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NYT Looks At McCain's Reported Flirtation With Party-Switching
This morning's New York Times takes a look at two episodes that John Mccain would probably prefer to forget, if he wants to work on conservative unity in this election: The times in 2001 and 2004 when Democratic operatives say he was interested in switching parties, once to flip control of the Senate and the other time to potentially become John Kerry's running mate.
McCain already has the Republican nomination sewn up, so there may be a limit to just how much damage these allegations could do — but it can't be good for getting the activists jazzed up about supporting their nominee.
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But isn't McCain trying to burnish is appeal to Independents right now? Conservatives know he supports most of their agenda. Articles like these blur that by making him seem much more moderate than he is.
March 24, 2008 8:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not convinced this will have any impact. The conservatives who already dislike him and his positions are stuck with him. Also, this is old news. And, he didn't switch parties. If anything it plays well to independants and helps McCain. They could see him as somebody who isn't just a shill Republican, but somebody who is well liked by both parties. A comprimise candidate, if you will.
March 24, 2008 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thinking about switching parties is GREAT NEWS!!! FOR MAVERICKS!!!
(sorry, idiotic)
March 24, 2008 8:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Voting with the pResident 95% of the time instead of 98% of the time does not make one a pony or a middle of the road hairsplitter.
The picture of McCain lipkocked and getting his butt grabbed by the Chimp-in-Charge for being Bush's waterboy on the Occupation says it all.
Inquiry: Is the reason Liberman and McCain are hanging out is that they are both old boyfriends of Bush43?
March 24, 2008 9:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
And of course the unintended consequence will be to make him more palatable to Democrats who are on the fence.
March 24, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
And of course if Obama The Deceiver is the nominee you can bet a critical portion of Dems will bolt to almost-Dem McCain.
Obama made this race about Race. The majority of the electorate did not want that to be the issue. But it is now. And he's the reason. They will resent it and refuse to buy into the next four years being racial charged.
Obama supporters see him as the messiah. The rest see him as the naive catalyst of racial tension that he is.
March 24, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
In my opinion, your opinion that race is "the issue" is only true in the minds of people, like you, because they want it to be the issue.
The issue, as I see it, is which of these 3 do I feel more comfortable with leading the country for the next 4 years. I will not let race enter into my judgemeent, nor will I be swayed by gender or age.
I hope the best person wins, and if that isn't good enough, I hope that whoever wins does one heck of a job.
March 24, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you make an excellent point about McCain. The fact that he almost twice switched to the D side only makes him more appealing to the national security-minded Democrats if Obama were to be the nominee. This is in fact the reason that why McCain is so appealing to a lot of Democrats. It is totally misguided for Josh to push this story so prominently here.
March 24, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
In my opinion, your opinion that race is "the issue" is only true in the minds of people, like you, because they want it to be the issue.
The issue, as I see it, is which of these 3 do I feel more comfortable with leading the country for the next 4 years. I will not let race enter into my judgemeent, nor will I be swayed by gender or age.
I hope the best person wins, and if that isn't good enough, I hope that whoever wins does one heck of a job.
March 24, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
AT BEST John Sidney McCain, III is an ambitious LIBERAL Republican. The Democrats know it. The Independetns know it. The Conservative Republicans know it. The Right Wing Fundamentalists know it.......and John Sidney McCain, III knows it, but is willing to be whatever CONTRIBUTORS and VOTERS want to THINK he is. Like Lieberman is a Democratic Republican, McCain is a Republican Democrat. The Bush Republican Party should be proud.
March 24, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, if Obama is The Deceiver, then what are both McCain & Clinton? As far as I've seen, it was Clinton that made it about Race when her camp put out Rev. Wright. If you think Obama is stupid enough to put a conversation about race just for the hell of it especially knowing it would be used against him. No, I don’t think so. That's political suicide. This is Clinton distracting from the real issues. I just find it amusing how this didn’t turn out the way Clinton wanted. And no I don't support any of the candidates.
March 24, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh course, 99% of the media won't bring this up. Because it will hurt the feelings of their Lil' McCainy Woobums.
"Don't listen to the bad people, Woobums! Ana Marie Cox still loves you!"
March 24, 2008 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink