(image via parentheticalnote)
And then there was McCain. Readers of this blog know how The Corsair feels about John McCain and the slanderous hand that was dealt him so shamelessly in South Carolina. (The Corsair pours himself a Kentucky Bourbon neat to help him meditate seriously on the subject of Southern politics) The former Naval Captain's strategy this time is more elaborate and ruthless, shoring up potential allies from Rove and Frist's own political backyard in full view. Poach! We are observing up close the bold maneuverings of a third generation military mind at work. The art of war is encoded on his DNA. Many -- The Corsair included in the ranks -- thought that the obsequious kissing of President George Bush on the campaign trail in 2004 was somehow ... unmanly, louche and servile.
Quite the contrary. It all now appears to have been part of long term strategy to hold the base for the definitive run in 2008. Now the terrible engines of John McCain's strategizing can be loosed. There is a rumor (Has it been officially confirmed yet? We know not. We think it quite true) that John Kerry offered him the Veep slot but McCain for a fusion ticket, but, upon seeing the "liberal" sprinklings of "loserdust" on the Massachusetts' Senator's lapel, the Arizonan declined graciously. Then, McCain promptly started campaigning for the Bush-Cheney 2004 ticket with robust zeal. Zing!
No one doubts that Senator John McCain is going to run for the Presidency. If the Senate is "The Waiting Room," then McCain, by virtue of his legislative accomplishments over the years and his All-American resume, is, without peer, at the front of the line. Apparently, the only thing actually stopping McCain from even saying so out loud is the political fact that an announcement so far in advance could: a) taint his effectiveness in the Senate, and b) quite possibly stale the public on the effervescent freshness of his campaign. And so we play this game of McCain saying things like, "the only thing on my plate is the Bolton nomination," or some such yam-yam.
Even Senator Hillary Clinton's centrist rhetoric on the prestigious "Armed Services Committee (wink wink)," and her oh-so-subtle championing of soldiers in an intriguingly matronly manner and, finally the photo op with conservatives all suggest, in varying degrees, a self-consciousness with regards to her own military bona fides. And while any woman making a credible run for the White House has to deal with the "Commander-in-Chief" issue from the sexist Bubbas out there, the particular flavor of this military self consciousness exhibited by Senator Clinton has: "John McCain, 2008" written all over it.
Just a guess, IMHO.
According to the Merc (link via Drudgie-poo):
"Mark McKinnon, the Austin political consultant who oversaw the advertising for President Bush in the 2000 and 2004 campaigns, has committed to help Sen. John McCain in a second presidential bid.
"McKinnon - one of the president's closest friends and confidants and a frequent mountain biking companion - met with the Arizona Republican over lunch this spring in the Senate dining room to discuss his support, said a GOP activist familiar with the meeting.
"At this point, McCain, who lost to Bush in a bitter 2000 Republican primary, is in the early but unmistakable stages of laying the groundwork for another campaign. And McKinnon has indicated he would review his options, should Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or the president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, run in 2008."
Oh, it's on; it's on like Gray Poupon!
1 comment:
The New Yorker is somewhat jaded when it comes to the Elephants. Nevertheless, adhereing to the "lesser of all evils" which we must do in order to elect someone and feel somewhat decent about it, McCain more than passes the test. My politics are so far left, I've been accused of being a Socialist, and I STILL dig McCain.
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