The American Spectator

How has McCain reacted to his campaign difficulties?

Black jokes that of course, all things being equal, he would like to “have had the $100M and gone home” but insists that McCain “advances the ball best” when he is engaged in personal campaigning, on the bus tours and doing town halls. Black says that he “might be more comfortable” as the underdog in the race.

I asked Black how McCain assesses the situation in Iraq and how he views the Administration’s failure to communicate clearly to the American people what is at stake.

Black notes that while we were pursing a failed strategy McCain was indeed “frustrated” and went so often to Iraq in order to be able to assess the situation and argue for a course correction. Black recalls that although he “obviously tangled with Rumsfeld” McCain’s persistence paid off and the strategy he argued for is now in place. He does agree that public support for the war is “critically important,” which is why he continually speaks about the issue. Black says McCain remains “cautiously optimistic” about the President’s ability to sustain congressional support in September but acknowledges that McCain is “pessimistic about the Mailiki government” and was “more pessimistic when he came back” from his recent trip.

I asked Black about McCain’s work ethic and whether he has his heart in it for continuing the campaign.

Black says that McCain “believes in working all the time” and that “the more hours he puts in the better.” Black says McCain is not the type to take “breaks in the middle of the day” although McCain, a sports fan, can be persuaded to watch sports for a break. Nevertheless, Black contends that McCain will “outwork others” and carries a work ethic he learned from his father. As for campaigning Black says “when he is on the [campaign] bus riding around and doing 4 or 5 town halls a day, it’s the best time he has.” He does admit that McCain is “not crazy about fundraising” but says simply that McCain “loves campaigning.”

If Charles Black’s take is correct we can expect McCain to continue his fight against a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq and his own campaign. To do anything different would simply not be like Charles Black’s longtime friend.