McCain's Got Gore Problem

 

        When former V.P. Al Gore ran for president, he had a major problem….his boss the president.  Throughout the 2002 campaign Gore struggled with what to do about Bill Clinton.  Recall Clinton was a lightening rod with all sorts of political baggage.  Should Gore ignore him, or cuddle up to him, or what?  Gore never really figured it out.

        Fast forward to John McCain running for president with a Gore problem of his own…namely George W. Bush.  Some would argue that the current president has even more baggage than Clinton given the war and all

       So what is Mr. McCain doing?

       One of his first TV ads in Michigan begins with the line, "McCain broke with the president…"

       Guess that takes care of that. 

       McCain, like Gore, has a delicate line to walk.  He cannot completely walk away from the president because that would offend the 20-30% of the folks who still support him. And in fact McCain has stuck with the prez on the war in Iraq, and on the Bush tax cuts.

       But conversely, McCain has to create some distance from the president because the democrats are doing everything they can to morph McCain into Bush. And you're likely to see a TV ad that does just that.

       From the curb side, it looks like McCain's strategy is like being half pregnant i.e. he sides with the president on some stuff and when it comes to global warming and the like, he walks away.

        Will the blueprint lead him to the White House?

        We'll know in November.

       

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