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Republican Sens. Snowe and Collins -- Hurting Their Own Chances in Future Elections?

I saw on TPM's Election Central that moderate Republican senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are endorsing John McCain for president. It's a bit odd because Snowe and Collins, both from Maine, have come out against the surge that is so thoroughly associated with John McCain that is being called the "McCain Doctrine." But they have years of experience working together in the Senate back when John McCain was a moderate, so I can understand the move.

But it got me wondering. A ton of people are talking about John McCain's presidential hopes like they are dead in the water, because McCain is the main proponent of a failing and miserably unpopular war and because McCain's move rightward to embrace social conservatives/extremists has lost him support amongst independents and failed to convince some of the most important figures of the religious right. If McCain becomes persona non grata in a few months -- previously unthinkable, right? -- will House and Senate candidates avoid him on the '08 campaign trail the same way Republicans avoided Bush in 2006?

Let's say that is the case. The folks who are going to eat it the worst are the moderates, because a leftward shift in American voting (I won't say a leftward shift in America, because I think this is still a conservative country) will swallow up those closest to the water mark. Witness the loss of Lincoln Chafee in last year's midterms. That means Snowe and Collins are up next. Snowe was just reelected in 2006, which is why she can afford to align herself with a potential political landmine like McCain, but Collins has a reelection battle coming up in less than two years. Trouble brewing...

Comments

McCain has about as much chance of winning as Hillary -- not much. While both are undoubtedly more qualified today than George W. Bush today or in 2000, they both suffer from a lack of charisma. McCain's dreadful appearance on MTP will hardly be the exception once he's out on the campaign trail everyday, month after month. And I doubt Leni Riefenstahl could make Hillary appealing once Americans actually hear her speak. They certainly will not mistake her for Bill.

And to those who point to the punditry, most of whom think McCain and Hillary are a lock, I ask, when was the last time the punditry was right about anything?

Posted by: hotpotatomash on 01/29/07 at 1:25 PM

Hahaha, completely, completely correct. Political pundits and political consultants can get things wrong time and time and time again, and they will always have jobs. It's amazing to me that the rules that apply in business, professional sports, and every other merit based system in the world simply don't apply.

Posted by: Tom on 01/29/07 at 5:12 PM

Well said hotpotatomash, I totally agree. I think McCain is dead in the water, only Arizonians will keep voting for him because, well, thats Arizonians. Southwesterners are just more Texass cowboys, like 'all hat no cattle' Bush. Their blind dedication to the republican party overwhelms their sense of 'whats good for america, the common good, humanity, life; which is to say repubs first and the other things just don't matter much. McCain like Lieberman are both flip floppers, to use one of Roves favorite perjoratives, usually leveled at everyone else who is not radical religious, corporate, neocon right wing repub.

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Republican Sens. Snowe and Collins -- Hurting Their Own Chances in Future Elections?

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