Arizona Senator John McCain is the nearest thing the GOP has to a Presidential front-runner at this early stage of the 2008 campaign run-up. But maintaining his trustworthy image and delivering a coherent message may prove difficult for McCain when press, pundits, and political opponents begin in earnest to accuse him of flip-flopping on issues and pandering to the far Right. After six years of Bushspeak, voters are yearning for a straight-shooter. But can McCain's longstanding reputation for consistency and principle stand up to scrutiny?
As a legislator McCain is best known for pushing campaign finance reform. In the decade since McCain-Feingold was first proposed, however, waging a national campaign has become more and more frightfully expensive, to the point where any serious candidate in 2008 will be thinking very hard before participating in a public financing system whose restrictions might hobble him or her from the start. In 2004, both John Kerry and the Democrats' early front-runner Howard Dean decided that if they wanted to raise enough money to compete in the crucial early-primary states, they had to opt out of receiving federal matching funds. President Bush's re-election campaign also declined the funds.
A new incarnation of campaign finance reform raises the matching-fund amounts and tweaks the system so as to - at least in theory - make it more palatable to candidates. But this legislation is conspicuous for McCain's absence as a sponsor.
No doubt it's his Presidential ambitions that have induced McCain to drop the issue on which he made his political reputation during the past ten years. Campaign finance reform is certainly lower on the public's list of concerns now than it was then. The public understands the high cost of campaigning, and it also has more urgent things to worry about. Still, lawmakers like McCain were supposedly pressing for campaign finance reform all along because of principle. Voters may be used to political expedience trumping integrity, but potential McCain supporters are likely to be disappointed in a "straight-shooter" who has turned out to be just like everyone else.
McCain is a canny politician who may find a way to head off such criticism. He may elect to participate in the matching fund program. He may successfully make the case that it's not realistic for any candidate to do so under the circumstances. He may simply benefit from public indifference, which should never be underestimated. One thing the public rarely will countenance, though, is a frequent flip-flopper, and McCain's opponents in the primary and (if he wins it) the general election will find ample ammunition for accusing him of being one. His positions have changed on many issues, including some important ethical or "values" issues on which holding to the conservative line is clearly meant to boost the candidate's appeal to Karl Rove's far-right "base."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Nancy
He lost any of my possible future support when, after being savagely libelled & slandered by BushCo during the 2000 campaign, he actually campaigned for Bush in 2004, presumably in return for a tacit agreement of support in 2008, &/or access to BushCo's fundraising lists. That did it. Anybody with any true sense of honor as well as integrity would have told Bush where to park it. That he sold out & knuckled under to cozy up to W completely eradicated any impressions I had of him as still having any lingering sense of ethics. Getting friendly with Falwell put the final kiss of death on it. McCain obviously, like any whore or typical cheap politico, will stoop to any level of filth no matter how degrading, for even the most unworthy crumb of advantage.
2 - D'oh
Can't add any more than Nancy did. I actually campaigned for McCain in 2000, and was horrified with what went on in the SC primary.
What happened afterwards broke my heart, and ruined McCain for any honest person looking for a "straight shooter" in him.
3 - Nancy
I know whence you come, D'oh: I was hoping so hard he'd turn out to be a man of honor after all, what with the tremendous war record & all, but he lost his integrity & became a whore with the rest of them. I wonder if it's capitol hill that corrupts, or if it's an intrinsic quality that is brought out by c.h.?
4 - Arch Conservative
I don't think most the majority of the GOP base is happy with either Mccain or Guiliani as the guy to be put on the ticket in 2008.
Unless a truly outstanding, qualified and conservative Republican throws his hat in the ring between now and the New Hampshire primary I will be voting for Mitt Romney.
5 - Nancy
Yes, we know. Just out of curiosity, how much is he paying you for all the advertising you get him? If you're not getting any kind of fee, you certainly should.
6 - Arch Conservative
He's not paying anything. He's earned it.
Romney has a proven track record of success in management and finance in both the public and private sectors. That's more than you can say for Obama.
By the way who do you favor out of all the current possibilities from both parties Nancy?
7 - D'oh
Ummm..Romney still has some of the Big Dig shit to answer for when it comes to management, don't you think, Arch?
Then there's the matter of his many flip-flops from the 90's to now.
But an interesting candidate to some, I'm sure... no chance in the general, but could make the primary fun to watch.
8 - Nancy
I don't nnow. I really don't like any of them on either side, Arch. The ones I do know well I can't stand, and the rest I don't know well enough to judge, yet. I won't vote for Romney because he's too far to the right for me. Won't vote for McCain because he prostituted himself to W when he should have stood firm & spit in W's face for the dirty tricks of the 2000 campaign. Don't care for Giuliani much, either. Hilary? Well, I try to support my fellow women, but ....
The rest are at this point just faceless blurs.
What I meant was, you are so loyally upbeat & persistant in mentioning Mitt, out of gratitude at least he should give you a retainer; not that you were being paid to publicize him.
9 - Nancy
I'm not sure Romney was involved w/the Big Dig fiasco; that was the mayor of Boston more than Romney who got caught in that one, wasn't it? Pffft-! They're going to hang every contractor associated with that project - not to mention the city project engineers/overseers & procurement, and it will be justice served.
10 - D'oh
Yes , Nancy..the governor is very involved, you can check years worth of stuff from the Boston papers if you like. Not that he holds all the responsibility, or even the majority, but he is involved and would have much to answer for when it comes to management issues.
Nothing that would disqualify him as a candidate, but it does show things are not as rosy as some might think.
'08 is a long way off, but not much in the way of a solid candidate from the GOP so far.
11 - SHARK
My Impression:
McCain = Opportunistic Pig.
*Being that his main concerns -- like most Presidential candidates/assholes -- are not for the future of the country, but for their egotistical legacy, he is extremly dangerous and UNTRUSTWORTHY.
Fuck him and his ever-changing positions, his right-wing pandering, and the lumbering GOP Elephant he's about to ride in on.
* qualities Geo. Bush had in spades, btw
12 - SHARK
PS: I also think McCain has that vague, slippery, undefinable, highly ethereal "ross perot" syndrome,
ie. he ALWAYS seems about one click away from being a raging ANGRY lunatic.
And I **predict that he'll throw some outrageous public temper tantrum on the long, winding road to election '08.
**ya heard it here 1st, folks...
xxoo
S
13 - Arch Conservative
D'oh I am from NH and I think I am a little more versed with New England Politics than you.
The fact is that Romney was calling for more oversight and investigation into the big dig from day one in office but the Democratically controlled state legislature, the turnpike authority and the unions got in his way so that nothing could be done.
Romney doesn't really have much to do with the negatives of the big dig.
And what's this no chance in the general election?
You honestly think that if the Dems nominate Hillary and the GOP nominates Romney that Romney will lose? I really don't see that happening.
The election is a long way off and the GOP base has yet to fully embrace mccain or guliani and they most likely won't unless forced to against Hillary. Romney has plenty of time to show this nation just how good he is. He's extremely intelligient and accomplished, much more so than Osama Obama the great pretender.
Believe me when I say that I'm not misunderestimating the idiots that support Obama and Clinton. And if I were them or any other type of heathen leftist or ignoramus railing against Romney based ont he sole fact that he's a mormon I wouldn't misunderestimate him.
14 - D'oh
Arch, I'm in Maine, I know NE politics.
You can "if" and speculate all you like. I stand by what I said.
Just to be clear, Hillary has NO chance either, in my opinion.
But thanks for sharing , Bing.
15 - Arch Conservative
Ok d'ho so then who do you think has the best shot from each party?
And if you're from Maine you should know that Romney is not someone who interjects his faith into his job as a public official. You will know better when Romney's candidacy starts to gain momentum and all the faithophobe secularist commandos try to paint Romney as some kind of fundamentalist religious nut unfit to be president.
The fact is I can't remember a single instance where Romney has even mentioned his faith in public as governor unless first asked by a reporter or someone else.
16 - D'oh
Did I mention his faith at all?
No, no I didn't. I did mention him flip-flopping on position between his initial runs for office in the 90's and now, these are a matter of public record and he will take a savage beating in the primary over them.
As for '08, way too fucking early to even contemplate speculation.
17 - Arch Conservative
"I did mention him flip-flopping on position between his initial runs for office in the 90's and now"
I dare you to show me one politician running in 08 who doesn't have a flip flop or 2 that their opponents will point to.
And I mentioned the faith because a lot of posters on BC who don't know the first thing about Romney are saying he's some kind of die hard religious nut seeking a theocracy when nothing could be further from the truth.
18 - D'oh
No dare required, do I need to dig up you and others slamming Kerry for flip=flopping?
My point is that during the shitstorm of a primary, all of this will be out there and the brawls get nasty, you know that.
My analysis is that there is just too much to nail Romney on, and he has very little chance of surviving, and even if he does, he would be so damaged that the general would be lost.
If you think the guy is your man, then go with it, it's all part of the process, I gave my opinion and the reasoning behind it. It is my thought that such reasoning makes a stronger case than anything said otherwise.
You may view it differently, as is your right, but you have failed so far to show why my opinion should change.
As it stands, McCain will have knocked Romney out, at the latest, by after South Carolina. Rudy is a non-starter.
19 - Arch Conservative
"My analysis is that there is just too much to nail Romney on, and he has very little chance of surviving, and even if he does, he would be so damaged that the general would be lost."
My analysis is that there is not nearly as much to nail Romney on as there is to nail both Mccain and Guiliani on and that Romney is more politically savy and resourceful than both Mccain and Guliani. Furthermore.....the GOP base is seeking a true conservative and neither mccain nor Guiliani fits the bill.
I agree with you that Rudy is a nonstarter but I think Romney will do very well in Iowa, Nh and the other early primaries and it will be mccain who gets knocked out before super tuesday.
20 - D'oh
Could be, Arch, but you leave out the big money factor. McCain has spent all of his time since 2000 carrying water for W and his machine. You know he didn't do that for free. He got the donor lists, and I'm pretty certain he's gotten assurances as well.
Now, I can understand your point about a good part of the rank and file wanting something else, like Romney. But the history and mechanisms of the GOP are built around "it's his turn" for the nomination.
And as far as the RNC and money people are concerned, as of now, it's McCain's turn.
As I said earlier, way too early to be certain, but McCain is in the same place Dole was, the on deck circle.
We will see how it plays out in the next year.
21 - D'oh
Oh yeah, Arch here's my "prediction", and it should scare the shit out of you.
McCain/Lieberman in '08. (yes, on the same ticket)
22 - Clavos
That would be an interesting, if improbable, ticket.
Why do you think so, D? And whose ticket?
23 - D'oh
GOP ticket, and it would be a cynical move to try and capture the center. Both are hawks, two of the last ones on the Hill, Lieberman is considered possibly the most conservative Dem around, both have been friends and have worked together for years.
It's the kind of ticket that gives Frank Luntz and other GOP pollsters a woody just thinking about.
And it would fly with a certain portion of the electorate, and could beat many of the Dem possibilities in the general.
All it takes is McCain to win the primary, or establish an early lead...not unthinkable with the huge money/machine advantage he has,then an announcement for "bi-partisanship" with the VP choice. Lieberman is whore enough to gladly accept.
Effectively kills a Hillary possibility (not a bad thing), and would make it really tough on any candidate that could win the Dem base by appearing to be "moderate".
Are McCain's handlers practical enough to try it? Who knows.
24 - Clavos
Hmmm. Gonna chew on that a while...
25 - SHARK
re: McCain + Elmer Fudderman --
~whatever.
Let 'em have it.
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Either party that tossed out a "bi-partisan" Prez/V Prez would be unbeatable. I'm sure it's being discussed among both sides.
America is sick of the lunatic fringe -- but we still love to hate the "other guy".
So go figure. Personally, I think Americans are subconsciously committing national suicide and don't really give a fuck about tomorrow.
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Gotta run! The game's on!