What's left of McCain's campaign seems to have collapsed:
WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist quit Tuesday, the second major staff shake-up in a week for the Republican presidential candidate who trails his rivals in money and polls.
In a statement, the Arizona senator said Terry nelson and John Weaver offered their resignations, "which I accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship."
Apparently Mark Salter, McCain's long-time chief of staff and co-author, is also stepping down, but not without a cryptic parting comment:
"Outside of the planet, there is no one more important to me than John McCain. I will continue to help in any way I can."
Outside the planet? Huh? Is Galactus on the way?
Marc Ambinder has a quick version of the inside story - a "Nelson out" faction ultimately prevailed, but not before Salter and Weaver were swept up as well.
Well - the media could not love McCain because of his view on the war and the right could not love him because of his view on immigration (and campaign finance reform, and the role of evangelicals); the rest was just thrashing around.
He reacted impulsively and without command of the facts in the Swiftie matter. And he hasn't corrected himself. He, too, is Unfit for Command.
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Posted by: kim | July 10, 2007 at 01:15 PM
I feel somewhat sad about these recent events though I didn't think he would win the nomination. I know a lot of posters here don't care for him but I would like to see him in a cabinet position in the next Guiliani, Romney or Thompson administration. Dems won't win because they are soft on terrorism and won't defend America.
Posted by: maryerose | July 10, 2007 at 01:23 PM
Problem is, if you put him in a cabinet post it's only a matter of time before he begins seeking "strange new respect" by trashing you and praising Democrats.
Posted by: Other Tom | July 10, 2007 at 01:26 PM
Other Tom: You nailed McCain precisely in your 1:26 pm post and why I never could have voted for the man in this primary.
Posted by: centralcal | July 10, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Seems Vitter, a client of the madam with her phone book, now, on the Web; and not just a republican senator; BUT ALSO Guiliani's man for the South. I guess? Anybody can climb aboard a nominee's train. But this one doesn't do any favors to Guiliani.
As to the media? They got what they wanted. One whore's link to a republican.
As to McCain, it was pretty obvious he was only a power within the senate. And, those that coupled their trains to his arse; found themselves at Immigration Bill's funeral.
Maybe, McCain thought he could jump back into the water in exactly the same spot he'd been, in 1988. Guess he never read Winnie the Pooh? Where ya throw sticks off a bridge, and you see the water moving. So you can't jump in again, to a familiar spot.
There's still a lot of turkeys left up there, congregating on the nomination stage. I'm sure all of them would like cabinet posts in the administration of the winnah.
But to win? You need to get elected. You need more than just being a favorite son.
By the time GUiliani and Fred Thompson hit their strides, ahead, I think the old media will be looking very old.
Posted by: Carol Herman | July 10, 2007 at 01:57 PM
I'm a republican because of McCain. I'll be sad to see him go.
Posted by: Jane | July 10, 2007 at 01:58 PM
Well, McCain is a great American even if he is not so great a candidate.
At his peak late last year Tradesports had him at 55% to win the nomination; now he is at about 3% and is probably still a sell.
Posted by: Tom Maguire | July 10, 2007 at 02:28 PM
Isn't he the guy with the trophy wife?
Posted by: Patrick R. Sullivan | July 10, 2007 at 02:34 PM
McCain is a great American hero..
I never thought he ever had a chance to be the prez. And why take a cabnet position..He is a US Senator..Why walk away from most likely a lifetime job in the senate?
John McCain
he gone
Posted by: hoosierhoops | July 10, 2007 at 03:14 PM
hey TM
That last post..I had to enter in the bot protection code..the letters were:
URDUM2
hey, i get enough of that from my wife...
Posted by: hoosierhoops | July 10, 2007 at 03:27 PM
Just to make myself clear.
I've known McCain since I was five years old and he was nine. Our fathers and grandfathers were contemporaries and colleagues as naval officers. He dated my sister, and claims he still has a crush on her. When he turned down early release from Hanoi, he earned a permanent place on my very short list of personal heroes.
But he's not much of a Republican, and he wouldn't be either a good president or a good cabinet officer--hell, he's not a very good Senator. It is nothing personal; he's surely far better at all those things than I would ever be. But he's not getting my vote for anything.
Posted by: Other Tom | July 10, 2007 at 05:56 PM
Once the press turned on him because of his support for Bush and the war, he had no solid constituency or base to keep his campaign afloat.
Having once achieved status due (in part) to his maverick willingness to say the unpopular, McCain now only earns the scorn of that same press for ignoring public opinion. Some unpopular statements are more equal than others.
I've always wondered what things would have been like had he won the presidency in 2000. Certainly, it seems to me, he would have gone into Iraq. Perhaps not in 2003 but Saddam would not still be in power with McCain in the White House.
Great American, great man, great patriot.
Heckuva epitaph.
SMG
Posted by: SteveMG | July 10, 2007 at 06:14 PM
"Once the press turned on him because of his support for Bush and the war, he had no solid constituency or base to keep his campaign afloat."
That's his problem. His only constituency was the press. The Republican base lost respect for him long ago following McCain-Feingold. His embrace of amnesty was just the nail in the coffin.
Posted by: Crunchy Frog | July 10, 2007 at 07:15 PM
The press is flapping about Fred having a trophy wife but by my scale the winner of that whole trophy dash has got to be Dennis K over on the Dem side of the match.
Posted by: SlimGuy | July 10, 2007 at 10:57 PM
"Outside of the planet, there is no one more important to me than John McCain."
I suppose that means the only people more important to him are dead and buried, or miners. Rather sloppy for a writer.
Anyone who supports McCain-Feingold shouldn't be Prez--but Bush signed the damned thing, I hope expecting the Supremes to nullify it, but we'll never know.
Posted by: Ralph L | July 11, 2007 at 01:30 PM