McCain, McCain, McCainIs this the McCain Moment? Ramesh Ponnuru predicted this in a cover story in National Review, and now we're seeing a sudden flood of pro-McCain stories:
Robert J. Caldwell talks of a
"Profile In Courage".
A lesser man than John McCain might be backing away from his previous support for the war-gone-bad in Iraq. What we're seeing instead is the very opposite of political expediency -- a Churchillian call to endure and prevail in an admittedly unpopular war but still a fight that McCain believes America cannot afford to lose.
McCain's Virginia Military Institute speech April 11 stands as his most compelling case yet for persevering in Iraq. Moreover, McCain's steadfast demonstration of principle over polls shows more courage and character than any other presidential aspirant in either party.
A new poll shows that
McCain does not lose much support if Fred Thompson and/or Newt Gingrich enters the race, but Giuliani does:
Giuliani, the former New York mayor, had a healthy 16-point lead over the Arizona senator last month, but that has dwindled to six points -- that is, if either Thompson or Gingrich enters the race.
Should they both toss their hats in the ring, Giuliani's lead over McCain drops to three points, 27 percent to 24 percent.
The odd thing is that I suspect McCain will do best in a head-to-head matchup with Giuliani long term. Mitt Romney continues to slide:
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who led Republican hopefuls in first-quarter fundraising with $23 million, slid into the No. 4 spot -- between Thompson and Gingrich -- with 10 percent of the vote.
Labels: 2008 Candidates, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney
