Comments on: Is John McCain’s Support Collapsing In New Hampshire? (REVISED)

By: Kim Ritter

Kim Ritter — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:20:21 +0000

He’s already lost his reputation as a maverick in the Senate, which was the key to his appeal to a lot of Democrats and Independents. Chuck Hagel has inherited the mantle of that position, and appears to be much more willing to risk the wrath of the administration. By sticking too closely to Bush, McCain will be tarred with the same brush that has tainted the president and his cohorts.

By: Gray

Gray — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:48:44 +0000

“Who would have picked Carter, Clinton, or Bush II two years out from their first Presidential election? Or Reagan for that matter?”

That’s a point. However, we can be certain that every questionable action by McCain will come up again when the campaigns really start, and every hypocrissy will be fed to the public ad nauseam. And St. John’s habit of having it both ways won’t make him look to good.

By: Mr. Moderate

Mr. Moderate — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:28:34 +0000

As a McCain supporter from 2000, I can honestly say that his latest courting of the religious right, his support for the draconian Arizona marriage amendment (which couldn’t get passed in a big red state) and his three years of kissing Bush’s butt makes it nearly impossible to imagine me voting for this guy.

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:02:01 +0000

Jeeze, whether we are talking about John McCain, Obama, Hillary, John Edwards or whomever, let’s get some perspective here.

The general election is 22 months away, the first primary over a year. No poll taken now has any definitive relevance or predictable insight into as to who is or is not a viable candidate or who has the ‘Big Mo’ (OK, except the one showing David Duke trailing badly).

Other than him, let’s maybe let some time pass and some actual campaigning occur before we try to read the tea leaves.

Who would have picked Carter, Clinton, or Bush II two years out from their first Presidential election? Or Reagan for that matter?

By: Lynx

Lynx — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:59:55 +0000

McCain is in big trouble, by not learning the lessons of Kerry, he’s trying to have it both ways. He’s married to the Iraq war, which mosts Americans now oppose. He’s been a strong and visible defender of a BIG surge in troops, which Americans REALLY oppose. He used to call people like Jerry Falwell “agents of intolerance” but is now cozying up to them. This is bad in all sorts of ways. The more moderate Republicans and independents may become leery of him if he starts talking too much like a fundamentalist. On the other hand, it seems clear that actual fundamentalists don’t really trust him, rightfully, because his newfound love for them seems a little convenient. I think the religious conservative base is finally understanding that politicians seem to love them around election time, and then forget them afterwards for their sacred cows (step by step criminalization of Gays and abortion). I’m thrilled these initiatives don’t make it but I understand that sector of the base being angry. McCains reputation seems to be sliding from “maverick” to “flip-flopper” mighty fast. It’s still early though, a million things could happen. After all, it’s only us political junkies that know that elections are starting again ALREADY (kind of obscene, when you think about it).

Disclaimer (mostly for C. Stanley ) By “religious conservative base” I do not mean to say that being a Christian Conservative automatically makes you a frothing at the mouth extremist on abortion or gay issues. But there is a prominent sector that is the one being catered to, and those we call “the base”. Maybe the majority of Christian conservatives are much more reasonable, but much like the famed “moderate majority” of Muslims, if they don’t step up and demand that the extremists don’t hijack the issues, those extremists will represent them, for good or (more likely) ill.

By: jjc

jjc — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:48:00 +0000

If McCain is out of favor in NH, he’s in trouble. He seems no longer to have any solid constituency.

It seems the ‘08 campaign in both parties will provide much grist for political junkies.

By: Davebo

Davebo — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:06:49 +0000

John McCain wanted a surge

On TV he went to urge

The voters thought it was a bit of a splurge

And in 2008 they commenced to purge.

By: Rudi

Rudi — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:01:55 +0000

If McCain loses South Carolina that would be a bigger problem. Mitt is like a native son for the ME, McCain is the outsider. Maybe the Dobson lovefest will bump his numbers.

By: Pyst

Pyst — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:59:28 +0000

J Mc. has blown his chances with the NE Conservatives. They are a much different bunch than the SE and Miswesy crowd on the right. They have a distaste for evangelism and have turned the other way on the Iraq mess. As long as J Mc, is parroting those lines hes already lost probably 50%+ of the national GOP. And I say good, wee need new blood in D.C. and I see McCain as a major problem in that dept.

By: Mike P.

Mike P. — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:50:04 +0000

It still drives me nuts that both the Herald article and the Zogby quote say “maverick John McCain…” as do, relentlessly, the rest of the “mainstream media.”

If Johm McCain is a maverick, well, it gives mavericks everywhere a bad name. Equal to “craven politician.”

Odd, especially now that there is a real maverick in the Senate to compare him to. Jim Webb.

By: Gray

Gray — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:45:13 +0000

He was for it before he was against it:
“McCain Flip-Flops On Lobbying Reform, Caves To Pressure From Religious Right”
See what I mean?

By: Gray

Gray — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:33:21 +0000

“The Straight Talk Express has been replaced by Finger In The Wind Airlines.”

That ’straight talk’ appearance is just a posture. Look at all his changing stances on important topics, especially when it comes to policies the christian rights are interested in. He’s always been ‘wind vane McCain’, it’s just that the press chose to ignore it so far.