Senator, and presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, John McCain is leaving the campaign trail for a while: he’ll go to Europe and Israel next week, where he will meet with foreign leaders. This decision will, most likely, create a lot of goodwill in, especially, Europe; where Bush started off on the wrong foot with Europe, McCain seems to understand that one should treat ones allies with respect.
That means that if McCain becomes the next president, it’s likely that Europe will be happy.
Not only that, of course, the trip is also a PR stunt for his campaign: it allows him to “burnish his foreign policy credentials” and it allows him to present himself not just as the Republican nominee, but as the likely next president of the United States and as a Statesman.
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are bickering, meanwhile the grown-ups are talking to America’s allies.
That’s, at least, the perception he’s trying to create.
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MvdG, if you allow me to soften your perjorative from "stunt" to "opportunity", I will agree wholeheartedly with your post.
And I believe this sort of activity is exactly the kind of "road testing" we ought to be putting our POTUS candidates through.
If McCain can complete this circuit without a speaking gaffe, I will be more than curious to see what the head-to-head polls reflect towards the end of March.
I don’t support him, but it is definately a good move on his campaigns part!