McCain's Strategy to Distance Himself From President Bush
John McCain is preparing to distance himself from President Bush more than West Wing officials might expect. "On some issues, we will agree to disagree with the White House," says a senior strategist for the Republican candidate's presidential campaign.
That's because McCain genuinely has separate opinions from Bush on many topics, the strategist tells U.S. News. He adds that, "It happens to be the best thing to do politically this year" because Bush is so unpopular and McCain needs to show he is his own man.
This growing separation was evident Thursday when McCain, during a visit to New Orleans, said the government response to Hurricane Katrina was "disgraceful" and promised, "Never again." The Arizona Republican said if he had been president during the devastating 2005 storm, he would have visited New Orleans immediately after the hurricane passed through, to see what needed to be done. Bush waited two days before making a flyover in Air Force One.
After touring the hurricane-wracked Ninth Ward neighborhood, McCain said, "I want to assure the people of the Ninth Ward, the people of New Orleans, the people of this country, never again, never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way it was handled."
Among the other areas where McCain plans to take an aggressive un-Bush stand: his commitment to cut federal spending (which has skyrocketed under the current administration), his desire to take more vigorous steps to reduce global warming (which Bush has been lukewarm to), and his reminding voters of his early criticism of the management of the Iraq war. "His career has been based on principle independent of party line, even when it's not in his interest," says the McCain insider.
The presumptive GOP nominee is counting on Bush to gracefully accept his divergent views and continue raising vast amounts of money for the party and reassuring evangelicals and social conservatives that McCain is on their side.
—Kenneth T. Walsh
Tags: presidential election 2008 | George W. Bush | John McCain | Bush administration
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Reader Comments
Mcain
He has good ideas. I just cannot stand how people NEVER FOCUS on what good Bush has done. Read some polls, More soldiers have died under Bill Clinton's rule in government. I agree with the idea that people ILLEGALLY traveling into the United States needs to be prosecuted. Guess what? No ones perfect and some times i dont always agree with him but if you say hes retarded...who voted for him.
Not me, im STILL too young.
Im saying all of this and yes, i live in MI
oh dang
McCain certainly not Bush
My first choice in 2000 was not McCain, however, I have always wished him well. Personally I like choosing from the governers stable and not from the Senate.
With that said; the talk of McCain being another Bush is pure political theater. It's a bumper sticker that will stick to the rumps of many opposed to McCain.
Tax cuts, Rumsfeld, tactics of torture, global warming, Gitmo, judicial nominations, troops levels in Iraq and parts of immigration reform. On all these positions McCain has held polar opposite positions. Also consider that the hard Right still like Bush. Yet the same hard Right people remain largely upset with McCain as the nominee as not conservative enough.
It's a good tactic on the part of democrats to attempt to meld McCain with the very unpopular Bush. Yet it's a political stunt. Albeit a good one to use against McCain.
McCain Katrina
Really?
I think Mr. McCain is trying to 'eat his cake and have it too'.
What was McCain doing the day after Katrina? He was eating his birthday cake with President Bush! Look it up. I'm so glad the president took time out of his busy day to land air force one, and share in Mr. McCain's birthday celebration. Barf!
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