John McCain Riding the Wave

Election 2008 (USA) Comments (0)

It is interesting to watch the media, and how they seem to be ignoring the Republican Race, in comparison to the coverage they are giving Obama & Clinton. I mean every inflection of voice, every lifted eyebrow, every surrogate’s words, are scrutinized and analyzed to the smallest possible degree, but when it come to the Republicans, its a few lines at best.

You had the Kennedy Endorsement of Obama, that still makes the news days later, almost a week later. Yet the endorsement from Guiliani for McCain rated a few lines, held the news for maybe an hour or two. The endorsement of Arnold held it a bit longer, but that was about it.

Think the media figures it doesn’t matter who wins the Republican Nomination, because the next President will be whoever wins the Democratic Nomination?

Now you have John McCain tackling Mitt Romney in his home state, battling it out, and hoping for a win there. Now that is gutsy, and smart politics too. He isn’t expected to win, but if he does pull off a miracle, if he does make it tight, it could spell the end for the new era George Bush, Governor Mitt Romney.

The Arizona senator will pick up the endorsement of former Gov. Paul Cellucci on Saturday, run radio ads in the state, and campaign in Boston on Monday. Another of the state’s former governors, Jane Swift, also will make appearances on his behalf over the weekend, and volunteer phone calls will begin. McCain secured the endorsements of The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald weeks ago. (source)

It is a gutsy move. It also shows his experience as well. He can smell victory in the air, and he isn’t afraid of throwing the dice. He knows he has some good endorsements, in the home state of his rival, he’s come off some major wins, that gives him some added media attention, so its a good bold move. Something a PRESIDENT needs to have in his arsenal, specially these days. Something neither George Bush nor Bill Clinton ever exhibited.

In some respects, John McCain has shown some pretty awesome management skills, and leadership skills. Look back just six months ago, when his campaign was floundering. Most Pundits didn’t think he’d last beyond New Hampshire, and even reaching that, was touch and go, according to them. Yet, he not only made it there, but he WON.

For him to have done that, was a bold move. One the Media is ignoring. To begin with, he was able to turn aside his stance on Immigration Reform, from a huge negative, to a neutral at least, a small plus in the best case scenario. He did what no politician has done in a long time, he admitted to being wrong.  That was a gut call, and you know, it worked for him.

When his campaign hit snags, he didn’t blast his operatives, his workers, but took the blame on himself. He stood up, took the hit, and the blame, then moved on. Now that is PRESIDENTIAL, and maybe it is what has turned his campaign around. Look around at the Economy, at Trade, at Immigration, and the War in Iraq. It is a giant mess, and why? Because George W. Bush & Congress have failed to LEAD, to be BOLD, and more importantly, to ADMIT MISTAKES.

Should Hilary Rodham Clinton manages to steal the Nomination from Barack Obama, I don’t believe she would be a sure bet for the White House. Her negatives when stacked up to McCain’s. are far worse, and more than that, HE IS LEADING, while she is BACK BITING. There is a difference, and if it comes down to the two, I think many voters will be more willing to rely on a John McCain than on a waffler, a hypocrite, and mean spirited person, such as Hilary Rodham Clinton.

After all, the voters have had nearly eight years of that with George W. Bush, I doubt they want another four years of the same type of ‘old boy politics‘.

Something the media might want to think about, before they write off John McCain and the Republicans. Perhaps instead of anointing the Democratic Nominee, they should do their job, and start reporting on all the candidates left in the race. Maybe if they had done that in the beginning, there wouldn’t be a Mitt Romney running right now.

Ian @ February 2, 2008