May 27 (Bloomberg) — John McCain’s challenge in winning the presidency isn’t unique. George H.W. Bush in 1988 and Al Gore in 2000 also struggled to chisel an identity separate from a two- term incumbent president of their party.
There’s one big difference: in 1988, Ronald Reagan had a 51 percent approval rating, according to Gallup surveys, and in 2000 Bill Clinton’s was 57 percent. Today, President George W. Bush’s rating is 28 percent and the leading House Republican political analyst, Virginia Representative Tom Davis, said the president is “absolutely radioactive” for party candidates, including McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee.
So why is the Arizona senator going to appear with Bush in Phoenix tonight for a closed-door fundraiser? McCain, whose fundraising totals are dwarfed by those of Democratic candidate Barack Obama, needs Bush to bring in money and signal to conservative Republicans that he can be trusted.
Daily Archives: May 28, 2008
by nonnie9999 | May 28, 2008 · 12:05 am
The Bucks Start Here
Filed under 2008 election, Al Gore, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Chimpy, Dana Perino, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Global warming, humor, Iraq War, John McCain, Mitt Romney, movies, parody, politics, Republicans, Ronald Reagan, snark, Wordpress Political Blogs
Tagged as Bob Dole, Charlie Black, conservatives, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Jim Pinkerton, Nicolle Wallace, Scott Reed, Social Security, Steve Schmidt, tax cuts, Tom Davis
