Understood. But I think if you compare McCain's support today with what it was in 2000, before campaign finance reached Bush's pen, you will find CFR the determining factor in his current ailing campaign.
The biggest is that he is a bit "nutty", he doesn't seem to have the temperament to be President.
Which makes me wonder why Thompson saw anyting presidential in John McCain back then--enough to sign on as his campaign co-chair.
Who's nuttier? The nut, or the guy who follows the nut?
;-)
His support for McCain isn't a point in his favor, that's for sure.
McCain lost a lot of support during the election when he came to my home state of Virginia and trashed the religious right. Then there were the rumors of his paying kids off in South Carolina with drinks, and the push-calls in some other state (maybe michigan).
But I still thought he was an OK guy, and if he apologized for his Virginia gaffe I was ready to support him in 2008.
I was even ready to forgive CFR. But it's just the number of liberal things he's done, the totality of his acts in the last 4 years, that really turned me off to him.
Even though he was a pretty solid conservative, and is strong on Iraq (but not necessarily strong on terror with his blasting of the liberal line on Abu Ghraib for example.
And I don't know if Thompson would have the same problem. I see a lot of McCain in Thompson. I need Thompson to get into the race and do a series of policy speeches and then I'll know.
If I had to vote today, I'd probably vote for Romney. Although a Thompson/Steele ticket might sway me if Thompson turns out to be OK on the issues. I don't think Steele does as much for Romney, and think Romney should look for a strong military type for his VP.