In addition to these endorsements, McCain also received the endorsement of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). See it here on YouTube. It seems strange that a former Democrat turned Independent would endorse a Republican candidate for President but anyone who follows politics knows that Lieberman has a record of being slightly right of center on many issues that McCain is strong on such as national security and foreign policy. However, this endorsement does concern me because it comes just a few weeks before the primary elections begin when McCain needs to reinforce his image of being strong on bread-and-butter Republican issues such as immigration, taxes, and abortion. His record is clear on these issues, but an endorsement from Al Gore's running mate on the 2000 Democratic ticket might make him appear to be "unconservative" to conservative voters. On a positive note, I do think this speaks to McCain's ability to cross political lines and display a level of statesmanship that the other GOP candidates simply cannot match. Former Pennsylvania Governor/Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge was present at the Lieberman/McCain presser today so I assume that is yet another high profile endorsement for him.McCain's chances of winning Iowa on January 3 are slim at the moment. His strategy is to win New Hampshire (as he did in 2000 against Bush) and use that momentum to propel him to victory in South Carolina and beyond. In an independent-minded state like New Hampshire, Lieberman's endorsement is sure to go a long way. I'm just not sure if it will hurt him down the road in more conservative states -- particularly in the South.
Will this endorsement result in a net gain for Johnny Mac? Only time will tell -- but in the meantime I'm sticking with him.
=MV=
if mccain wins the primaries, the chances that i will vote democratic in the next election will go down significantly. go mccain.
ReplyDeleteon another note, why doesn't lieberman just become a republican?
Lieberman is moderate on issues like Iraq and national security but is still pretty much liberal on everything else like taxes, social programs, abortion, etc. He only became an Independent when he lost the primary for his Senate seat to a more liberal Democrat. Even as an Independent, he still caucuses with the Dems so that should tell us something right there. I don't care for his politics but I think his endorsement will help McCain in New Hampshire.
ReplyDelete