McCain's Damaged Brand

[Douglas Carpenter]

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080617/cm_thenation/45330405

The John McCain of 2008 is not the McCain of 2000. His first run for President was defined by taking on the powers that be in the Republican Party. His second run was all about making nice with the conservative base.

snip:"The Pew Research Center recently asked voters what they thought of McCain. According to the Baltimore Sun:

"It wasn't too many years ago that "maverick" was the cliche of choice in describing him. But that term didn't even make the list this year when voters were asked by the Pew Research Center to sum up McCain in a single word. "Old" got the most mentions, followed by "honest," "experienced," "patriot," "conservative" and a dozen more. The words "independent," "change" or "reformer" weren't among them."

snip:"McCain is now trying to once again declare his independence from President Bush. His new spot on global warming declares, "John McCain stood up to the President."

But that's a tough case to make when McCain spent the last four years praising Bush and courting his supporters. As McCain said on Meet the Press in 2005, "The fact is I've agreed with President Bush far more than I've disagreed."

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080617/cm_thenation/45330405