WonderfulPessimist.com

New phase, new campaign manager for McCain

Today, Senator John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, announced he’d appointed a new head of his campaign, Steve Schmidt. Schmidt, who replaces Rick Davis (who’ll stay on in a diminished role), joins a campaign that has been dormant while waiting for the Democrats to settle on who they would run against McCain.

The McCain campaign has been lax on fundraising, headline-making, organization and direction under Davis, and it’s hoped that Schmidt, who served in George W. Bush’s re-election campaign, will be able to bring new energy and vision to the McCain camp, making the letheragy of recent months a mere memory.

One thing’s certain: McCain’s VP choice is the easiest way to get him back in the headlines; let’s hope Schmidt is up to the task of helping McCain settle on a running mate who’ll engage the party’s conservative wing, which would go a long way toward re-energizing the McCain campaign.