Posted on 03/15/2005 11:08:50 AM PST by areafiftyone
Presumed presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is playing it coy when it comes to nailing down his intentions for a 2008 run.
"I certainly haven't ruled it out," was about as far as the GOP maverick would go in an interview with the Detroit News on Monday.
McCain was in Michigan for a fund-raiser for Republican House member Pete Hoekstra and state Attorney General Mike Cox.
Asked about a line in his 2002 memoir "Worth the Fighting For" - where McCain said of his presidential ambitions, "My time may be passing" - the Arizona Republican told columnist George Weeks:
"What I was trying to say is that I want to wait two years to make a decision on that. I'd like to concentrate on trying to be a good senator for a couple of years before I would have to wrestle with that decision."
Others traveling with McCain were less conflicted.
"I'm going to urge him to run," Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob told the News. Yob cited polls showing McCain defeating Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Kerry and John Edwards in prospective 2008 matchups.
For his part Hoekstra says that McCain is "in the top tier" of possible 2008 candidates, but adds, "It's too early for anybody to even think about it."
Earth to Johnny.....
Bulls eye!
McLame won't run. His health ain't that great.
-PJ
McCain -- please spare us rejecting you again. Thanks.
Gerald Ford,George Bush Sr.,Bob Dole all lost and gave us terrible Dim Presidents!
A conservative Governor such as Mark Sanford would be an excellent choice!
I won't make a pledge to vote third party to teach the Senate a lesson BUT neither will I vote for McCain. Ever. They can take that to the bank.
As a moderate Lib in '96 I voted for Dole rather than Clinton on basis of character. Dole was a weak candidate but a decent man. I voted for Bush in 2000 partially on character alone. Differences are tolerable. Questionable character is not.
I don't think Hillary will win the nomination. Everyone's talking about her, but that could be an attempt to put the pressure on her and have her flop. I think they're going to end up with a governor. I think once Rendell wins reelection in PA in 2006, you'll hear calls for him to run. He could be a formidable candidate. He is not your typical elitist snobby Democrat. He has a good personality and would come across well. He would certainly be received better in some of those red states, some of the close ones he might win.
Ditto that.
thing that scares me with Hillary is the women vote. A lot will just vote on the basis of her sex and nothing more.
Me too. This country would be in BIG trouble if either one of them were elected. Let's make sure that it doesn't happen.
Rendell is quite savvy, and perhaps more importly, he's proven to be fearless. Rendell wouldn't think twice, for example, about going on O'Reilly.
Yeah, you go 'Ace'. I wonder if the POWs who aligned themselves with the Swift Vets will feel the need to run any ads in small states? I think people who remember what you said about the Swifties themselves will have something to remember in 2008. Take to the skies, 'Ace'.
McCain is just a bad as Hillary. He will sell us down the river for face time on TV.
No to BOTH RINOs!!
So many potential punch lines...so little time!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.