Washington, Oct 29: With Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama expected to win the Nov 4 poll, his rival John McCain’s campaign managers are learnt to have now adopted a “damage limitation strategy” while privately conceding defeat.

The Republican National Committee has bought advertising in Montana and West Virginia, states won by George W Bush in 2000 and
2004, after their polling indicated John McCain could be heading for a defeat.

In Oregon and North Carolina, where incumbent Republican senators are fighting for their political lives, advertisements being run by the party assume that McCain will lose and a loss of a senate seat might mean a “blank cheque” for Democrats, reported The Telegraph.

McCain continues to fade in the polls with his advisers now acknowledging that Virginia, which has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964, is almost certainly lost.

His advisers are putting all their efforts into Pennsylvania even though McCain trails in the polls there by double digits and the state has not gone Republican in a presidential election for two decades.

The shift in Republican strategy comes as bitter accusations about McCain''s expected defeat are breaking into the open. Accusations between McCain advisers and those close to Sarah Palin, the vice-presidential nominee, have become very heated.

A senior McCain adviser reportedly described Sarah Palin as “a whack job”. Others called her a "diva" and complained she had been "going rogue".

Sarah Palin has made clear she believes she was the victim of a “botched roll out” plan in which the McCain campaign initially kept her protected from the media.

John Feehery, a senior Republican strategist, said: "Obviously, it''s an uphill struggle for McCain. The financial meltdown didn''t help things. Obama''s run a terrific campaign and made very few mistakes. The McCain campaign''s made a lot of mistakes and has a very difficult environment. Whether McCain wins or loses, the Republican is in serious need of rebranding and retooling. It''s kind of a disaster right. The Bush administration has been a big drag but it''s also Republicans in the Congress. They just need to reconnect with voters.”

He added that the internal wrangling between the McCain and Palin camps sent “a bad message to voters” and lead to an even bigger Republican loss. “The sniping is unforgivable,” added Feehery. (ANI)