McCain is Desperate

Senator John McCain has decided to make the central thesis in his case for President reflect his unflagging support for the Iraq War, and to reassert that the war is essential to our security. Not only does such a move appear to be desperate, but it is linking him closely with the man that he has tried to distance himself from for 6 years.

His thinking is that the money that his campaign needs must come from former Bush financiers, so if he supports Bush on Iraq while others are dodging the issue, then Bush apologists will show their appreciation in the form of campaign contributions during the second quarter of 2007. McCain thinks that he can peel away supporters of Guiliani by showing himself to be a more legitimate hawk, and that he will be able to raise enough money to appear to be gaining momentum rather than losing it in three months.

Here is a snippet from the news article that I am referring to:

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 7, 2007;

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will launch a high-profile effort next
week to convince Americans that the Iraq war is winnable, embracing the
unpopular conflict with renewed vigor as he attempts to reignite his stalling
bid for the presidency.
With the Virginia Military Institute as a backdrop,
McCain plans to argue in a speech on Wednesday that victory in Iraq is essential
to American security and that President Bush's war machine is finally getting on
track after four years, aides and advisers said.
...It is a gamble at a
critical time for the former front-runner for the Republican nomination, the
political equivalent of a "double-down" in blackjack, as one person close to the
campaign put it. A candidate once seen as the almost inevitable winner, McCain
is struggling in the polls and this week placed dead last in fundraising among
the three top Republican and three top Democratic contenders.

McCain has very little support among the Christian Right of the Republican Party, and he has been in politics for way too long to make a convincing sudden about-face on a lot of issues. If I were him, this is what I would do:

1. Make a speech admitting that I made a mistake in advancing the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform. I would say that I wanted to decrease the influence of money in politics, but that the unintended consequence was to simply empower insiders while hurting grassroots organizations. I would then lay out a sweeping campaign finance reform plan that would right the wrongs of my previous act while preserving the "spirit and intent" of McCain-Feingold. This, more than almost anything else, is what causes Right-wing groups to hate McCain.
2. Seek speaking opportunities at conservative mega-churches, and give speeches dealing with the importance of the "family unit". My website would more prominently display my 83% rating by the Christian Coalition which represents a pro-family voting record. (Dec 2003).
3. In my stump speeches, I would advocate a spending freeze, a flat tax that preserves mortgage and education deductions, and the elimination of income taxes on all income under $40,000. I would consistently use references to Ronald Reagan.