Friedman promotes McCain surge myth

How many people are going to repeat John McCain's absurd claim that his support for the troop surge in Iraq almost cost him the GOP nomination? Here's Tom Friedman parroting the claim:

I respected McCain’s willingness to support the troop surge in Iraq, even if it was going to cost him the Republican nomination. Now the same guy, who would not sell his soul to win his party’s nomination, is ready to sell every piece of his soul to win the presidency.

As Andres Martinez points out on the Washington Post's website, however, the issue that almost cost McCain his party's nomination was immigration, not Iraq. Show me any evidence that the surge cost McCain votes in the GOP primaries. Does Friedman know anything about the Republican party? Indeed, McCain attacked Mitt Romney for supporting timetables for withdrawing from Iraq (often mischaracterizing Romney's position in doing so).

Comments

[Jinchi]

I had the same reaction when I read Friedman's column. McCain's support for the surge was his main selling point for Republican voters, not a handicap. If anything, it was his vocal opposition to torture that was considered a threat to his campaign.

[David]

I agree with Brendan. McCain's position on the surge was a selling point to Republicans. Now that the surge has succeeded, McCain's early support for it should be a big selling point to all voters.

McCain's eagerness to offer a kind of amnesty to illegal immigrants was perhaps his biggest liability in the primaries. Also, he was hurt by his past record of joining Russ Feingold to undermine freedom of speech and weaken free elections by passing their so-called campaign finance reform.

[MartyB]

In general I gotta agree with Brendan (even though I haven't actually seen many folks claiming Mccain's support for the surge was a liability in getting the Rep nomination).

The one caveat would be that his support could have given party faithful pause about his electability in the general election
as his support seemed to coincide with general population desiring to withdraw from Iraq. If the surge hadn't had the success it appears to have had, the party may have favored a less outspoken supporter.

[Jinchi]

If the surge hadn't had the success it appears to have had, the party may have favored a less outspoken supporter.

Tancredo? Giuliani? Romney?

The only Republican candidate who supported the Iraq war (and the surge) less than John McCain was Ron Paul, and he was accused of "taking orders from al Qaeda" by a FOX news debate moderator.