How McCain Plans To Get His Groove Back

According to an aide to Sen. John McCain, September is "crucial" to the well-being and continued existence of the campaign.

McCain has already been booked on major television shows to discuss Gen. David Petraeus's report.

He'll take major bus tours through early primary states, holding at least a dozen town-hall style events in each.

Later in the month, he and several of his POW brothers will participate in what the campaign calls its "No Surrender" tour, urging Americans to consider the implications of an Iraq withdrawal. The key words: McCain's biography, his courage, his service.

Look for McCain to make two major policy speeches in September: one will focus on energy; the other, on health care.

And then fundraisers. The campaign, wisely, isn't setting any expectations, but aides insist that McCain is comfortable with the amount of money coming in.

Comments

McCain is still a Double-Talk Express. He asked for a resignation of Craig but not off Vitter?

Why this double standard for Gay Senators vs Hetro-Senators?

Nice contrast between Larry Craig and David Vitter, huh? One has sex with men, and the GOP goes apoplectic. The other has sex with female prostitutes, and that's fine.

McCain is a coward. If he has any honesty left in him he will ask for Vitter's resignation too.

Posted by Mary | August 31, 2007 11:58 AM

McCain's toast. The only way he can save his campaign is to use a time machine to go back 10 years and bring 62 year old McCain to 2007.

10 years ago, McCain hadn't yet flipflopped on campaign finance reform, the "agents of intolerance", Bush's tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy, torture, the Confederate flag, and even freakin' ethanol!

10 years ago, McCain hadn't yet planted big, wet kisses on the fat asses of Jerry Falwell, Grover "spayed and neutered" Norquist, and the Wyly brothers.

10 years ago, McCain hadn't yet been head cheerleader for the biggest foreign policy blunder of the modern era, an idiotic invasion and occupation of a middleeastern country. He hadn't yet flip flopped on congressional influence over military matters as well; McCain said on on Oct. 19, 1993, that Congress had the power to force Clinton to begin an “immediate, orderly withdrawal from Somalia.” He added, “[I]f we do not do that and other Americans die, other Americans are wounded, other Americans are captured because we stay too long — longer than necessary — then I would say that the responsibilities for that lie with the Congress of the United States who did not exercise their authority under the Constitution of the United States.”

Let's face it, Americans aren't going to vote for a warmongering 72 year old cranky curmudgeon that sucks up to the religious right, is despised by the right and the left, has more flip flops than Old Navy, and has a giant goiter on his face. The only constituency he has is the Washington Press corps, which makes itself more irrelevant as each day passes.

But who knows, maybe McCain will get his "groove back" somehow...

Posted by CKT | August 31, 2007 12:33 PM

Are you crazy? Or is someone paying you to spout this tripe?

Supporting Bush's failed aggression at this point is about as popular as supporting a monument to Josef Stalin on the mall.

What's more, McCain has terminally surrendered his largely undeserved reputation as a straight shooter by conducting a blatant year-long campaign of pandering to the right wing.

Good bye and good riddance, John. The country has enough troubles without buying in to your particular brand of dishonesty.

Posted by Carl from L.A. | August 31, 2007 12:37 PM

To be fair, Mr. Ambinder didn't actually say he'd think it would work… but really, Marc, this is stenography. This is a freaking press release. It might be worth asking a follow-up question to whoever leaked this to you, "Given that this war is wildly unpopular, how could McCain possibly get his groove back by supporting it?" And then, if they try to lie about the war, you could ask them, "Why are you lying? everyone knows this war is wildly unpopular."

You could also post a few polls reminding people how unpopular the war is. That'd be, you know, journalism, instead of freaking stenography. Seriously, man, what the fuck is this? If all you're gonna do is post press releases, why even bother?

Posted by Greg | August 31, 2007 12:46 PM

Wait am I on the Onion site by mistake?

My cat deposited something in his box this morning that has a better chance than John McCain of winning the nomination. He is a freaking POW who endorsed allowing the President to torture prisoners, which is all you need to know about his straight talk bullshit.

Posted by Dave in ME | August 31, 2007 12:48 PM

What Greg said.

Posted by chuck | August 31, 2007 12:59 PM

Well, it looks like everything is right on schedule for the sinking ship:

1) Condescending tour name (No Surrender) - Check!
2) Plans to tell Americans they're wrong - Check!
3) Inablity to face reality - Check!
4) Fingers firmly planted in ears - Check!

Great! We're all set!

Titanic eat your heart out!

Posted by James Power | August 31, 2007 1:04 PM

McCain isn't even polling that well in Arizona. He currently polls 1st in a Republican primary but Romney is only five points behind.

Posted by r€nato | August 31, 2007 1:06 PM

Nice contrast between Larry Craig and David Vitter, huh? One has sex with men, and the GOP goes apoplectic. The other has sex with female prostitutes, and that's fine.

"Boys will be boys... but boys will not have sex with boys!"

Did you expect anything other than rank hypocrisy from the right?

Posted by r€nato | August 31, 2007 1:08 PM

McCain is dishonest and lacks judgment in foreign affairs.

Why dishonest? I didn't find it cute when he pretended to take a stroll through Baghdad and pretended that it showed how safe it was there. That was rank propaganda and outright dishonest. That kind of behavior is shameful.

Why bad judgment? Not only did he support the Iraq War even when it was obvious that Bush was lying to us all, he has doubled down and continues to position himself as Mr. Pro War even when it is beyond obvious that the Iraq War is the worst strategic disaster in American military history.

Posted by Junius Brutus | August 31, 2007 1:13 PM

"Nice contrast between Larry Craig and David Vitter, huh? One has sex with men, and the GOP goes apoplectic. The other has sex with female prostitutes, and that's fine."

You've forgotten one important difference - Craig's replacement will be named by a Republican governor, Vitter's by a Democratic governor!

Posted by Larry Epke | August 31, 2007 1:16 PM

Since you accidentally deleted it, I'll repost the missing last paragraph for you.

"Among the elements of this plan that inspire mocking are the idea that it could work, the notion that he ever had a groove, and the possibility that Americans could have behaved so horribly as to deserve a McCain presidency in the first place."

Posted by Yo! | August 31, 2007 1:29 PM

McCain's main problem is that his ambition trumps any other aspect of his character. He's sold out all his supposed principless for the slim hope that he might get the nomination.

The voters have noticed this, which is why he's moving into the Tancredo tier at high warp.

Posted by Crabbe and Goyle | August 31, 2007 1:56 PM

John McCain is, sad to say, fighting the last war--Vietnam. This is a problem in most old soldiers.

Posted by rollingmyeyes | August 31, 2007 10:07 PM