John McCain 2008

New John McCain Ad

2008-03-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

The latest John McCain ad. Am i reading too much into this when it sounds like it should end with, "Coming soon to a theatre near you."?

Other than that, its not a bad start.

McCain wins Nomination

2008-03-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

John McCain has secured the Republican nomination as candidate for President of the United States. The final serious contender, Mike Huckabee has withdrawn and added his support for the McCain nomination.

It has been quite a turnaround from the lows of last year, where McCain's support continued to drop, while Giuliani's surged. Goes to show what this guy is made of really.

From the Washington Post

By Michael D. Shear and Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, March 5, 2008; Page A01

Sen. John McCain clinched the Republican presidential nomination last night, and immediately castigated his potential Democratic rivals as liberals who lack the experience and wisdom to lead a country facing economic distress at home and engaged in war abroad.

The senator from Arizona easily won primaries in Texas and three other states, becoming the new face of the Republican Party and, at last, capturing the prize that had eluded him for a decade. The victories ended one of the great tests of political endurance for a man whose personal mettle was forged by five years in a North Vietnamese prison.

His political ambitions were dashed in 2000 by George W. Bush and again seemed to end last summer amid staff infighting and financial chaos. But McCain soldiered on, emerging last night as the far-from-universal choice of a fractured Republican Party. His remaining rival, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, captured about a third of the vote in Texas, signaling the frustrations that conservatives still feel about McCain.

By night's end, though, Huckabee had dropped out. The White House announced that McCain would receive President Bush's endorsement after a lunch intended to cement the senator as the political heir of his former rival.

Campaigning in Texas yesterday, McCain told reporters that he will "await the outcome" on the Democratic side. But in his victory speech at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, he made it clear that he will begin immediately to make his case that the country cannot afford to have either Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama as president.

"I will leave it to my opponent to argue that we should abrogate trade treaties, and pretend the global economy will go away and Americans can secure our future by trading and investing only among ourselves," he said to a screaming crowd. "I will leave it to my opponent to propose returning to the failed, big-government mandates of the '60s and '70s to address problems such as the lack of health-care insurance for some Americans."

McCain added enough delegates last night to take him over the 1,191 he will need at the party's national convention in September. Huckabee conceded after the polls closed, saying he called McCain to congratulate him for an "honorable" campaign and pledging "to do everything possible to unite our party, but more importantly to unite our country."

Standing in front of a banner with the number "1,191" on it and flanked by two large American flags, McCain vowed that his campaign "will be more than another tired debate of false promises, empty sound bites, or useless arguments from the past." He focused much of his speech on terrorism and the Iraq war.

"America is at war in two countries and involved in a long and difficult fight with violent extremists who despise us, our values and modernity itself," he said. "It is of little use to Americans for their candidates to avoid the many complex challenges of these struggles by re-litigating decisions of the past."

Those who cast ballots in Texas and Ohio, the two biggest contests, overwhelmingly supported McCain. He won easily among independents, Republicans, men and women, and those of all ages.

But several groups of voters continued to express their dislike of McCain. Evangelicals and Texans who call themselves "very conservative" voted for Huckabee in greater numbers. The senator also lost among people who said their top issue was making sure the candidate shared their values.

Looking toward the long march to November, McCain acknowledged that he will need to raise more money and find a way to pull together a Republican Party whose splits have been revealed in the primaries, with the underfunded Huckabee winning a string of unlikely victories.

"We have a lot of work to do to unite our party and to energize it," said McCain, who will head to Palm Beach, Fla., to begin a swing dominated by intensive fundraising.

Charles Black, his top political fundraiser, said a priority will be to meet with officials at the Republican National Committee to mobilize the national and state parties, which will be critical to the general election.

Now that he has become the de facto head of the GOP, McCain will essentially take over the committee's operations, turning its research, get-out-the-vote efforts and communications into an arm of his campaign.

Looking toward November, McCain has so far aimed much of his criticism at Obama, whose performance leading up to last night's primaries appeared to make him the likely nominee. But the tight races in those Democratic contests made it clear that McCain and the Republicans must be ready to face Clinton, too.

Top McCain strategists believe the ongoing fight between Obama and Clinton will give them time to raise money, develop their strategy and define their candidate to a national audience before a full assault by Democrats. McCain has already begun to paint both potential rivals as dangerous liberals.

"Either candidate, either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama, we will have stark differences. They are liberal Democrats. I am a conservative Republican," he told an audience in Texas.

During the day, McCain talked about the themes he hopes will drive the fall campaign. Mentioning the economy briefly and defending free trade, he quickly moved on to national security, the issue he considers his greatest strength against the eventual Democratic nominee.

Three times, he referred to "transcendent radical Islamic extremism."

But in his speech last night, he also sought to reach out, thanking "independent-thinking Democrats" and pledging a campaign that does not descend into "an uncivil brawl over the spoils of power."

"The contest begins tonight," he said, promising to seek "a government that is as capable, wise, brave and decent as the great people we serve."

McCain Campaign Ad

2008-03-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

The first campaign Ad by John McCain, Republican nominee for President of the United States. Its an interesting ad.

McCain Joins Obama on Election Funding

2007-03-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

John McCain said yesterday that like Barack Obama, he would utilise the public funding option for his campaign if he is chosen as the nominee for President, and agreement is reached with the Democrat nominee to do the same.

Earlier in February, Obama posed a question to the Federal Election Commission, asking if he could rasie funds in the meantime, but if agreement is reached between Democrat and GOP nominees to use the public funds, then monies raised until that point be given back to donors.

The FEC agreed this week to the proposal. Both Obama and McCain have long supported public financing of elections.

McCain has a strong record on supporting campaign finance reforms, a position which has not been popular amongst some of his GOP colleagues.

McCain's manager said yesterday that "Should John McCain win the Republican nomination, we will agree to accept public financing in the general election, if the Democratic nominee agrees to do the same."

A spokesperson for Obama said that he hoped that each of the Republican candidates would promise to do the same.

McCain tells Letterman - Im Running

2007-02-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

John McCain, appearing tonight on the Late Show with David Letterman, has declared that he will be a candidate for President of the United States.

Having told Letterman on his last appearance that he would declare on his show, he came back to do just that. Asked about the possibility of running against Rudy Giuliani, McCain said that he will be a formidable opponent, and that he is an American hero.

McCain said that he will be making a formal announcement about his run for the Presidency in April.

McCain Attacks Rumsfeld

2007-02-20T10:09:00.000-08:00

Campaigning in South Carolina yesterday, John McCain said that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as "one of the worst Secretaries of Defense..."

McCain said that America is paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement of the war in Iraq.

John McCain is a supporter of the troop surge proposed by President Bush, but has long called for more troops to be sent to Iraq. He has said that Rumsfeld didn't put enough troops on the ground to enable a victory in Iraq.

Mike DeWine Supports McCain

2007-02-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

Former Senator Mike DeWine has announced that he will be supporting John McCain in his bid for the Republican nomination.

DeWine will head McCain's exploratory committee in Ohio.

"As a close friend and former colleague of John's, I can attest to his dedication and devotion to conservative values and the protection of our homeland," said DeWine. "Senator McCain is an American hero who will lead our nation with strength."

McCain Rejects Roe V Wade

2007-02-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

John McCain has continued his appeal to the social conservatives in the GOP by saying that the Roe V Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion, should be overturned.

McCain said yesterday in South Carolina that he does not support Roe v Wade and if he is elected President he will appoint judges who "...strictly interpret the Constitution of the United States and do not legislate from the bench.”

Last night McCain spoke at a rally which promoted abstinence. Over 1000 people were there to hear him speak.

Frank Keating Endorses McCain

2007-02-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Former Governor of Oklahoma, Frank Keating announced yesterday that he is endorsing John McCain for the Republican nomination for President.

Keating was himself considering a bid for the nomination, but pulled out in January saying that now was not the right time for him.

McCain also secured the support yesterday of Senator Phil Gramm of Texas.

Both Keating and Gramm were campaigning with McCain in Spartanburg, South Carolina, one of the strongest states for McCain.

Giuliani Leads McCain - USA Today Poll

2007-02-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

Rudy Giuliani has extended his lead over John McCain as preferred Republican nominee in the latest USA Today Poll.

Giuliani, who declared last night that he was definitely running for President, leads McCain, 40% to 24%. In January, the same poll had Giuliani leading by only 4 points, 31%-27%.

The poll was conducted between 9-11 February and has a margin of error of 3%.

However, the poll does show that John McCain has a favorable rating by 57% those surveyed, up from 48% in January.

McCain Working on Social Conservatives

2007-02-14T10:13:00.000-08:00

John McCain has been working hard in recent weeks to repair the strained relations he has with social conservatives in the GOP.

This from AP today. (2/14/07)

WASHINGTON - To forgive is divine. To forget may be asking too much of religious conservatives when it comes to Sen. John McCain.

The Republican presidential hopeful is working hard to repair relations with conservative Christian activists, whose support could be critical to winning the GOP nomination. But they remain skeptical that he sincerely shares their values.

While McCain has managed to pry open some of the doors that slammed shut in his rift with the right during his bid for the presidency in 2000, conservatives' list of grievances against the Arizona senator is substantial:

-They are dubious about his opposition to a federal amendment to ban gay marriage. McCain opposes same-sex marriage, but says it should be regulated by the states.

-They still resent passages in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, which Christian broadcasters say limit what they can tell voters before elections.

-And they question the sincerity of his overtures. McCain condemned evangelist leaders Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell as "agents of intolerance" during his 2000 run.

More...

McCain and South Carolina

2007-02-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

An article published this morning talks about John McCain and the work needed to be done to secure the support in key state South Carolina. Also makes an interesting reference to the dirty tricks employed during his campaign here for the nomination in 2000.

But it does say that McCain has done a lot of work in stitching up the support of local Republicans and he does lead in the polls as preferred GOP nominee.

BY JIM MORRILL McClatchy Newspapers
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Vietnam veteran John McCain waded into an ambush the first time he campaigned in South Carolina.

Fresh off an upset win in the 2000 New Hampshire primary, the Arizona Republican came under withering fire.

George W. Bush's S.C. allies questioned not only McCain's conservatism, but his patriotism. E-mails and fliers accused him of fathering illegitimate children, and his wife of being a drug addict. The night he lost the primary, Cindy McCain broke down in loud sobs.

Now, seven years later, he's counting on many of those former adversaries as he mounts another presidential bid. No Republican has lost the S.C. primary and gone on to win the nomination.

A January poll showed McCain leading the field with support from 29 percent of likely primary voters. He's won endorsements from 40 of 73 Republican legislators and dozens of other officials, including Sen. Lindsey Graham. He's recruited most of Bush's top fundraisers.

"There's no doubt in my mind that John McCain will continue the Bush legacy," says Bob McAlister, a Columbia consultant who worked for Bush. "He's the conservative who can win."
Some have their doubts.

"He's emotional; I think he would act on impulse," says Katrina Shealy, treasurer of the Lexington County GOP. "I don't want to say 'button-pusher,' but that's the way I feel."
For others, there's almost an inevitability about McCain, 70. In their eyes, he's paid his dues. Neil Thigpen, a political scientist at Francis Marion University in Florence, calls it a "right of inheritance."

"That's why a lot of them have moved toward McCain," he says. "It's his turn."

McCain's challengers in the February 2008 primary include former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who campaigns in Columbia Wednesday. Many rivals tout themselves as the conservative alternative to the maverick McCain. His backers don't buy that.

"When I start lining up his conservative positions, they line up with South Carolina conservative positions," says House Speaker Bobby Harrell, a Bush supporter in 2000.

Red Sox's Schilling Backs McCain

2007-02-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

Pitcher Curt Schilling who helped take the Boston Red Sox to the World Series win in 2004 has publicly backed John McCain for the Republican nomination.

Schilling supported the election of President Bush in 2004, might have been expected to support fellow Massachusetts resident, Mitt Romney.

But Schilling said that McCain was the man he was going to back.

John McCain Seeks Donors

2007-02-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

A Washington Post article published this morning talks about how John McCain has been working hard to mend bridges with those he has maligned in the past - big campaign donors.

John McCain has long supported campaign finance reform - in fact it was one of the key issues he ran on when seeking the 2000 Republican nomination. In 2002, McCain helped push through the Congress, The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which amongst other things, sought to curb unlimited donations to political parties.

The fact that McCain is heading to major donors now means he recognises that it is going to take an enormous amount of money to be competitive in both the primary, and if needed the Presidential race.

McCain Votes Against Casey

2007-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

John McCain was one of 14 Senators yesterday to vote against the appointment of General Casey to become the Army's chief of Staff.

McCain has been critical of the role of Casey during the Iraq war, and last week told him that while he doesn't question Casey's honour, he does "...question some of the decisions you've made in the past two and half years."

Casey's appointment was approved by the Senate today, although 10 Republicans including McCain and 4 Democrats voted against it. One of the Democrats was another Presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton.

McCain Tied for Lead in New Hampshire

2007-02-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

A new poll in New Hampshire has John McCain tied with Rudy Giuliani as the preferred Republican nominee for President. They are both on 27%.

The poll was conducted by the University of New Hampshire late last week, and surveyed 311 likely Republican voters.

Mitt Romney was supported by 13% of respondents, with Newt Gingrich on 9%.

A poll of this size has a margin of error of over 5%.

John McCain's Campaign Finances

2007-02-07T00:51:00.001-08:00

Congressional Quarterly have conducted an analysis of the finances of John McCain's exploratory committee which he launched last November.

The analysis shows that the committee has receipts of $1.7 million, with expenditure at just over $1.2 million, leaving $472,000 in the campaign account at the start of the year.

The figures come from the campaign finance report McCain lodged with the Federal Electoral Commission last week.

Some notable contributors to McCain's campaign were Former Secretary of States Henry Kissinger, Roger J. Enrico of Dreamworks and Theodore Roosevelt IV - Great Grandson of the President.

Check out the report here.

McCain on This Week

2007-02-04T20:57:00.001-08:00

Well, it sounded too good to be true, and it was. John McCain appeared this morning on ABC This Week to discuss the Iraq war, but was interviewed separately and prior to his Senate colleague, Chuck Hagel.

A debate would have been nice!

Watch the video here.

McCain on "This Week" with Hagel Tomorrow

2007-02-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

John McCain will appear tomorrow on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

And also appearing will be Chuck Hagel. Yes, this is going to be quite an event.

McCain has been a strong supporter of the escalation plans for Iraq. Hagel on the other hand is a staunch opponent of the war, and recently co-sponsored the non binding resolution to oppose the President's new plan for Iraq.

This may well be the first debate between the two Vietnam Veterans who may both be seeking the Republican nomination for President.

And if Hagel's performance in recent weeks on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and on other TV shows is anything to go by, he will certainly be fired up.

Lieberman May Back McCain

2007-01-29T23:58:00.001-08:00

Joe Lieberman has said that he is open to supporting a Republican for President, opening the door to him backing his ally and friend, John McCain.

Lieberman has said that while he sides with Democrats on most domestic issues, he finds himself agreeing more with Republicans on foreign policy matters. This leaves room for an endorsement of McCain, who Lieberman has been spending a lot of time with recently.

Although he didn't win the Democratic Primary last year for the Senate in Connecticut, Lieberman was still able to secure a victory against Democrat Ned Lamont in November.

Lieberman said that he is "...open to supporting a Democrat, Republican or even an Independent, if there's a strong one. Stay tuned."

His Senate colleague from the nutmegger state and Presidential hopeful, Chris Dodd has said that he believes that Lieberman will eventually be in his corner.

Could Lieberman endorse a Republican and a Democrat in the Primaries, then endorse another for the Presidential election? All very confusing, but quite possible.

McCain at 26% - Poll

2007-01-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

A new poll released by CNN today has John McCain at 26%, trailing Rudy Giuliani who is on 32%.

This poll continues the trend of McCain and Giuliani as front runners. Closest to them are Newt Gingrich on 9% and Mitt Romney on 7%.

The poll was conducted between January 19 and 21 and has a margin of error of 5%.

Attacks on McCain

2007-01-27T11:44:00.000-08:00

It seems likely that the age issue is going to rear its head in the near future. And John McCain will be at the rough end of it.

Last week, McCain was accused by some bloggers of being asleep while the President delivered the State of the Union address. See video below. However, as is more likely, McCain was reading a distributed copy of the speech.

Then, we see there is some criticism over his performance on Meet the Press last weekend.

Given that McCain is one of the two frontrunners, it stands to reason that in a crowded field, there will be an effort to cut them down. Looks like they are heading for the easy attack, rather than addressing any real issues that might exist.

POST/ABC Poll - McCain 27%

2007-01-21T18:09:00.001-08:00

John McCain is the preferred Republican candidate by 27% of respondents to a Washington Post and ABC poll conducted last week.

The poll determined that Rudy Giuliani was in the lead with 34%. The only two others with significant totals at this stage were Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, both on 9%.

This poll comes after the new plan for Iraq, announced last week by President Bush, and heavily backed by McCain. In fact John Edwards has called the new plan "The McCain Doctrine", a term that is being picked up by the media.

The fact that the Iraq war is damaging President Bush's standing will also be having some effect on the poll rating for McCain.

However, there is still a way to go yet.

Moveon.org to launch ads against McCain

2007-01-16T06:15:00.000-08:00

The political action group moveon.org is today set to launch attack ads on John McCain for his support of the escalation to the war in Iraq.

According to the organization, the ads are set to run in key early voting states, Iowa and New Hampshire as well as on national cable.

The McCain camp have critisized the advertisments, saying that "Moveon.org is an out of the mainstream organization that has a long history of airing inflammatory material".

The ads are said to cost about $275,000 to run.

Meanwhile John McCain appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday to defend the Bush plan for Iraq. Democrats such as John Edwards have been calling the new plan for Iraq, "The McCain Doctrine".

McCain said that he believes that the new strategy in Iraq can succeed. He stated that although he "...i can't guarantee it will succeed...I can guarantee catastrophe if we fail or continue the present strategy."

McCain defends Bush troop surge

2007-01-13T00:56:00.000-08:00

John McCain has supported the new Bush plan for an escalation of troops to Iraq.

McCain has long been calling for more troops, saying that the reason for the delay in securing the peace was because the U.S did not have a large enough presence there.

However, late last year McCain suggested that the U.S would need to send 30,000 or more troops in order to have any effect, so it is unclear if he thinks 21,500 is enough.

Linking himself so closely with the war is a dangerous strategy for McCain, but one that he acknowledges. If this plan sinks, there is a good chance that the nomination of McCain might sink too.

The problem is of course, that the other leading contender for the GOP nomination, Rudy Giuliani, is also a supporter of the escalation plans.

In other news, there has also been speculation this week that a McCain for President ticket might include former Democrat and VP candidate, Joe Lieberman. McCain and Lieberman appeared together last week.