California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's chief political strategist has signed on with the John McCain presidential campaign as a senior advisor, reports the Sacramento Bee. The adviser who helped move the Republican Schwarzenegger's political image toward the center to win in a Democratic-leaning state now will try to help sell the moderate Sen. McCain to conservative GOP primary voters.
Political adviser Steve Schmidt helped lead Schwarzenegger's re-election campaign to a landslide victory in November, and Schmidt has been credited with helping shift shifting Schwarzenegger's political image to the center in a left-leaning state, but now, the SacBee notes, Schmidt's task is to "try to help the Arizona senator win a Republican primary battle that tends to favor conservatives."
Washington Post political writer Chris Cillizza notes that Schmidt "joins a McCain inner circle crowded with former Bush loyalists, including campaign manager Terry Nelson, communications director Brian Jones and media adviser Mark McKinnon," and McCain is "continuing his raid on the top talent from President Bush's 2004 reelection bid" by hiring Schmidt. Cillizza continues...
John Weaver, McCain's top political strategist, called Schmidt "simply the best," adding: " If this were a baseball team, he'd bat in the number four slot." Schmidt will play a leading role in message development and strategy if -- as is likely -- McCain transitions from his current exploratory effort to a full-fledged presidential race.
From the SacBee story:
"The interesting thing about Steve Schmidt is a lot of folks thought that because of his ties with Cheney, he would try to move Schwarzenegger to the right," said Democratic consultant Roger Salazar. "He didn't do that. Now he has to move McCain to the right in a Republican primary. It's going to be interesting to see how he reconciles the advice he gives to McCain, who has to move to the right, with advice he has to give to the governor, who has to move to the left."
Schwarzenegger hired Schmidt in January. Before that he ran press relations for Vice President Dick Cheney and also was instrumental in President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.
The paper says Schmidt, 36, will continue serving as Schwarzenegger's political adviser. He earned $333,750 as Schwarzenegger's campaign manager through Oct. 21, according to the governor's campaign filings.
Jon Fleishman's FlashReport website covering California political news has more on Schmidt and McCain.
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