Senior Adviser Mark Salter

Animated his candidate with enough genuine disdain for Obama's inexperience to rev up McCain for the assault required to compete. Worked the press effectively when making the case that Obama wasn't ready to be President, and wrote some of the campaign's most poignant phrases and jaunty jibes. But he presided over a ramble of a convention speech and appeared to forget that optimism is a necessary ingredient in winning a presidential race.

Grade: B

See pictures of John McCain's tumultuous convention week.

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