Look at his pathetic dim opponent in the general.
I like almost anything the dimrats dislike, so I, too, am glad that McCain is campaigning with W.
Besides the fact that Senator McCain is one of my favorite politicians, he is very useful to the Republican party. In 1996, the Republicans should have won the White House, given everything that happened in 1995. The reason they didn't was because they were successfully painted by Bill Clinton and mainstream liberals as partisan extremists. I love Bob Dole, but the American public could not see him as the face of the country; they merely saw him as the Republican Senate Majority Leader, a face for the party. Bush won in 2000 because he came off as a compassionate conservative. I believe has has, just or unjustly, lost that label in the eyes of the public. The Republican party needs to come off as more progressive, more fiscally conservative, more libertarian on the social issues. Senator McCain is popular with Republican voters (as was seen clearly in 2000) AND with Democratic voters. A man like him, who could seize the Independent vote easily, is a very strong asset to the Republican party. Sure, he may not be the poster boy for Conservatives, but he can help to expand the Republican base. Also, might I remind you, President Bush is not exactly a classic Republican himself. He spends like a maniac, and has overseen an expansion of federal government. Don't get me wrong, I'm voting for the guy, and I think he's been a good President, but every politician has their flaws and those are his.