Would McCain Beat Kerry, While Bush and the Republicans Are Melting Down, ? Is McCain the Leading Edge of a Movement among Republicans to reject Bush and his toxic policies?
By Rob Kall
I just sent a note to pollster John Zogby, suggesting some different poll questions. Here's what I wrote:
Why not match John McCain up against John Kerry? As Bush's poll
ratings plummet, McCain is one of the few Republicans remaining with
integrity. My guess is McCain would do much better than Bush.
If you also ask about republicans standing independent of Bush and DeLay,
you might actually help the
US
by showing republicans that they need to act independently.
I'm a democrat, and really would not want to see McCain running against
Kerry, since I think McCain would run away with it, but I am also a
patriot, and at least then, there would be two honest people running for
president. And that's a win win for everyone.
I think that McCain would poll much higher than Bush, higher than Kerry, if a poll were taken now. As I stated in my note to Zogby, I think McCain could probably beat Kerry. I don't want that to happen. But why can't pollsters show that Bush is not only a loser against Kerry, but that continued support for him is a losing proposition for Republicans.
I keep wondering what it will take before Republicans finally see the light, that Bush was a mistake, that Iraq and DeLay are mistakes, and that the USA, democracy and the vision of the founders of America are threatened by George Bush's white house and his team of bumblers. How many Republicans will, at some point, face the reality that Bush and his team are trashing America ?
There's all this talk about McCain being Kerry's running mate. McCain is already in the campaign "radar." Why shouldn't the pollsters take a look at him from a different perspective. After all, there is still a Republican convention coming up. What if Bush's ratings are so low the Republicans DO face the harsh reality that Dubya can't win. What if the delegates go into the convention and rebel, or, even are encouraged by the RNC to vote down Bush so the floor is open to nominations (OK, I'm ignorant, maybe it's illegal and this is all hypothetical. It's still interesting.) What if Bush is persuaded to withdraw from the presidential race?
If McCain is the leading edge of the crack in the extreme right's control of the Republican party then there are other signs of further weakening of their armour. In this report about republican senator Lugar, Lugar Critical of President on Iraq, Terrorism, AP writer Mark Pratt states:
" Republican Sen. Richard G. Lugar on Saturday said the United States isn't doing enough to stave off terrorism and chided President Bush for failing to offer solid plans for Iraq 's future."
And right wing pundit and CNN Crossfire host Robert Novak writes in a column title Unaccountabale But Messianic about Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, who Novak reports
"is blunt in addressing two overriding problems in the war on terror: lack of accountability in the intelligence community and a messianic desire to recast the world in the American image."
Novak goes on to comment:
"These are precisely the concerns I have heard all over the country from people who call themselves Republicans and are distraught about the U.S. adventure in Iraq. They ask questions. Who is responsible for the false forecast of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that was the immediate cause for war? Are we really intent on planting democracy throughout the Arab world? These skeptics are not about to vote for John Kerry for president, but they are very unhappy."
Novak concludes:
"But Bush can be faulted for lack of interest in accountability and for succumbing to messianic pretensions of spreading democracy, even though Roberts does not single out the president. The questions remain whether any official ever will pay for the intelligence failures and whether the difficulty of nation building in Iraq is a lesson learned.
"Roberts is not alone among Republicans. The GOP's top two members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- Richard Lugar of Indiana and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska -- have their own misgivings. These Midwestern Republicans know their constituents are concerned about what has sent the nation into Iraq and what comes next. But how does George W. Bush adjust to these realities while fighting a shooting war and campaigning for re-election?"
So the cracks in the extreme right wing wall are starting to appear and even widen. They are beginning to let in light, hopefully light that will illuminate the vision of more and more of the temporary Republican majority in the House and Senate. Perhaps we'll see the beginnings of true bi-partisan action and policy making. Perhaps one or a few republican senators and or representatives of the House will pull a Jeffords and go independent, or even Democratic.
An article published in THE Hill, Bush slide worries the party, by Alexander Bolton and Geoff Earle reports :
Republican members of Congress are growing increasingly concerned over President Bush
