According to the The British Sunday Times, the end for McCain’s campaign may be sooner rather than later. Citing “Republican insiders” (including McCain’s 2000 communications director), the article reports on speculation — denied by campaign sources — that the former front-runner might not even make it to the first primaries.
Conservative writer Ryan Sager has read the tea leaves and is ready to launch the “McCain Death Watch.” Sager observes that the Senator is headed toward fourth place in the polls, has been awful at raising funds, and — perhaps most damningly — cannot not even offer any particular logic for his candidacy:
He’s neither a straight-shooting maverick (the logic of his 2000 run) nor the true conservative (the supposed logic of this run) nor the fall-back consensus candidate (the Dole ‘96 model — which is hardly operational in such a strong primary field).
Add to that the fact that he is, by all appearances, old, tired, and increasingly cranky. But Sager’s last point is particularly interesting. This is a cycle in which the “logic” of the various Republican candidates may matter more than in seasons past — mainly because, with the Republican/conservative coalition plunged into such a crisis of confidence and identity, the candidates have the opportunity to clarify options for the way forward. That McCain has been unable to find a role in this process suggests that he really is on the verge of total irrelevance.
1 Response to ““McCain Death Watch””
Something to say?
[...] Post, Dyre Portents, Right Wing News, Booman Tribune, The Moderate Voice, Wizbang, Hot Air, The Right’s Field, DownWithTyranny!, All Spin Zone, A Chequer-Board of Nights …, Outside The Beltway, The Caucus, [...]
Left by McCain could be out of race by Fall. « Exposing The Neo-Right
June 25, 2007 at 6:59pm