Craig Crawford floats McCain dropping out:
If presidential campaigns had such a thing as an honorable discharge, Sen. John McCain could get one.
The Arizona Republican’s White House bid has gone from bad to worse with this week’s news that he lags well behind leading candidates in both parties for the almighty dollar. McCain’s aides say that he inexplicably held only two fundraisers in the first two months of 2007.
No wonder that his first-quarter earnings put him at $12.5 million in contributions, compared with $15 million for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and $20 million for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
In short order, McCain has gone from presumed front-runner to enduring rumors that he might not even stay in the race. If he dropped out, McCain can always blame his support for the unpopular Iraq war — highlighted by his recent trip to the region — and exit with dignity.