Former Adviser: McCain Camp ‘Smoking Crack’

Created: October 30, 2008 09:45 | Last updated: July 31, 2020 00:00

During an interview on MSNBC this morning, GOP strategist Mike Murphy — who helmed Sen. John McCain’s 2000 primary bid — said the McCain campaign was “smoking crack” if it is still clinging to hopes of winning Iowa, according to The Page. Murphy also referred to Virginia as “the hole in the boat” for the McCain camp.

Indeed, according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent major polls in Iowa, McCain trails Sen. Barack Obama by 11.4 percentage points. Both McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin visited Iowa as recently as Saturday. However, with just five days until Election Day, neither Republican candidate is currently scheduled a return visit in the state before Tuesday.

This isn’t the first time Murphy has blasted the McCain campaign for continuing to pursue Iowa. Earlier this month, Murphy wrote that the strategists running the campaign were “stunningly incompetent” for allowing McCain to take part in a disastrous interview with the editorial board of the Des Moines Register. Murphy’s most recent comments illustrate the growing concerns of many within the GOP that McCain is headed for electoral defeat — and they make a great headline.