MSNBC - Transcript

Interview

MR. TODD: We're joined now by South Dakota Senator John Thune. He was a McCain supporter very early on, before it was cool.

SEN. THUNE: Yeah. (Laughs.)

MR. TODD: I want to run through a bunch of back-and-forths yesterday between Rick Davis, Karl Rove and Steve Schmidt and what they're saying about if this campaign is about issues or not.

First, from Rick Davis, he said, "This election is not about issues." He said, "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."

Karl Rove was quoted in The Washington Post as saying that the vice presidential pick this year is, quote, "not a governing decision but a campaign decision." But then, when asked by CBS News, Steve Schmidt said, "Karl's wrong."

Clearly the campaign's -- when your two chief guys aren't on message here about what it is, the Sarah Palin pick, is it a governing decision or a campaign decision?

SEN. THUNE: Well, I think it's a reflection -- I think it's a very -- what I would call a very McCainesque type pick. I mean, John McCain has a reputation as a maverick, and he picked somebody who reinforces that image, somebody who has a record in Alaska of being tough on corruption, somebody who takes on the status quo and the establishment. And I think that's part of the narrative of this campaign this year, that they are going to Washington to bring about positive change.

So I think it's consistent with Senator McCain's sort of overall image. I think it reflects his priorities in terms of governing. And I think -- like I say, I think it was a great pick. If you look at what it's doing to the grassroots out there, there's a lot of energy on this pick.

MR. TODD: What does Governor Palin owe the American people?

SEN. THUNE: Tonight, you mean?

MR. TODD: Tonight and through the campaign. There's a lot of questions about what should the media ask. But forget the media for a minute. What does she owe the American voter?

SEN. THUNE: Well, I think that she has to be -- I think she has to be who she is. I mean, I think she needs to remind people --

MR. TODD: But does she have to demonstrate a level of knowledge, or is it a level of judgment?

SEN. THUNE: I think it's -- well, I think it's probably a combination. She's introducing herself to the American people for the first time this evening. This is going to be an important speech. And over the course of the next 60 days, as we do the run-up to the November election, you know, obviously she's going to be out there a lot. And I think that, you know, people want to know a little bit more about what she's about, you know, how she would lead, how she would govern.

And I think she's got a lot of personality attributes and character qualities that make her very attractive to the American people. I think the American people identify with her because she has a background as just a common person. I mean, it's something that plays well, like I said, I think, at the grassroots level across the country. And I think that she needs to get out there and, in a forthright way, just talk about herself and her record as governor of Alaska and how she sees how she would perform in this job as vice president if elected.

MR. TODD: Is it fair to say she has a learning curve?

SEN. THUNE: Well, I think that the thing she has to do, Chuck, is she's going to have to adapt very quickly to the national stage. So she's going to have to demonstrate, obviously, a base of knowledge on a wide range of issues. She's going to have to demonstrate that she does, you know, understand the foreign policy aspects of this job. But I think she's a very quick study. My impression is she's very bright. I think she's very tough. And I don't think she's -- I think she's going to be a very no-nonsense person. And I think that appeals to the American people.

MR. TODD: Sixty four days. That's a lot of -- so they have to do that for Governor Palin. Have they taken their eye off the Obama ball here a little bit?

SEN. THUNE: You know, I don't think so. I think that she presents a nice contrast with Obama. Of course, Obama, the whole predicate for his campaign is change in Washington. And, boy, I'll tell you what, there's nobody that I think is a better sort of symbol of that change for the McCain campaign than is Governor Palin. So I think they're very focused on the basic framework of the campaign and the message they want to deliver.

MR. TODD: Senator Thune, thanks for being here.

SEN. THUNE: Nice being with you, Chuck. Thank you.

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