McCain and Bush Before Splitsville

Senator John McCain desperately sought to distance himself from George W. Bush on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press”. The Republican nominee for President told interim host Tom Brokaw, “Do we share a common philosophy of the Republican Party? Of course. But I’ve stood up against my party, not just President Bush but others, and I’ve got the scars to prove it,”.

If there’s one thing I’ve got to feel sorry for John McCain about these days, it’s being forced to follow the Bush Administration in trying to achieve his long held ambition for the Oval Office. Policy and tactical questions aside (of which there are many), McCain is in a truly unenviable position trying to simultaneously hold onto the GOP base, which is currently engaged in one of the most widespread phenomenons of mass denial in human history, while attempting to win over moderate and independent voters who clearly see the past 8 years for the disaster they have been.

What has ensued has been one of the most lurching, zig-zagging Presidential campaigns in recent memory, with McCain being forced to run all the way right to satisfy the extremes of his party, who have been skeptical of him for years, then needing to cut back to the center to retain some air objectivity with independents and moderates. This is hard dance for anyone to master, but even harder when the policies of the far right have not changed one bit from those of the Bush White House over its two terms.

You can in takepart Getting Out the Vote for the 2008 election by checking out the GOTV information on Code Pink’s website.

LINKS:

Reuters: McCain says respects Bush but is not Bush

Sydney Morning Herald: War of Words as Endgame Nears

Salt Lake Tribune: Obama ekes a lead among Utah donors