April 06, 2007
Spotlight: McCain In Trenched
Today's Hotline Spotlight:
Like bottling fruit flies, "resetting" John McCain's camp is not an apt description of how McCain will spend his April. His advisers say he won't make the Gore mistake: his attempts at re-invention fell flat.
-- The AZan is an American brand, and efforts to change how he's perceived can backfire. Witness his attempt to reconcile with cultural conservatives and his Bush cuddliness; both hurt (not irredeemably) his standing with indies. His major issue is the country's: Iraq. Can't control that. He still has the lion's share of the GOP establishment on board -- so far not so enthusiastic. Can't recalibrate that.
-- Being the Last Guy Standing has never been the sexiest strategy, but it might work for McCain. Here's the argument: He polls solidly in IA, NH and wins in SC, has the deepest nat'l org. and even beats '08 Dems in nat'l head-to-heads. Romney's fundraising gave the ex-mA Gov. his second and final shot to capture the "most electable conservative flag" from McCain. He blew his first chance. And Rudy's poll strength is already flagging.
-- What saves McCain? McCain. It won't be strategy.
Posted at 01:52 PM
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