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The Associated Press has confirmed that Sen. John McCain will create an exploratory committee, which will help him decide whether or not he will run for President in 2008. McCain has said he will wait until after the holidays to announce if he will run for President.
McCain’s conservative record shows signs of weakness as he has demonstrated through his voting record. He has opposed an amendment that would have banned same-sex marriages while supporting federal expansion of stem-cell research. McCain’s voting record makes him more of a moderate Republican, which could potentially alienate his conservative supporters, but at the same time, his more moderate approach may be the key to winning a presidential election. Especially at a time when the country is beginning to question our infamous conservative in the White House.
The Republic Washington Bureau reported that McCain has said, “Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us. We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest.” These remarks were given in speeches to the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal organization, and GOPAC, another conservative organization. It appears that McCain is trying to appeal to his right-winged conservatives in order to secure a nomination from the Republican GOP.
During the 2000 presidential nominations, McCain was fighting against George W. Bush, and he put up a pretty good fight. He ended up loosing for many reasons. We may not know exactly why McCain was not chosen, but part of the reason may stem from his party-crossing ideas and behavior. It’s unfortunate that a person who like most of us fall somewhere down the middle of the political spectrum is judged on his political affiliation rather than his personal beliefs and ability to work with different types of people to find a common solution.
When and if McCain decides to run for president, I will be analyzing his approach to government and discussing the values he stands for so the public will have a better understanding in an unbiased way of who John McCain really is. It’s time we vote on character rather than just on political party affiliation. I will also be distinguishing between fact and fiction when it comes to what people are saying about McCain.