Not so sure. McCain is unpredictable, damaged and too old. And if you think that Americans don't support the war now, just wait until 08. I don't think picking a candidate who's supportive of, or wishy-washy on, the war, is going to be viable by then. Even Hillary may have to actually take a stand!

I agree.  But McCain will be 72 by the election.  

If we are really still in an "open ended commitment" in Iraq, a vote for McCain is a vote for the draft.  If there were ever an election  for young people (which to me, at 63, means under 40-45), it is McCain vs any Democrat.  The past versus the future.

I don't think the Bush faithfull will ever rally around McCain to the extent that he thinks they will. I think McCain has lost and humiliated himself in a futile quest to win acceptance by the Bush supporters. I have a feeling that they won't support him. I could be wrong, but I don't see it happening.

within the GOP? Even if it does today, will it matter come 2007 and the primary season? I don't see his polls getting any better.

That said, McCain is not to be taken lightly. He can and should be brought down and being Bush's heir apparant could be just the ticket.

OT: Matt, fix the spelling of hear (should be here). I don't normally believe in being the spelling police, but since this is a front page post on an influential blog...

Don't forget Jeb.

Just as dead eye dick finally and reluctantly admitted that he was the best man for the job and accepted the "draft"for veep so. I predict, the thugs will play out a similiar scam to get Jeb in.

John McCain may be sucking up at the moment, but he is not the GOP heir apparent. Nor is he the frontrunner. He is significantly more moderate than the President on everything except Iraq. His nomination by the GOP would be a disaster on most everything Bush has done.

McCain would also beat almost every democrat in a walk. His story is a great one and americans would love it.

The GOP will not nominate him, b/c it cannot control him like Bush, Jr. and Reagan. He has strong opinions on a lot of things, something that Bush does not. If he had won the GOP nomination and then crushed Bush, we would probably win the Iraq War.

McCain is a real conservative, the reason I would not ever vote for him, but he is not a GOP faithful. If you remember in the 1st term, he consponsored every bill a democrat wanted to pass.

Am I the only one who thinks that McCain is not as strong as some others (especially in Washington) think he is?

and I think you calling this way early and with very little backing you up.  

I think liberal activists tend to give their opponents on the right far too much credit.  Getting McCain nominated would mean changing the entire culture of the conservative movement.  They have and still do see themselves as soldiers in a war.  Its an almost Leninist mindset for them: you don't criticize the leadership publically, you don't break ranks.  Conservatives will always be convinced that McCain at heart isn't with their program, and they'll be right.  And they can smell pander better than we can.

Personally, I think long run McCain would be great for American and Liberal politics.  He would be the sort of transitionary leader that would give the just now reemerging New New Left time to consolidate their policies and message to America, and reposition the Conservative side away from the fanaticism Rove and the Neocons have given it.    

McCain is the front runner.  I'd bet on him over most of the Democrats.  It's still early.  There may just be some political blood in the water during the GOP primary process.

By the way, I've met McCain.  He sure looks a lot older in person than on TV.

Man, those are strong words.

McCain is a real threat to common decency. But I doubt he'll ever overcome that way over-baked Barry Goldwateresque Arizona winginess.

More likely it will be the dapper scoutmaster from Utah, our Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. He proves that, with enough money, you can fit a grinning ogre into a Brooks Brothers suit.

I'm not sure why it matters who Bush wants as a successor.

One gets the feeling that Bush was more selected as someone to be pushed forward as a Presidential candidate by groups within the Republican party than he really drove for the job.  I mean he had a ton of backing when he appeared in the race.  It wasn't something like Jimmy Carter in 1976 where he traveled around almost all on his own building up support for his campaign.

So its more a question of whom the coalition of groups that supported Bush will choose to support than it is who Bush wants to support.

I suppose Bush could become really vocal about whom he likes or doesn't like.  But I don't see him doing that.  Sitting Presidents usually don't.  And since his approval ratings will be down around Dick Cheney's by early 2008, I'm not sure it matters.  Having Bush not like someone may be a plus by the time that race happens.  Even in the Republican party.  

The thing that struck me about the recent polling numbers was that when asked for one word to describe Bush, 1 out of 5 Republicans said "incompetent".  He's losing his base now.

I think you've bought the conventional old wives tale.

At this point, all McCain has is name recognition.  If the base has an opinion of him at all, it's "Viet Nam POW, outsider, campaign finance something or other".  

But people (non-poliwonks) haven't really started thinking about the election yet.  They'll wait until the ads start appearing on American Idol and endorsements start coming from Rush Limbaugh and Charles Dobson.  Not that those two hold sway, but they do get people talking at the gas station.

Between now and the summer of '08, a lot can happen.  The election is over 2 1/2 years away, an eternity in politics (though preparations are of course underway).  It's also a long time in a war, which means that Iraq could either be a heap of rubble or another Egypt, or anything in between.

And that will determine the victor more than who the candidates are.

Oops.

Charles Dobson is a progressive author.  

Pyschologist Dr. James Dobson is the conservative talk show host.  

McCain's strategy is to make himself acceptable to the GOP base which is the Religious right. I don't think he'll ever get any real support from these folks no matter how much he kisses Bu$hCo's butt. Maybe he's just trying to gain the owners of Diebold et als. support who knows? In any event he's almost totally discredited and shamed himself in the process. Let him tie Bu$h around his leg he'll soon find out Bu$h is a concrete block not support hose.

He is, after all, the perfect choice.  I've been worried about McCain for a very long time.  Welcome to the club.

The fix is in.  McCain will be president before 2008.  Bush is going down like Mussolini (just after Cheney takes a walk and gets replaced by McCain).

The Rove-direct smear campaign against McCain in South Carolina was truly one of the most disgusting things I'd ever seen...

But now that he's embraced Rove he deserves to have that campaign repeated against him in full. The race-baiting is unacceptable of course, but you know what, I think I heard that McCain lost his mind when he was tortured in 'Nam.

McCain is widely - and wrongly - held to be a moderate, a maverick, and a uncorruptable guy.  He is polling well, and has the ability to peel off a lot of moderate Democrats.

He may not win the GOP nod, and all this talk would be a waste, but if he does win it, waiting until June '08 to go after him would be a huge mistake.   By then the media will have crowned him, and many a moderate democrat will be lost.

Right now is the time to go after the Bush hugger who recently said he would have the South Dakota anti-abortion bill into law if he were the governor (not even Bush said he would).

he would crush almost any democratic ticket. He is not wrongly called a maverick. Remember his 2000 Campaign, he sounded a lot like Al Gore when asked about W tax cuts. He is positioning himself as more conservative, but he is a moderate conservative. He is a sharp break from these nuts.

Outstanding Article, Scott!!!

I'm with you... I was ok with and even respected McCain (even if I wouldn't have voted for him) before 2004.  I was pulling for him to win the GOP Nom in 2000 even though Gore was getting my vote.  Boy was I snowed.  

The sell out act done by McCain in 2004 was one of the worst things I have ever seen.  It wasn't even the toadying to Bush that bugged me, although I lost a lot of respect ofr the man because of that.. It was the fact that McCain did not come out hardcore against Bush and stop helping him when they did the same sort of attack on Kerry.  It is hypocritical, disgusting and McCain will NEVER receive a vote from me, whether is be for President or Block captain.  Any Democrat in 2008 will have more integrity than McCain.  

I can't imagine what kind of evil smear Rove will cook up for McCain to use...  I'm sure Clark will be made out to be an incompetent traitor who lied about his record... Feingold will be made out to be an adulterer and wifebeater (Yentas for truth?)... Bayh will be accused of sex with farm animals... There is no limit to the sick mind of Karl Rove.  

McCain needs to be derailed ASAP.  

McCain is the choice of the mainstream media, who likes him because he's basically a Democrat. He'll never make it past the Republican base.

Look for Condi Rice to be the 2008 candidate.

Stingray:  a blog for salty Christians

I've been screaming this for months now. McCain has taken his stances in order to be "in favor" with Bush. McCain wants his campaign team. So Bush is giving them to him - with one stipulation. Jebbie must be his VP pick. That way Jebbie can be launched into the next presidency. There will also be a Bush sitting guard on his brother's policies. There have been multiple meetings between Rove/Jebbie/McCain in the past few months. Personally, I think this is a dumb idea, as Jebbie will only hurt McCain's ticket. But something in me feels like McCain might bite the hand that feeds him at an opportune time. He'll end up using the Rove team, then give appearances that he's considering Jebbie, then BAM, pick someone else as VP. Will be so close to election he'll have gotten everything he can get from Rove et al.