McCain Cast As Uniter, Not Divider

By Cernig

There are two puff-pieces touting McCain's "centrist" character today. One from the NY Times on McCain's press-the-flesh abroad (where he's been all things to all people and called for America to sign a new Kyoto deal) and another from The Politico which touts McCain's friendship with Joe Lieberman as proving his bi-partisan credentials (they seem to have forgotten Lieberman isn't a Dem anymore, having left the party over his support for Bush's policies).

Steve M at No More Mister Nice Blog is all over both stories, especially the second one, but notes:

John McCain plans to worry less about shoring up right-wing support and concentrate more on selling himself as only kinda-sorta Republican and really really really not like George W. Bush at all.

...McCain clearly thinks GOP voters will be with him no mattter what, and his best strategy is to persuade centrists that he's not really a Republican. I wish I thought it wouldn't work.

I've the same worry that Steve does, especially with the mainstream media pushing the meme just as hard as they can - but c'mon, how gullible can the American public be? Even the underlying rhetoric is the same.

Remember this? "I'm a uniter not a divider".

The man should be a lame duck before he's started, based entirely on his embracing of Bush.