Posted on 02/27/2007 4:26:35 PM PST by pissant
It’s been a steady downhill slide for John McCain ever since rumors began that he was jumping into the 2008 presidential race. The GOP in Arizona elected anti-illegal immigration champion Randy Pullen as its state chair last month, sending a message to McCain that his moderate views would not control the GOP in Arizona. Immediately after Pullen’s election, the entire staff of the state GOP resigned, ostensibly because the candidate for state chair they saw as pro-McCain had lost. In addition, the New York Times recently reported that the recently elected Maricopa County GOP chairman (greater Phoenix area) Lyle Tuttle occasionally sports a button with “McCain 2008” crossed out.
Arizona’s local liberal PBS station, KAET-8 reports that 54% of Republicans in Arizona support McCain. However, their polls have been widely discredited in Arizona because of bias in the way the questions are phrased and the sample of voters surveyed, which frequently include registered voters not likely to vote (who tend to vote more liberal). And this particular poll was taken in response to a presidential straw poll by the Maricopa County GOP of Republican precinct committeemen which put McCain in 4th place behind U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. McCain also came out 1st in the straw poll’s list of “unacceptable candidates.” The straw poll was dismissed by skeptics for various reasons, many of which are discussed in detail on the Sonoran Alliance Arizona political blog. However, the question remains, which poll of likely Republican voters can you trust more – one which surveys Arizona Republicans active in GOP politics, or a poll by the local liberal PBS station which surveys all Republican registered voters, whether they vote or not?
McCain’s lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union is only an 83 – it’s continued to go down over the years. In 2002 his lifetime rating was 85, but in 2004 it plummeted to 72 and stayed at 80 in 2005. In comparison, presidential candidates U.S. Senator Brownback has a lifetime score of 95 and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter has a 92. McCain isn’t beating Republicans for the liberal Republican vote either, Giuliani is beating him by huge margins in virtually every poll.
McCain has alienated most Christian conservatives by calling them “agents of intolerance” and voting for federal funding of fetal stem cell research. His temper is well-known and considered a potential liability in the White House where life-and-death decisions must be frequently made in tense situations. His waffling on issues over the years have become frequent fodder for political shows like Chris Matthews’ Hardball as well as a barrage of videos on Youtube displaying his contradictory positions on multiple issues. Most conservatives don’t agree with the campaign finance bill he sponsored in 2002 with liberal Senator Russ Feingold, which cut off groups like the NRA and the Christian Coalition from contributing money to political parties – restricting free speech. As has happened in the past when campaign finance restrictions are passed, others just found a way around it, as was seen in the 2004 presidential race by 527’s such as Moveon.org and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
Most recently, McCain’s criticism of Bush’s former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld angered a lot of Republicans who view Rumsfeld as a hero. “We are paying a heavy price for the mismanagement, that’s the kindest word I can give you. I think Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history,” McCain said on February 19, 2007. This is how a Republican presidential candidate characterizes a top cabinet official from the prior Republican administration, with a barb declaring his secretary of defense as worse than even the most liberal Democratic secretaries of defense? Continuing to say off-the-cuff remarks are adding up against McCain and taking a toll.
McCain recently appointed conservative Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona to chair his presidential exploratory committee in Arizona. Unfortunately for McCain, it probably will not make a difference; his support among Republicans has eroded too deeply; his second wind at a presidential campaign has already run out of steam before it’s even officially started.
I live a couple blocks from McCain's office and got a call from his campaign. Their entire argument was "you don't want Hillary to be president, do you?"
His supporters like a particular type of candidate: strong on defense, fiscal conservative, doesn't care much about social issues. When Guiliani came along, they decided he was a better candidate of that type, and more likely to win.
Did you tell them if not for the pink pantsuit, you'd not be able to tell them apart?
Keep an eye on him in the role of spoiler ala the bird brained Texan who ran against George Herbert Walker Bush and helped to get Klinton elected.
They are correct in that assessment. The challenge to Rudy will not be from McCain.
Something like that. Plus, if anyone is taking out Hillary, it's Obama, not McCain.
Maybe he and Hageltooth can team up.
Or Richardson.
"Slim , and none, and Slim has left the building"
Hoo boy. That's gonna leave a mark.
It is curious that they both have problems with temper and vindictiveness. Perhaps that goes with their political views?
McCain wears pink pantsuits?
Thank Goodness. The man is mentally ill, God Bless Him!
They are out-of-touch. I know several conservatives who would vote for Hillary before McPain.
I wouldn't vote for McCain for anything.
It's Romney's to lose.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.