McCain Undone?

Cato Institute ^ | February 1, 2008 | John Samples

[LowCountryJoe]

John McCain has a campaign finance problem. When his campaign was down and out, he agreed to take public funding for the primaries. Public funding comes with spending limits overall and by state. Also, a candidate who accepts funding cannot raise money from private sources. Now that it is possible he will be the nominee, McCain will want to be free of those fundraising and spending limits, but he cannot withdraw from the public system. Or perhaps he could but only with the approval of the FEC, which is not operating because of a struggle over its nominees. The FEC does not now have a quorum to meet and regulate. (The lack of a quorum was caused by Barack Obama’s hold on a nominee to the FEC, but never mind).

McCain will want out of the public system because he is probably close to hitting the limit, and he could not get more money for his campaign until he received public funding after the GOP convention during the summer. His “dark period” would thus be a period without campaign funding that would run from spring until after the GOP convention. During that “dark period” Obama or Hillary, both of whom have not accepted public funding for the primaries, would be able to continue spending money; some of that spending would be directed against McCain after Obama or Hillary have secured their party’s nomination.

So McCain needs to get out of the public system and fast. One way would be to refuse public funding for the fall campaign; he could then start raising money privately now; however, he pledged to accept public funding for the general election if his opponent did so. Obama has taken a similar pledge. Also, McCain would get around some of this by using “outside groups” (527 groups and others ) to fund his effort, but he has been a fierce critic of such groups and tactics.

I have often noticed that people whom you would expect to support campaign finance regulation (e.g. liberal Democrats) often are strident critics of the system if they have had some personal contact with the web of regulation. McCain is in a mess fostered in part by his own self-righteousness. Somehow I do not expect his personal contact with the system will make him a critic of it in 2009.

See also Mark Schmitt’s concise and informative report.

[grey_whiskers]

I'm sure the illegal Mexicans would *love* to send him money.

Western Union, of course!

Cheers!

[neverdem]

LOL!

[Hildy]

McCain has so much crap in his past...I don’t know how he could survive the barrage once it starts. I was thinking tonight..remember the little story several years back about his wife stealing drugs from this place she volunteered at???? Anyone else remember that?

[Zevonismymuse]

.....casts a vote for McCain in a primary, he is casting a vote for Hillary in the general election.

Anyone who votes for Huckabee also casts a vote for Hillary, because a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain.

I hope all the very good and sincere people who support Huckabee and/or the Fair Tax or please think about taking one for the team. Huckabee is an intelligent, fun candidate and is easy for many people to identify with him. I personally like most of what I know about the Fair Tax. But Huckabee has no realistic chance of turning this into a legitimate three way race. This is so much like a replay of Nixon forcing himself back on the party in the 1968 election. He was well connected like McCain but many people thought he was small, vindictive and had character issues. I remember my parents warning people about Nixon and supporting George Romney. Do you know how many good Republicans lost their seats after Watergate? Ronald Reagan brought the GOP back in the 1980s, but the 1970s were not kind to Republicans.

[scrabblehack]

It’s his last shot at the Presidency — so no, I would not expect him to criticize the system even if he loses...he could possibly run for another term in the Senate but he wouldn’t need nearly as much money for that.

[matthew fuller]

"I even wonder if there might be something not well with him and he knows it, or somebody knows it,"

There is lots wrong with him, and just about everybody here on FR knows it!

[lone star annie]

LOL who is slingblade?

[VxH]

[There is lots wrong with him, and just about everybody here on FR knows it!]

Yeah, but it’s still less than what’s wrong with Hitlery or Obama.

McCain may destroy the GOP, but Hitlery/Obama will destory the Nation.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Exactly! Send more bullets, shells, tanks and planes to both sides until they bleed each other white and destroy themselves!

[ashtanga]

What strikes me is that in a country of three hundred million plus citizens, we can only find a dozen men or so called women who are fit to vie for the presidency, and ninety percent of them are either flying saucer explainers, Marxists, tree worshipers or disco dancers. Only one of the current crop has actually met a payroll. I doubt that the rest can do long division.

[devere]

This is the closest the world ever gets to poetic justice.

[SE Mom]

Wow. This will be something to keep a close eye on...

[Just mythoughts]

What strikes me is that in a country of three hundred million plus citizens, we can only find a dozen men or so called women who are fit to vie for the presidency, and ninety percent of them are either flying saucer explainers, Marxists, tree worshipers or disco dancers. Only one of the current crop has actually met a payroll. I doubt that the rest can do long division.

Hence my tag. I was studying and when I read those words it was here we are election 2008. Seems like everybody but a 'few' have their brand of childhood level personality types.

[STARWISE]

Uh-oh . seems to be in direct conflict with something I
heard on the news and that stumped me.

~~~~

From this article:

“When his campaign was down and out, he agreed to take public funding for the primaries. Public funding comes with spending limits overall and by state. Also, a candidate who accepts funding cannot raise money from private sources”

~~~~

From another article and what I heard last night:

*** McCain had to get life insurance before bank agreed to credit line ***

http://tinyurl.com/2654vr

“I’ve got to tell you, I cannot come up with another example of a candidate who went so far into the hole without any assurance of being able to dig out of it,” said Bruce Buchanan, a University of Texas government professor.

McCain’s aides were worried enough to flirt with the idea of accepting federal funds, and they reorganized their financial accounting to prepare for it. But the aides say the campaign is now unlikely to do that, because it would be forced to respect the spending caps that accompany such funds.

“It would have been almost irresponsible,” said Charles Black Jr., a close adviser to McCain. “We knew that this time, we would have to persevere without taking the match.”

After obtaining the $3 million line of credit from Fidelity & Trust Bank in Bethesda, Md., in November, McCain spent nearly $3 million between Nov. 18 and Dec. 16, according to campaign records.

*** The chief asset among $5 million pledged as collateral was McCain’s huge fundraising lists.”***

~~~

And they made him get life insurance in case he died.

This is wacky, and those people whose names were sold just might be a little ticked. I know I’d be.

I’ve been thinking about that “angel in the whirlwind” .... More to come, I’m sure. So, he’s too tight or UNABLE to take some of this $50+M personal fortune to spend, and he’s blasting his envy at Romney for all his disposable $$. The surly, jealous creep!

I just don’t think this is over... even if he ends up being the nominee. Too much time left, too many things can happen.

[Hawthorn]

> This is 1996 all over again. An old fart, mean spirited, go along to get along Senator, who is winning the nomination because after all it’s his turn. <

Moreover, there’s another similarity: Let’s not forget that both Dole and McCain are combat veterans.

But at least one can say in Dole’s favor that he never talked much about his service, must less brag — whereas McCain has taken his boasting almost to a John Kerry level.

[BlueAngel]

Yes, I remember that and so does the media. As soon as he is the nominee they will begin the attack and then he will lose his fierce temper and its all over.

[LadyNavyVet]

He’ll get free, fawning media coverage until the day he has the nomination sewn up. Then the MSM will turn on him with a viciousness.

[Sal]

..remember the little story several years back about his wife stealing drugs from this place she volunteered at???? Anyone else remember that?

I remember that very well. I also remember that the choreographed response was to paint her as a sympathetic "victim" because the poor thing was in such distress that she needed drugs... I don't remember what they claimed was causing such distress.

I don't remember anybody asking why the poor little rich girl couldn't afford to BUY her own drugs and had to steal them from an organization that supposedly was set up to help people who NEEDED help.

I am so sick of one set of rules for US and a different set or rules--OR NO RULES AT ALL--for the political class. What scum!

[Golden Gate]

FYI - Tennessee GOP Primary =   The situation remains very fluid as 10-15% of each major candidate’s supporters say there’s a good chance they could change their mind before voting.
  Republicans:  Conservatives, don't waste your vote trying to sort out the GOP's `liberal / moderate mess'.   If you are a Conservative, then Vote Conservative.

  It's Time for "Duncan Hunter, - Take Two!"   "It's DUNCAN Time!"

             

California Congressman Duncan Hunter

  Re-draft Duncan Hunter into the Presidential Race   we at NWCL would like to offer this gem. There are other voices out there who believe it is still not too late).
  Re-draft Duncan Hunter into the Presidential Race  =  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-blogg ers/1958247/posts
  (News Which Cannot Lose ^ | 1/22/08 | Alex Madison)
  Duncan Hunter FR Working Group: Roll Call = Are You DH1? "It's DUNCAN Time! (end 'what' campaign?)
  http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/ 1958233/posts FYI -   DH1  =>  Also, the good old-fashioned   B4DH .   by  Kevmo
("DON'T LET THE PRESS PICK YOUR CANDIDATE!"   Mrs. Duncan Hunter 1/5/08)

[apocalypto]

Hmmmmm