Readers smart enough to check
National Review’s website for campaign updates don’t need me to point out that John McCain had a darn good week. Bush supporters had barely taken a welcome deep breath following his impressive win in South Carolina, when they were told that McCain’s strong showing among Democrats and independents in Michigan was evidence that he could be unanimously elected in the fall. We can close the polls on election day and have a President by acclamation! Polling evidence that McCain’s non-GOP supporters will seek an annulment faster than Darva Conger has largely been ignored.
Bush’s 3-to-1 margin among Republicans was so retro. It’s considered smart politics for McCain to attack the Republican party for being addicted to special interests, and cast Christian conservative voters as illegitimate supporters, but when Bush points out that Republicans ought to pick their own nominee, he’s being divisive. I’m beginning to feel like Ann Richards as I consider the position Gov. Bush finds himself in, and increasingly conclude, "poor George."
Speaking of being divisive, the McCain campaign’s "Catholic voter alert" phone calls tarring Gov. Bush with the anti-Catholic bigotry of the Bob Joneses (how many of them are there anyway?) reignites old tensions between Catholics and the GOP that harm the entire party. Exploiting religious tensions to smear an opponent with a charge you don’t believe for a moment puts McCain in the fast lane of the low road. Also, the Straight Talk Express crowd denied any knowledge of the calls before admitting that they were their handiwork. I didn’t say it was a pretty week for McCain.