Posted on 11/28/2005 10:15:28 AM PST by areafiftyone
Senator McCain of Arizona is emerging as an early favorite for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 as a result of a shift in the issues dominating the American political landscape, according to political analysts.
Intensifying public concern about the war in Iraq, the prospect of protracted corruption trials in Washington, and renewed qualms among Republicans about federal spending are all putting wind into Mr. McCain's sails while setting back most of the senator's rivals for the nomination.
"If Iraq and foreign policy and national security and deficit spending are important issues, that will benefit people like McCain," the publisher of a leading political newsletter, Stuart Rothenberg, said.
A Republican political consultant with national campaign experience said looming decisions about when and how to withdraw American troops from Iraq should boost the prospects of Mr. McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The senator has vocally opposed calls for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, but he has also clashed with the White House over a measure he sponsored to prohibit Americans from engaging in torture.
A former aide to the senator, Marshall Wittmann, also said he believes the stars are aligning for a McCain candidacy.
"My sense is there's a significant amount of momentum shifting to Mc-Cain within the Republican Party over the past few months," said Mr. Wittmann, who served as the senator's communications director for two years before quitting last year to join the centrist Democratic Leadership Council.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
McCain won't be trusted by either Republicans nor Democrats.
He's burned both sides too often...
A whole article without the word, "Maverick"? What's next, cats and dogs voting for McCain together? I think not.
In any event, I would prefer Brownback, Allen, Pawlenty, and even Romney to those two Media Whores.
McCain vs. Hillary Clinton... The lesser of two evils is McCain... Either way its a blow to the conservative movement... Tom Delay in 2008! Now that would drive the liberals stark raging nuts!
Being a favorite of the MSM is not going to get you nominated in the Republican party.
I would never vote for McCain under ANY circumstance. That includes Hillary.
And there has been no massive shift in the political landscape. The only massive shift that has taken place is in the delusional brains of journalists.
If he does start out as a front runner for the Republicans, all I can do is pray that he gets beat really bad after NH (all over again).
For real! I know a place for them to shove that massive shift!
This is just an attempt by the MSM (who love McCain) to get him out in front of the potential Republican candidates for 2008. There was a lot of this McCain-push activity over the weekend.
Seems like somebody in the MSM is really trying to build a fire for McCain.
Except that like Cindy Sheehan's book signing, I don't think any people are going to come to the party. . .
Has the New York Sun gone nuts? Do they suddenly think they are the New York Times?
Are we going to fix the "corruption" charges by nominating one of the Keating Five, who made a deal with clinton to get the DEA off his wife's back for stealing illegal drugs?
Are we going to fix the "war problems" by nominating a maniac who was nicknamed "Ace" by his fellow pilots because he managed to crash five of his own planes?
Are we going to satisfy the conservative base by electing the author of the "no political speech allowed except by certified members of the MSM" bill?
Are we going to satisfy the religious base by nominating a man who dumped his wife, who waited for him loyally to return from Vietnam, in favor of a rich woman who could bankroll his political career?
Are we going to nominate the man who chaired the POW-MIA committee and ensured that nothing would be done for these lost comrades because he wanted to make a pile of graft from the Communist North Vietnamese government?
I don't think so. I could say a lot more, if I thought this was likely to move forward. But I don't think the Republican Party is as suicidal as this, yet.
But I'm deeply disappointed in the Sun for running this tripe.
I agree with you.
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