John McCain's top strategist, Steve Schmidt, trying to keep young campaign aides from losing hope, according to the Washington Post's Michael Shear: "Being part of an effort that fails does not make you a loser; it makes you a competitor. What makes you a loser is curling up into the fetal position at a time of adversity. The only thing that would ever define anyone as a loser is to quit before it is over."
War Room is written and edited by Alex Koppelman, with contributions from Salon reporters around the country.
