Transcript: Rick Davis (01/25/2008)

Q&A: RICK DAVIS
Transcript: Rick Davis On Florida, Mitt Romney And More

National Journal's Linda Douglass sat down with Rick Davis, John McCain's campaign manager, for "National Journal On Air." This is a transcript of their conversation. Audio of the full show is also available.

Q: I want to welcome Rick Davis, he is the campaign manager for John McCain, welcome.

Davis: Hi, Linda, how are you doing?

Q: Well, great to have you here. I know you are in the middle of a vigorously contested race in Florida, about which we have a few questions. So, looking at Florida now, it seemed like this was going to be a race between McCain and [Rudy] Giuliani, and now suddenly it's neck and neck with [Mitt] Romney. What's happened?

Davis: Well, I do think that when we started the campaign just a little over a week ago, that it looked like it was a four-way race, it looked like a race between [Mike] Huckabee and Giuliani and McCain and Romney. And I do think there has been a major shift in not only campaign commitment to Florida, but also the polls. Huckabee, I think because of probably financial concerns, has really done very little campaigning, no real TV advertising -- that's obviously critical in a big state like Florida, and so he has sunk in the polls. And Rudy, I don't know why, but started out about even with the field and now has been plummeting in the surveys of this last week. So I agree with you, I think it looks more and more like a two-man race, John McCain and Mitt Romney, and I think down to the home stretch it ought to be pretty exciting.

Q: Well, as you say, there has been a shift of resources. Certainly Romney has been able to put a lot of money into Florida, as he is everywhere else. If for some reason he should win Florida, I can imagine you will point to all the money that he poured into the race. Do you think there should be any kind of restriction on how much a wealthy candidate can put into a race?

Davis: No. I mean, I think the way the system works is, it is what it is. I mean, I don't think you can punish someone for being wealthy, and we've always felt that the public takes that into consideration when they are voting for you. If you have been able to raise your own money and have a base of support out there to do that, then that probably is to your benefit with voters. And if voters think that you're just trying to buy the election, that could have a negative impact on you. So I think it's like free market. I mean, I think the political marketplace takes credit for that itself.

Q: Well, Romney has been very good at coming up with ways to criticize his opponents, and he's used McCain's words against him in a couple of different places. In Michigan, he used McCain's statement that some of those car manufacturing jobs were not going to be coming back. Now, in Florida, he's pointing to McCain's admission that he doesn't really understand economics. So do you worry, having watched John McCain for the last eight years, this time that his straight talk is getting him into trouble?

Davis: No, not at all. I think John has always told 'em like he sees 'em and I don't think that's ultimately a burden to him. It's one of the reasons why he's the most popular politician in America today. It's one of the reasons why he's the only candidate in the Republican field who can win in the general election. So I think I would sacrifice any short-term political advantage that Romney tries to have against John McCain in that regard for standing on what he thinks is right and putting the country ahead of political expediency.
I would say nobody has suffered more with his own words being used against him than Mitt Romney. He has established himself as the king of flip-floppery, and it's not because of what anybody else has said, but what he has said about himself over the last year of campaigning. So if anybody's probably drawn blood on that, it's probably more on Mitt Romney's loss of blood then anybody else's.

Q: Well, do you think McCain really doesn't understand economics, as he said?

Davis: Well, that's not what he said. He said he would look to the markets for advice on what to do, and I'd much rather have someone like John McCain looking to experts like John Thain, who was just recently head of the New York Stock Exchange, than working off of the Mitt Romney program. And remember, Mitt made his money-- he learned politics and economics from being a venture capitalist, where you go and buy companies, you strip away the jobs and you re-sell them. And if that's what his experience has been to be able to lead our economy, I'd really raise questions.
I mean, the experience he has in economic affairs caused him to raise taxes on the people of Massachusetts by $700 million, significantly increased government spending, and put the state in worse financial condition after he left than when he got in there. So if he thinks that he doesn't need advice, than maybe he's the guy who ought to be criticized.

Q: Now, you know the conventional wisdom is this is the first test where John McCain will be in a primary where only Republicans can vote in that primary -- no independents -- so this is a test of how well he does with Republicans only. Do you agree with that?

Davis: Well, I mean obviously it's a test of a Republican-only primary. John has won the majority of the Republican vote in the two states that he's won, in South Carolina and New Hampshire. He just recently won the Louisiana caucuses, which is all conservative Republicans voting in those caucuses. It's an activist event, just like the Nevada caucuses, so I don't think there's any issue there, and there's one of the reasons why we're probably leading in the polls right now in Florida.
I think this is just another issue that's been created by our opponents to try to scare people that McCain somehow threatens the party. McCain is the only one in this race that can achieve victory for our party in November, and that's what I think people are more focused on.

Q: OK, well, thank you so much, Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain. Good luck out there on the trail, and thanks for joining us.

Davis: Well, I hope to see you in the Sunshine State.

Q: It's a deal.

Davis: Thanks.