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Hate to be cynical about McCain, but I'm not sure he's being totally sincere in defending Kerry. He's already endorsed Bush for reelection, but in the past month he's done two things to bolster his own power in the Republican Party. On the whole I think he's an honorable man, but he's not naive about seeking power either.
First he says he wouldn't dismiss a VP offer from the Democrats out of hand. Then he defends Kerry as not being "soft on defense". He's doing two things...
1st he's cultivating goodwill among moderates and swingable Democrats. It's no secret that Arizona is getting browner, grayer, and bluer and that McCain needs those voters to stay in office. This would also help him do a slam dunk victory in case he runs in 2008. He remains, I think, the scariest possible opponent we could face in four years. He's sitting on a winning formula in terms of attracting voters--bedrock values and just a touch of Elvis.
2nd, I think he's trying to pull the Bush administration to the political center. He's not just personally playing hard to get. When he gives Kerry cover on national security issues, he forces the Bushies to move toward swing voters, which would require them to quit acting so damn crazy all the time.
Can McCain squeeze blood from a stone? Can he make the ideological Bush administration act responsible, at least through the election? If the Bush people keep going, I think McCain realizes, the Republicans are cruising for a bruising in the polls--maybe not this year, but eventually the voters are going to tire of the far right nonsense and swing hard our way. McCain wants to prevent that.
I think this man has his eyes on the goal posts and, despite his fundamental decency, remains a formidable opponent for years to come.
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