You can wish in one hand and crap in the other...

and see which one gets filled first.

Sen. McCain "absolutely" wants to be President. And he probably thinks it can happen. Which is further proof that he actually buys into all the media hype he gets.

Look, personally I like John McCain. Hell, he's one of the reasons I first registered as a Republican. But something happened to him back in 2000. While he had a great showing in New Hampshire and gave the Bushies a good scare early on, the fact is he had no chance at the nomination once he started competing for delegates in the South and West (outside of Arizona). When Bush crushed him in South Carolina it had nothing to do with dirty politics or soft money. McCain's conservative credentials just didn't measure up to W's and that was that.

But McCain's psyche look a licking that spring and when he finally realized that it was over for him, he couldn't believe it. The MSM adored him and built him up to be more popular than he really was. It's no coincidence that McCain was able to win in States that we now think of as "Blue States" or in states with open primaries that Democrats and Independents could vote in.

Frankly, McCain was bitter...and still is to this day. It's one of the reasons that he cast aside any duty to the First Amendment by pushing his Campaign Finance Reform bill. To him, it was personal. The whole drive behind the legislation was getting "payback" against all the big-money donors who spent money to defeat his attempt at the GOP nomination.

Many in the party view McCain as hardly a Republican at all. Sure he came out for Bush in NYC last August but that was bowing to political reality. He was being a loyal soldier to a general he didn't really care for.

McCain, who was defeated by George W. Bush in the 2000 GOP presidential primary, explained that he continues to want to be president "because I think I'm qualified to help make the world a better place; I'm qualified for the job."

He also declared that the right wing of the GOP has become "more accepting of me than they used to be - not accepting but more accepting - because of the fact that I worked hard for Bush's re-election."

Qualified? Sure, but no more so than any of the other prospective GOP candidates. However, the base of the party is not stupid. McCain can talk the talk, but his actions and questionable allegiances have soured most Republicans on him at this point.

McCain's major character flaw is that it is so important to him to be liked - by the opposition and the media more than by his party. He does have a natural appeal to moderates and even some less-than-hardcore Liberals and, admittedly, it is difficult to win a Presidential election without them. But it's pretty damn impossible for a Republican to win without the conservative base. And you don't get their vote by thumbing your nose at the issues that mobilize them at the grass-roots level.

He can live with the fantasy for a couple more years but come 2008 reality is going to be a bitch.

Hat Tip to Jayson at Polipundit for the link.

Posted by: Gary at 04:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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