McCain Campaign Eyes California
Having succeeded in raising huge amounts of money in California and generating GOP enthusiasm with the help of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. John McCain's team is considering playing big for the state in the fall election. "The McCain people out here actually think they have a shot at getting California," says a McCain adviser in the state.
Associates say McCain believes that his reputation for being a maverick, his moderate immigration reform stance, and his push for global warming changes will be attractive to California voters, as will his status as a western state Republican.
Democrats, however, scoff at the noting that the state will vote for a Republican. "Presuming [Sen. Barack] Obama's the guy, unless he does something really stupid I can't imagine him not winning California," says a major fundraiser in the state.
Nonetheless, the McCain campaign is telling donors in the state that the senator does plan to campaign there heavily.
California has voted for the Democratic nominee in the past four presidential elections, last choosing a Republican in the 1988 election, in which George H. W. Bush beat Michael Dukakis.
—Paul Bedard
Reader Comments
California needs change
After a majority of Democrats in the state legislature in California our Governor needs McCain's help in electing more Republican legislators. Hopefully McCain will have coattails as a majority of Calfornians will get out and vote Republican.
Energy is one of our biggest problems, and McCain will lead the clean nuclear energy fight.
But Lassie is better than Obama
I'll vote for McCain in order to stop Obama. And by the way, I don't care about the issues anymore: after the way Obama and the media have treated Clinton, millions of Clinton supporters will vote for McCain. There will be a massive defection of millions of women, blue collars, Latinos, and the elderly. Unify that.
McCain is better than Lassie
While anyone would be better than Bush, why would anyone vote for a Republican after the last 8 years. Especially one who looks forward to an American presence in Iraq for the next 100 years.
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