Beltway Media Still In Love With McCain
The Washington Times' Ralph Hallow is 'reporting' that John McCain is "sitting pretty" for 08. The only problem with that assessment is that he doesn't stand a chance at getting the nomination.
Furthermore, conservative activists won't forgive him for a series of things. Conservatives won't forgive him for putting restrictions on political speech with the BCRA legislation. They won't forgive him for stabbing President Bush in the back when they were headed for a showdown on the Constitutional option. They won't forgive him for tossing three of the judicial nominees overboard when the 'Gang of Fourteen' was formed. They won't forgive him for working with Ted Kennedy on an open borders immigration bill. In short, he starts with sizeable deficits on a number of issues.
The truth is that issues still matter. George Allen & Mitt Romney have a major edge on the issues over McCain. It's true that the issues don't matter much in Democratic Party politics because they aren't the party of ideas. In GOP politics, issues play a huge role. And McCain's playing a losing hand on the issues I mentioned earlier.
The problem with this endorsement strategy is that it's meaningless. Endorsements are a big thing in Democratic Party politics because they're more personality-driven. Someone should tell McCain that there's a new slogan for running for president: "It's the issues, Stupid."
My final analysis is that McCain can't win the Republican nomination because he's too liberal. Other than his support for the war, McCain's been a liberal on almost every other issue. That won't cut it with the conservative party.
Posted Thursday, July 6, 2006 12:27 PM
June 2006 Posts
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Some top Republicans at odds with Sen. John McCain on core conservative issues say privately that the party's 2008 presidential nomination is "his to lose." They cite the Arizona senator's head start in fundraising, a primary calendar that is shaping up in his favor and a growing belief that he enjoys the tacit support of President Bush.It's worth noting that it isn't McCain's to lose. Before it can be said that it's McCain's to lose, he's got to be able to win over a majority of Republicans, which he can't do.
Furthermore, conservative activists won't forgive him for a series of things. Conservatives won't forgive him for putting restrictions on political speech with the BCRA legislation. They won't forgive him for stabbing President Bush in the back when they were headed for a showdown on the Constitutional option. They won't forgive him for tossing three of the judicial nominees overboard when the 'Gang of Fourteen' was formed. They won't forgive him for working with Ted Kennedy on an open borders immigration bill. In short, he starts with sizeable deficits on a number of issues.
The truth is that issues still matter. George Allen & Mitt Romney have a major edge on the issues over McCain. It's true that the issues don't matter much in Democratic Party politics because they aren't the party of ideas. In GOP politics, issues play a huge role. And McCain's playing a losing hand on the issues I mentioned earlier.
"He is the only person I know who is running and capable of getting elected who is tough enough to do what needs to be done," says former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, who has quietly been helping to write Mr. McCain's speeches. "He will veto spending bills and earmarks and stand up to the Social Security and Medicare challenges that will fall in the next president's lap with the baby boomer retirement."With all due respect, Sen. Gramm must've been sipping some bad Kool Aid if he thinks that. I personally don't believe he thinks that but it's his chance to grab another headline. I suspect that this is also telling of where McCain thinks he is with conservatives. Gramm didn't come forward with this endorsement on his own. He came forward, I believe, after McCain approached him for this type of endorsement.
The problem with this endorsement strategy is that it's meaningless. Endorsements are a big thing in Democratic Party politics because they're more personality-driven. Someone should tell McCain that there's a new slogan for running for president: "It's the issues, Stupid."
A senior Republican senator from a Western state who opposes Mr. McCain says privately, "Look at who he's got in his camp and look at him in the polls, I'm telling you there's no one out there strong enough to beat him. It's his to lose." The 2008 primary schedule appears to be an advantage for Mr. McCain.Whoever this senator is is wrong. The nomination will go to the strongest candidate, which is George Allen. He's far more appealing to conservatives than McCain could ever hope to be and he'll be able to raise a big chunk of cash for the race.
My final analysis is that McCain can't win the Republican nomination because he's too liberal. Other than his support for the war, McCain's been a liberal on almost every other issue. That won't cut it with the conservative party.
Posted Thursday, July 6, 2006 12:27 PM
June 2006 Posts
No comments.
