NYT revives McCain party switch in 01', Kerry-McCain ticket stories

[jackson_dem]

:thumbsup: Where was this during the primaries, though? McCain was their strongest candidate. We would have been better off if this stuff was revived then and we were up against Romney or Huckabee.

-snip-

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain never fails to call himself a conservative Republican as he campaigns as his party’s presumptive presidential nominee. He often adds that he was a “foot soldier” in the Reagan revolution and that he believes in the bedrock conservative principles of small government, low taxes and the rights of the unborn.

What Mr. McCain almost never mentions are two extraordinary moments in his political past that are at odds with the candidate of the present: His discussions in 2001 with Democrats about leaving the Republican Party, and his conversations in 2004 with Senator John Kerry about becoming Mr. Kerry’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.

There are wildly divergent versions of both episodes, depending on whether Democrats or Mr. McCain and his advisers are telling the story. The Democrats, including Mr. Kerry, say that not only did Mr. McCain express interest but that it was his camp that initially reached out to them. Mr. McCain and his aides counter that in both cases the Democrats were the suitors and Mr. McCain the unwilling bride.

-snip-

“He says, ‘John McCain is wondering why nobody’s ever approached him about switching parties, or becoming an independent and allying himself with the Democrats,’ ” Mr. Downey said in a recent interview. “My reaction was, ‘When I leave this lunch, your boss will be called by anybody you want him to be called by in the United States Senate.’ ”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/us/politics/24mccain.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

[bluestateguy]

1. Hopefully, this time the boobs at the NYT did a little bit better research

nt

[MADem]

2. That won't work against him. He's promised the conservatives they'll get their piece of the pie.

Those fundies/conservatives/neocons are pragmatic--if they get their share, they WILL, unlike people here who get all dramatic, hold their noses and vote.

Look at Bush--he's anything BUT a conservative where it counts--deficit spending up the ass, war without end imperialism, outsourcing, offshoring, subcontracting the military, expanding the government with new departments and larger executive staffs....these are NOT conservative values.

That didn't stop those conservatives from voting for him. Why? Because he said he'd throw them a few bones, and he did.

That little speil actually HELPS McCain with the indy voters, the "Awwww, he won't be all that bad, he doesn't really MEAN it, he'll be an independent moderate" types.

It makes people who should know better be more inclined to vote for old Popeye.

[jackson_dem]

3. I disagree. It goes to the heart of the perception of him as "authentic" and principled

[MADem]

5. That seals the authentic/principled argument. To those that want to see him that way,

he comes across as "post-party." Independent. A MAVERICK. Strong on national defense. No nonsense. "Seasoned."

Really--where else are those people gonna go? They won't stay home if they have half a hope of getting a half loaf, because it's better than none.

To those who want to see him as conservative, they know what he really is, just like they knew what Bush really was. A Republican bastard with his own agenda who WILL throw a few bones to the fundies and the conservatives. Who WILL pay that debt.

And that is more than they'll get from anyone else.

The challenge for the GOP is to GOTV .... after they try to smear the Dem candidate. The GOP does GOTV well, I have to say.

[Olney Blue]

4. Agree. Like Chimp, he will give them conservative judges as bones.