You're the campaign strategist.

[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).