The Washington Times is an awful journalistic institution, but it's a pretty reliable source of intelligence on GOP infighting. So their recent story touting John McCain as the frontrunner for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination is a big deal:
Some top Republicans at odds with Sen. John McCain on core conservative issues say privately that the party's 2008 presidential nomination is "his to lose."
They cite the Arizona senator's head start in fundraising, a primary calendar that is shaping up in his favor and a growing belief that he enjoys the tacit support of President Bush.
In state after state, Mr. McCain has been passing out money to Republican candidates for other offices, to state party organizations and even to Republican county chairmen. Extending such largess to the county level is unheard of in pre-nomination campaign maneuvering, party officials say.
If conservatives were gearing up to smear McCain with agitprop, the Washington Times story would be more like the recent Newsmax story that uses McCain's famous temper to portray him as unstable.
I've predicted that conservatives would deny McCain the nomination all along. But with the GOP increasingly fearful of losing the presidency, and McCain-hating enforcer Grover Norquist losing influence due to his involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal, it looks like I might turn out to be wrong...
Unfortunately in order to gain support in primaries he's got to burn the one thing that would get him elected with independants, his percieved individuality. That's a fine line to be walking, but since most independants don't follow politics too closely he's probably okay in that department. He just needs to steer clear of any gaffees (a la February's letter to Obama), and hope no one "Swift Boats" him in SC again.
Posted by: Seth | July 13, 2006 at 09:29 AM