You're the campaign strategist.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

What sort of campaign message would you run to construct a winning voter coalition in November.... for each of the three still running?

[politicaltipster]

McCain:

1. Fire Phil Gramm and the rest of his economic team and replace him with Irwin Seltzer and refugees from the DLC. Emphasise a mixture of closing tax loopholes, ending both pork barrel spending and homeowner handouts, and regulatory reform. Steal Mitt Romney's healthcare plan (the plan he actually implemented, NOT his 2008 plan) and start acting like the McCain of 2000-6 on economic matters.

2. Get a proper Rapid Response unit so that the constant smears and low level psuedo-'scandals' (eg 'Lobbygate', 'c..tgate' and Hagee are dealt with). Letting DKos and MyDD go unchecked is a bad idea.

3. Get Lieberman, Rice & Giuliani to blast Wright on national security (and only national security). Get Lieberman to go around the country speaking to the RR (having Lieberman sponsor some family values legislation in the Senate would also be good) and Huntsman/Romney speaking to the LDS in the Mountain West.

4. Give Powell, Hagel and Bloomberg positions within the campaign (say Chair of the campaign in the North East) so they can't endorse Obama.

5. Make sure the Paulites attempt to overturn the primary results are nipped in the bud. Build a decent organisation in FL, MO, MI, PA, WI, OH and NY. Visit the NE rather than wasting time in states like Alabama.

6. Select either Joe Lieberman or Condi Rice as his running mate, but keep it a surprise until the nominating speech. If it is Lieberman get someone like Gingrich or Limbaugh to give the nomination speech.

7. Begin sounding out some DLC and Blue Dog type Democrats about the possiblity of getting endorsements from disillusioned Dems. Getting someone like Charlie Wilson to speak at the convention would be really great (but no Zell Miller type rants).

[minionofmidas]

For McCain and Obama: Drop out while there's still a profit made.

[The Mikado]

McCain:

4. Give Powell, Hagel and Bloomberg positions within the campaign (say Chair of the campaign in the North East) so they can't endorse Obama.

6. Select either Joe Lieberman or Condi Rice as his running mate, but keep it a surprise until the nominating speech. If it is Lieberman get someone like Gingrich or Limbaugh to give the nomination speech.

7. Begin sounding out some DLC and Blue Dog type Democrats about the possiblity of getting endorsements from disillusioned Dems. Getting someone like Charlie Wilson to speak at the convention would be really great (but no Zell Miller type rants).

Just to deal with these...Does anyone (in either party) care what Chuck Hagel and Mike Bloomberg have to say?

Joe Lieberman?  You guys are welcome to him, for all the good he'll do you.

Charlie Wilson speak at a GOP convention?  You do realize that Charlie Wilson is not the cleaned-up, Tom Hanks Charlie Wilson, but a real good-ol'-boy whose personal exploits would be hysterical fodder for the national news?  (Not that he'd do it...the man's a die-hard Democrat at heart, even if he is a right winger.  Plus, he's a lot older than he was when he was hanging out with the contras and the mujahideen.)

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

McCain:

4. Give Powell, Hagel and Bloomberg positions within the campaign (say Chair of the campaign in the North East) so they can't endorse Obama.

6. Select either Joe Lieberman or Condi Rice as his running mate, but keep it a surprise until the nominating speech. If it is Lieberman get someone like Gingrich or Limbaugh to give the nomination speech.

7. Begin sounding out some DLC and Blue Dog type Democrats about the possiblity of getting endorsements from disillusioned Dems. Getting someone like Charlie Wilson to speak at the convention would be really great (but no Zell Miller type rants).

Just to deal with these...Does anyone (in either party) care what Chuck Hagel and Mike Bloomberg have to say?

Joe Lieberman?  You guys are welcome to him, for all the good he'll do you.

Charlie Wilson speak at a GOP convention?  You do realize that Charlie Wilson is not the cleaned-up, Tom Hanks Charlie Wilson, but a real good-ol'-boy whose personal exploits would be hysterical fodder for the national news?  (Not that he'd do it...the man's a die-hard Democrat at heart, even if he is a right winger.  Plus, he's a lot older than he was when he was hanging out with the contras and the mujahideen.)

Many people around here salivate at the mouth when there's word that Bloomberg could endorse Obama. Some even think he could be a running mate for Barack!

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

7. Begin sounding out some DLC and Blue Dog type Democrats about the possiblity of getting endorsements from disillusioned Dems. Getting someone like Charlie Wilson to speak at the convention would be really great (but no Zell Miller type rants).

LOL. Do you anything about Charlie Wilson?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Either Clinton or Obama - Issues
- The economy (this should be the headline issue)
- Iraq bad - Afghanistan good. Clinton really irritated me in the O'Reilly interview when she didn't make the absolute clearest point when it comes to dealing with Iran. Iran is acting the way it is largely because the US is bogged down in Iraq. With the military capacity free, I'm not sure how cocky Tehran would be. Why do you think Iran supports the Shi'ia militias?
- By congratulating McCain on compassionate immigration policy - force him into an internal conflict with the anti-immigration wing of the party.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

If I were Senator McCain's strategist I would fire his whole economic team and bring in a whole new one. Considering his whole economic team is a disastrous one, for starters letting McCain admit he knows nothing about the economy, it would be beneficial for the McCain camp to bring some economic experience to the campaign. Thus with this new economic team, McCain is seen as the "all-rounder" presidential candidate with the leadership, military and political experience, etc. And thanks to this McCain would have a slightly better chance at winning over voters in the key tossup state Michigan.