McCain

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Dreadsox

ONE love, blood, life
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In the last election McCain crossed bridges and pulled votes from conservative Democrats. My Grandfather, a lifelong democrat switched parties to vote for him in the primaries.

I understand that on Social issues McCain is probably not in line with the mainstream to left in the democratic party, but my question is this....

Is he, like Reagan, able to reach enough of the democratic party to pull off the next election?
 
he has to get through the Christianist gauntlet in the GOP primaries.

but he is probably the only major Republican, beyond Giuliani, i'd consider voting for.
 
He could get the conservative Democratic votes. As Republicans go, I'd prefer Giuliani, but his position on gay marriage is probably fatal to his candidacy. Still, a recent poll found that he is the most popular politician in the U.S. today, and he's got his post-9/11 leadership in his resume.
 
I'm not sure anymore because I think he's going to have to pander to the right and that's not going to fly with the left at all.

He's an elderly man with a twice recurrent melanoma, now I don't want to be negative here, but that's essentially a death sentence. I know it's not something to talk about in polite company but anyone familiar with recurrent melanoma knows that there is a potential for disaster here. To have it recur twice - go and ask an oncologist what your longterm survival rate is...

My feeling is he's going to be taken out in the primaries anyway. Bush's numbers are low because his base has abandoned. I saw this creepy, INSANE reverend on CNN the other day who was basically saying that he and "his people" got duped by this administration and that they're accounting for Bush's low numbers and that they will stay home next election unless they see some real results on abortion, gay marriage, etc. So McCain can pander to them and lose the left or he can tell them to go Cheney themselves and lose the election entirely.
 
It's too early to tell if his kissing up to the likes of Jerry Falwell is going to win over the conservative wing of the GOP, which he needs to do to get out of the primaries. And even if he does, I'm not so sure as many Democrats are as enamored of him now as they were in 2000.
 
Dreadsox said:
Is he, like Reagan, able to reach enough of the democratic party to pull off the next election?

Most of the country is enamored with his politically calculated image that he's cultivated over the years. I don't think he deserves to be elected, since, when push comes to shove, he's always rolled over for conservatives. He's been all talk and no action, and anyone who stumps for Bush and converses with Jerry Falwell deserves their "maverick" title removed.

However, most Americans are probably blissfully ignorant of these details about him, and the media certainly likes him, so far. He's certainly an electable candidate, but I certainly won't be one of those votes for him. I found him more likeable six years ago than I do today.

Melon
 
This is the problem with the two-party primary system today. In order to get nominated, one must toady up to the extreme wings of each party: the Republicans to the Christian Right, the Democrats to the Jackson/Moore/Sheehan Left.

Once the general election arrives, the candidates must then quickly align themselves with more moderate positions in order to appeal to the sane center that has always ruled the voting populace in this country.

I totally understand McCain's Falwell speech (and don't forget, McCain is strongly pro-life/anti-abortion), just as I will totally understand Hilary's speeches to whatever leftwing interest group that rubs me the wrong way -- it's politics, baby.
 
4U2Play said:
This is the problem with the two-party primary system today. In order to get nominated, one must toady up to the extreme wings of each party: the Republicans to the Christian Right, the Democrats to the Jackson/Moore/Sheehan Left.

I blame our electoral system for perpetuating this. For one, I hate primaries. Not only do a few states decide the election, before the sheep just go along for the ride, but the entire design favors the two-party system.

I like the idea of having a runoff election, quite like how Louisiana does it. The top two candidates, regardless of the party, run off against each other. So if that means two Democrats, two Republicans, or a couple of Independents, so be it. And, while we're at it, it should all be on the same day. Why should New Hampshire and Iowa decide the primaries, when all it is is a system that encourages the candidates to be lazy and focus on two states?

Melon
 
The media certainly has a hard on for him.

How many times have you heard this joke of his reported:

"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?
Because her father is Janet Reno."

Told when she was still a minor, I believe.
 
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