there’s no one better….

  • mediadoubt

    Integrity is not an asset in a Republican primary.

  • TampopoLoco

    Yea, no shit, Sherlock.

  • seek

    Let’s remember that Steve Schmidt has a rather “checkered” past between himself and the Republican party.

    I would have thought they might find someone to comment on the debate, other than a blowhard wannabe who is a Republican only when he wants to get his face on t.v.

    Appeals to the left though – so all is well with the world.

  • TampopoLoco

    HTML5 Evangelist said:
    Ron Paul seems to always school everyone.I might disagree with a lot of his positions but when it comes to intellectual integrity there’s no one better….

    And that’s why so many republicans hate him.

  • notsofast

    mediadoubt said:
    Integrity is not an asset in a Republican primary.

    Or you either, son.

  • Azarkhan

    Whoever wins, this will certainly help:

    New data just out from Zillow, the real-estate information company, show house prices are falling at their fastest rate since the Lehman collapse…

    And the percentage of homeowners in negative-equity positions — with a home worth less than its mortgage — has rocketed to 28%, a new crisis high.

    Zillow now predicts prices will fall about 8% this year and says it no longer expects the market to bottom before 2012.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/housing-crash-is-getting-worse-2011-05-09?pagenumber=1

  • Girth Brick

    HTML5 Evangelist said:
    Ron Paul seems to always school everyone.I might disagree with a lot of his positions but when it comes to intellectual integrity there’s no one better….

    Your contemporary far-right wingnut fascist hates Ron Paul and his isolationist views.

    Not that I endorse such a ticket but Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich have more in common – and neither one really wants to cut SS/Medicare – read RP – he wants a 50 yr gradual pullback on the two programs.

  • Barack Must Go

    Then Mitt Romney it is.

    Don’t let Obama bullshit you that Romney’s not electable because Mass. has Romney care, yet Barack is reelectable with ObamaCare hanging over his own head.

    Anyone who believes anything that spews from that lying bastards mouth is either a blithering idiot, a degenerate lib or both.

  • ModerateMan

    I don’t get the Pawlenty “is a serious candidate” memo. He polls at 2%. He supported Cap and Trade. He can’t even raise 12 thousand dollars. Can we stop this nonsense.

  • Dredayz

    Republicans! Please listen to what he is saying. As an independent, I may not like all the things that Obama is doing, but I sure won’t vote for the crazy person running against him. Nominate someone with respectable ideas on how to handle our problems instead of someone bringing up childish issues.

    I am afraid that you (Republicans) are making it way to easy to vote for Obama in 2012 due to the lack of competition, although I believe strong competition ends up being better for the nation. It would be a shame.

  • ModerateMan

    Dredayz said:
    Republicans! Please listen to what he is saying. As an independent, I may not like all the things that Obama is doing, but I sure won’t vote for the crazy person running against him. Nominate someone with respectable ideas on how to handle our problems instead of someone bringing up childish issues.

    I am afraid that you (Republicans) are making it way to easy to vote for Obama in 2012 due to the lack of competition, although I believe strong competition ends up being better for the nation. It would be a shame.

    Right. Republicans should listen to McCain’s 2008 senior advisor and Lawrence O’Donnell. Got it.

  • CAINtheBULL

    I think Republicans have a terrible field of candidates but I think someone will jump in who might President Obama a tough challenge.

  • WCinWI

    CAINtheBULL said:
    I think Republicans have a terrible field of candidates but I think someone will jump in who might President Obama a tough challenge.

    A shoe will beat Obama. Simple as that.

  • JasonMays

    seek said:
    Let’s remember that Steve Schmidt has a rather “checkered” past between himself and the Republican party. I would have thought they might find someone to comment on the debate, other than a blowhard wannabe who is a Republican only when he wants to get his face on t.v. Appeals to the left though – so all is well with the world.

    This guy is an absolute scumsucking RINO.

    There’s a reason Crazy Larry picks people like this to come on and tell liberals what they want to hear.

    Thankfully only 13 people watched that garbage.

  • WCinWI

    ModerateMan said:
    Right. Republicans should listen to McCain’s 2008 senior advisor and Lawrence O’Donnell. Got it.

    That campaign, including Wallace, was one of the poorest run campaigns ever.

  • avoidswork

    WCinWI said:
    A shoe will beat Obama. Simple as that.

    Romney has the flip flop covered, then.

  • CAINtheBULL

    WCinWI said:
    A shoe will beat Obama. Simple as that.

    I know you don’t like President Obama. Fine. Try responding with something a little more intelligent.

  • WildMan

    Yo, fatboy Schmidt, ya mind telling us how many people you have put into the White House as President? Yeah, that’s what I thought. You were pretty much a turncoat last time if I remember correctly and now you go onto some nutzoid’s show and slam the men who at least have the guts to put their personal lives on the line.

    How many times have you run for President Mrs. Schmidt? Just go away Schmidtty because you have none, zero, nada, zip credibility with Republicans, Tea Partiers and us Independents. You fit right in with the Lawrence O’Dunno’s, Randy Madcow’s, Chrissy Tingles & Thrills Matthews, and the other fat boy, Edie ‘Fat & Angry’ Schultz.

    Have a good one fool…….

  • WCinWI

    CAINtheBULL said:

    1. 9%
    2. Obamacare
    3. Housing
    4. $4.45 gas
    5. Tea Party
    6. Most divisive President

    For starters…..I could go on.

  • WCinWI

    WCinWI said:
    1. 9%
    2. Obamacare
    3. Housing
    4. $4.45 gas
    5. Tea Party
    6. Most divisive President

    For starters…..I could go on.

    7. Immigration

  • CAINtheBULL

    WCinWI said:
    1. 9%
    2. Obamacare
    3. Housing
    4. $4.45 gas
    5. Tea Party
    6. Most divisive President

    For starters…..I could go on.

    Republicans messed up big time with the Ryan Medicare plan. Dems are going to hit them over the head with it during the 2012 election. The President is going to benefit from that. It’s going to counter some of the stuff on your list.

  • grafxmail7

    WCinWI said:
    A shoe will beat Obama. Simple as that.

    Keep on dreamin’ Freeloader!!!

    Obama’s gonna be your President until 2016!

    Get used to it!

  • Yargburger

    WCinWI said:

    1. 9% – Is what it stands at today. The question is whether it will lower itself quick enough. Considering Large Corporations have had multiple years of large profits and small businesses have not leads to the job creators not able to create jobs.
    2. Obamacare – Currently the electorate is split and depends on whether that drives enough of the conservative turnout…perhaps this issue away from the headlines will not matter much.
    3. Housing – A definite issue, unless housing prices rise enough and the unemployment rate lowers enough that people can handle there mortgage payments it could sink him.
    4. $4.45 gas – If this sinks him it’s because the electorate is foolish. If gas prices are this high during the general election that means Libya has no production and developing countries are continuing to have demand growth. Regardless of who wins $4 gas will be the norm….cheap?,,,in 5-10 years due to global demand. No amount of drilling would stop that from happening.
    5. Tea Party
    Depends how many of the independents and libertarians see how little of the legislation debated on the hill is focused on the economy and jobs….and whether they feel the social safety net will be destroyed by the new budget measures. Trying to stay away from snarky response.
    6. Most divisive President – only to those who passionately dislike him.
    7. Immigration – Not in the debate and depending on the economy may not be in the debate for the general election
    For starters…..I could go on. – Please do.

  • WCinWI

    CAINtheBULL said:
    Republicans messed up big time with the Ryan Medicare plan. Dems are going to hit them over the head with it during the 2012 election. The President is going to benefit from that. It’s going to counter some of the stuff on your list.

    The President will run on what then? Killing Bin Laden? He will run on having an offensive military? Who’s gonna vote for him? His Left? HA!

  • WCinWI

    Yargburger said:

    Thanks for adding nothing new. Congrats!

  • “Real” American

    WCinWI said:
    A shoe will beat Obama. Simple as that.

    And all you have is mismatched flip flops.

    WildMan said:
    Yo, fatboy Schmidt, ya mind telling us how many people you have put into the White House as President? Yeah, that’s what I thought. You were pretty much a turncoat last time if I remember correctly and now you go onto some nutzoid’s show and slam the men who at least have the guts to put their personal lives on the line. How many times have you run for President Mrs. Schmidt? Just go away Schmidtty because you have none, zero, nada, zip credibility with Republicans, Tea Partiers and us Independents. You fit right in with the Lawrence O’Dunno’s, Randy Madcow’s, Chrissy Tingles & Thrills Matthews, and the other fat boy, Edie ‘Fat & Angry’ Schultz. Have a good one fool…….

    It’s fun watching wingnutz foam at the mouth when party regulars speak the truth.

  • grafxmail7

    WCinWI said:
    The President will run on what then? Killing Bin Laden? He will run on having an offensive military? Who’s gonna vote for him? His Left? HA!

    Looks like Masters the Freeloader is drunk again!

    Self esteem for this one is in the TOILET in WISCONSIN!

  • JasonMays

    grafxmail7 said:
    Keep on dreamin’ Freeloader!!! Obama’s gonna be your President until 2016! Get used to it!

    A liberal is throwing the “freeloader” label around. As someone who votes for the party of unfunded welfare programs, you cannot use this as an insult, son. By the way, how’s the view from the kiddie table?

  • Michael_T

    Francis, I take issue (albeit a small one) with your misleading headline.

    You wrote:
    McCain ‘08 Adviser Steve Schmidt Decries ‘Mosaic Of Nonsense’ In 2012 GOP Pool

    IMO, it would have been more precise to write:
    McCain ‘08 Adviser Steve Schmidt Decries ‘Trump’s Mosaic Of Nonsense’ In 2012 GOP Pool

  • Michael_T

    *Frances not Francis

  • grafxmail7

    JasonMays said:
    A liberal is throwing the “freeloader” label around. As someone who votes for the party of unfunded welfare programs, you cannot use this as an insult, son. By the way, how’s the view from the kiddie table?

    HAHAHA!

    What makes you think I’m a Liberal?

    Oh yeah…..it’s what you TEABAGGER FREELOADERS call anybody that doesn’t blather FOX talking points.

    Next time bring something fresh, You’re BORING!

    TEABAGGER CLOWNS!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

  • kolhnj

    puma slipper woman $30

    watches price 75$

    ====== w w w b2 b jo r da n s c o m

  • JasonMays

    grafxmail7 said:
    HAHAHA! What makes you think I’m a Liberal? Oh yeah…..it’s what you TEABAGGER FREELOADERS call anybody that doesn’t blather FOX talking points. Next time bring something fresh, You’re BORING! TEABAGGER CLOWNS!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

    Wow, calm down kiddo. You’re free to worship The Bamster and call people TeaBaggers, but you’re not free to lie without being called out. You are clearly a liberal Democrat. Embrace it for what it’s worth, which is admittedly little to nothing.

  • Probably NOT wrong

    Who in the Hell is Steve Schmidt?
    By the looks of his ratings, one could ask the
    same question regarding Lawrence O’Donnell.

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    Doesn’t “McCain ’08 Advisor” pretty much render anything else he has to say irrelevant?

  • Davo

    NORBIT Jr. said:
    Doesn’t “McCain ‘08 Advisor” pretty much render anything else he has to say irrelevant?

    Well…………..that plus the fact that Leftists on Mediaite are promoting him as some kind of “objective” source.

  • The Lantern of Truth

    xiangdfe said:
    evisu jeans,watches shirts,bags,hat and the decorations and so on
    trust me!

    Of course .

    If you have the not liking of the evisu jeans or the decorations , you can be trusted for the back taking if this items ?

    I bet the complaint department manager is named skyfet , correcto ?

  • writer

    He advised McCain to never ask Obama anything really embarrassing. That worked out well.

  • Phocus2

    CAINtheBULL said:
    I know you don’t like President Obama. Fine. Try responding with something a little more intelligent.

    Not liking Obama is very intelligent!

  • Taksavillage

    This guy was McCain’s advisor & couldn’t portray Obama as inexperienced, dangerous, radical and duplicitous ( a liar). Gee…let’s listen to him.

  • avoidswork

    NORBIT Jr. said:
    Doesn’t “McCain ‘08 Advisor” pretty much render anything else he has to say irrelevant?

    You’d think “Palin” would render stuff moot, too, but it certainly does not.

    Y’all just p*ssy because he’s speaking truth to power.

    Taksavillage said:
    This guy was McCain’s advisor & couldn’t portray Obama as inexperienced, dangerous, radical and duplicitous ( a liar). Gee…let’s listen to him.

    Probably because he’s none of the above while McCain has devolved into Grumpy McShame. Team McShame selected the reason they lost the 2008 election (Palin). I’d say after heading such a loser, one might have some perspective on how not to be a loser again in 2012. But you guys are just hitching all wagons to the Loser Brigade.

    I have to say, it’s amazing to watch Trump soar in the ratings. For passionate defenses of Sacred Sarah. For giving more credit to Team Bush (disbanded OBL unit, “doesn’t think about him much”) than to Obama for the death/capture of OBL.

    It’s like a person who brings an unemployed 20-something who still lives at home with parents to meet their own parents and wants to convince their own parents that their unemployed and aimless significant other is the person of their dreams, the person they are going to marry and start a family with. “I don’t care but I love ___!”

    But, hey, I’ll sit back and lap this up. Obama won’t even have to try to win 2012, it will just be inevitable due to the GOP frontrunner.

    Think Gingrich really has a shot? Guiliani? Romney? Daniels? Palin? Trump? Paul? Santorum? TPaw? Bachmann? JBolton?

    Nine-Eleven-Verb?
    MasterFlipFlop?
    (Daniels going anti-abortion will hurt his appeal to Independents)
    Joke in a Skirt?
    NonSerious Joke with a CombOver?
    Crazy?
    Google Problem?
    Personality/Charisma Problem?
    Intelligence/Reality Problem?
    D**chebag?

    Yeah, Obama’s going to have to work *very hard* to beat any/all of the above

  • joe7

    Just more reversionary rhetoric from the media (including Mediaite) The field is deemed “weak” since the people there are better leaders than catch phrase wielding hype junkies. Even though many of them have experience in governance. Just revise out half of them, make a joke about drugs based on one line from an hour plus long debate, and hope for a guy with the writers that will come up the catch phrase that will get us all tingly. Because being a candidate is more important than being a leader.

  • CRW

    Would this “senior advisor” be the guy who developed the strategy to: 1. suspend the campaign, 2. go back to Washington D.C. to “show leadership,” and ,”deal with the financial crisis,” then 3. sit mute and impotent during a televised meeting, 4. which HE pressured President Bush into holding? (Source: Decision Points). Yeah, let’s listen to a McCain advisor. Good advice.

  • Davo

    The Obama people are terrified. I would be too if, in order to put party before country, I had to tell voters that 10% unemployment, $4/ gallon gas, and skyrocketing food costs need to be even worse, so vote for Obama.

    Nahh………….you Dims can keep ‘im. I like the chances of an untrained baboon as compared to Hussein’s.

  • X-3

    Taksavillage said:
    This guy was McCain’s advisor & couldn’t portray Obama as inexperienced, dangerous, radical and duplicitous ( a liar). Gee…let’s listen to him.

    CRW said:
    Would this “senior advisor” be the guy who developed the strategy to: 1. suspend the campaign, 2. go back to Washington D.C. to “show leadership,” and ,”deal with the financial crisis,” then 3. sit mute and impotent during a televised meeting, 4. which HE pressured President Bush into holding? (Source: Decision Points). Yeah, let’s listen to a McCain advisor. Good advice.

    Pretty much what I had in mind to say.

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