Old Warrior Next in Line
Back in 1996, the Republicans nominated Bob Dole for president. Since he’s been appearing in those Viagra commercials, Dole fairly oozes middle aged sex appeal, but back then he was kind of a stiff (pun intended). In 1996 Bob Dole wanted to build a bridge to the past. But Dole had run for president before, was a hot shot in the Senate and was next in line for the GOP.
John McCain may find himself next in line for Republicans this year. Romney flip flops like a fish. Social conservatives will never stomach Rudy Giuliani. And the anti-tax zealots dislike Huckabee. That leaves McCain and the Sleeper, Fred Thompson. McCain wants the Republican nomination very badly. Does Thompson?
Senator McCain wants the GOP nomination so badly that he’s left the Straight Talk Express parked in the garage. Now McCain cruises around in a Loosey Goosey Lamborghini.
John McCain rightly criticized the Bush tax cut of 2001 as unsustainable. Indeed the current massive federal deficit indicates that McCain was prophetic. Nevertheless, McCain now favors making those tax cuts permanent.
The senior Senator from Arizona blames former secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld for all of the problems we’ve had in Iraq. He would never hold Bush responsible and risk alienating fellow Republicans. McCain also refuses to criticize Bush directly over the administration’s use of torture on detainees.
The only reason McCain finds himself next in line is because he’s fallen in line with all aspects of the modern GOP orthodoxy. Can a saddle broken Maverick win voters over on Election Day, or will McCain be the new Viagra spokesman in ‘09?
John McCain, Bob Dole, Republicans, George W. Bush
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