Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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What effect does everyone think this will have on McCain's campaign? I think Bush's approval numbers are down around 19 now, we know Iraq is a big election issue, so does McCain really want him out in front...or just get the endorsement and then have Bush go back to the shadows?
Reason I ask, is I saw this headline in the Boston Globe today and thought to myself "wow...does this really make anyone excited about McCain???"
Bush says McCain will stay the course in Iraq
gramarye
In Exile
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I think it was just a kind of "routine" thing at this point. It's expected for the incumbent to endorse his party's chosen successor. It would have looked bad had Bush not endorsed the Republicans' own nominee.
I would be very surprised if Bush took an active role in campaigning for McCain. Not only is Bush not very popular with independents and centrists, he's not even all that popular with his own base (which is how you can get numbers that low--the same thing happened to Taft). McCain's electoral trump card is his appeal to the former. A strong Bush imprint on McCain's campaign would compromise that.
joev
Merion Village
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I wish we still had the 2000-style McCain who railed against "agents of intolerance." This will not help him with independents, and that's who he needs to get any traction against Obama. Even the Republican "base" isn't overly fond of Bush right now.
An endorsement from a sitting president seems to hurt more than help lately. Gore tried to sideline Bill Clinton as much as he could in 2000.
Schoolboy
Columbus
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Of course Bush would endorse McCain. He's the only guy that will keep the corrupt Halliburton deals in effect.
Besides that, it's just a gimic. The answer to the question, is no... I don't think McCain would want any ties to Bush. Even though everyone knows that Halliburton won't be thrown out of Iraq under McCain. The gravy train, and spending continues under him. Probably Huckabee as well.
Romney would have been the only smart one out of the group besides Ron Paul.
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Schoolboy wrote Of course Bush would endorse McCain.
Oh, I'm not questioning the endorsement, of course that was coming. I was, however, REALLY surprised to see so much of the endorsement "ceremony" be directed at the war, which is pretty unpopular across party lines. I mean, Bush endorsing is campaign funds...so that's a given.
Manatee
The eternal present
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Coremodels wrote I think Bush's approval numbers are down around 19 now,... "wow...does this really make anyone excited about McCain???"
19 is really low, of course that 19 percent would wear their own skin as a cardigan if GW told them to. :roll:
gramarye
In Exile
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McCain is not going to run from the war. He's deliberately burned enough bridges behind him now that he can't. He wants to make sure that if he wins, it's unmistakable that he has a mandate to continue it. He wants to win by changing the perception of the public about the war, not by changing himself to match the public's current perceptions about the war.
Also, the war, while suffering low approval, has inched up to about 38% approval since the surge. If things continue to go well there, it might well get up into the high 40's or even break 50% by November; there's still a lot of time left (for good or bad news to happen). If that happens, the war is at best a push as a campaign issue. People will still grumble that we spent too much money on it and too many years in it, but it won't be associated with the same kind of feelings of wounded national pride and identity that it did last year. At least, not as broadly.
Mercurius
First Avenue
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I really don't hate McCain. The things Rove did to him in South Carolina I can’t believe he ever made nice with the current administration. While I don’t agree with him on nearly anything, I think his heart is in the right place; just a misguided soul. I see him as an effective Voinovich (maybe he wouldn’t cry when we appointed Bolten, but um yeah.) If he were president in 2000, our country would be in vastly better shape. However, if Gore were president the glaciers would be on attack!
Schoolboy
Columbus
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Honestly, the only 2 problems I have with McCain is that he is not an economic minded president, he has even admitted this.
AND... the biggest one. I don't believe he will clean things up in Iraq. That he will put the corrupt spending over there in check via Cheney and Halliburton.
If I thought he would do that, I actually probably would vote for him, because I really don't want to see the people of Iraq abandoned.
I too can not believe that he is still a Republican after what Rove did to him. Then again, Gore is probably still a Dem, even though he clearly hasn't forgiven them... and rightfully so after abandoning him after the fixed Florida election.
joshua
Columbus
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Now everyone chill.
Most people see the war as wrong ( I do) there were no weapons of mass destruction (the case for it was so flawed that anyone should have seen through it), there were no terrorist unless you consider the government in power, they were a threat to no one except themselves.
Reality, we, the USA broke it. Choices are continue USA in Iraq, costly in lives, money and world opinion. Leave, government falls apart, anarchy, islamic extremists and/or Iran prevails (maybe all out civil war).
Truthfully neither of these sounds great. Is there any plan out there that anyone has heard that may be more constructive?
joev
Merion Village
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joshua wrote Now everyone chill.Most people see the war as wrong ( I do) there were no weapons of mass destruction (the case for it was so flawed that anyone should have seen through it), there were no terrorist unless you consider the government in power, they were a threat to no one except themselves.
Reality, we, the USA broke it. Choices are continue USA in Iraq, costly in lives, money and world opinion. Leave, government falls apart, anarchy, islamic extremists and/or Iran prevails (maybe all out civil war).
Truthfully neither of these sounds great. Is there any plan out there that anyone has heard that may be more constructive?
As much as I didn't like this at first, I think partition might be the best answer now. Of course, Turkey would go nuts if Iraqi Kurdistan were independent. And it would take at least a decade to settle out, like the former Yugoslavia. But with pockets of oil wealth and smaller nations of likeminded people, maybe some progress and a reduction in violence would occur.
gramarye
In Exile
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Mercurius wrote I see him as an effective Voinovich (maybe he wouldn’t cry when we appointed Bolten, but um yeah.)
Aw, give the man a break. I wanted to cry when we appointed Bolton.
As much as I didn't like this at first, I think partition might be the best answer now. Of course, Turkey would go nuts if Iraqi Kurdistan were independent. And it would take at least a decade to settle out, like the former Yugoslavia. But with pockets of oil wealth and smaller nations of likeminded people, maybe some progress and a reduction in violence would occur.
Were it not for the Turkish angle, I'd agree with you, but I think your "Turkey would go nuts" understates the case. Turkey is *already* going nuts, to the point of sending its military into Kurdish border regions to fight separatists there.
I also worry about the possibility of extortion. This happened in what is now Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries, while the country was still a scattering of smaller principalities: shippers had to stop and pay tolls at every rinky-dink castle along every rinky-dink river to get their goods anywhere. I see the same thing happening with the oil in Iraq--everyone at any point along any pipeline basically sticking their hand out for a cut, with no central authority capable of mediating disputes. Add the potential for sectarian violence--pipelines getting bombed by people who care more about hurting others on the pipeline than profiting from it themselves--and the mix gets worse.
Also, I think the Balkans serve as a stern warning about the dangers of, well, Balkanizing a region. :?
But for presidential election purposes, I think my issue boils down to this: If McCain were to suggest partition as a viable solution, I'd be inclined to believe him, even though right now, my best assessment of the costs and benefits takes it off the table. If Hillary or Obama were to propose it, I'd be immediately skeptical, and start looking for the cutting, running, and shifting of the blame.
ChrisSunami
King-Lincoln District
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If I were Barack --or Hillary --I would get footage of Bush endorsing McCain and play it over and over and over...
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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kitoba wrote If I were Barack --or Hillary --I would get footage of Bush endorsing McCain and play it over and over and over...
LOL...someone did already apparently, and has a new ad using it next to "McSame" as the catch phrase, this was the old McSame
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