McCain on “Meet the Press”: Bush Failed in a Number of Ways
Appearing on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator John McCain tried to distance himself from sitting President George W. Bush saying that he and Bush differ on key issues.
McCain admitted that he had voted with Bush 90% of the time but, he said, the two differ on issues most important to voters such as the economy, the way the Iraq was handled, and global warming.
“I’m not George Bush,” McCain said. “I was not popular in my own party,” on the issues mentioned above, he went on to say.
“I respect the president of the United States, of course,” McCain told Tom Brokaw who replaced Tim Russert as host of “Meet the Press” after the latter died unexpectedly earlier this year. “But there were a number of disagreements over philosophy.”
McCain also talked about the polls saying they don’t worry him as much as some might expect. “I’ve been in a lot of presidential camps … and I see the intensity out there, and I see the passion,” he said. Many polls, he went on to say, “have shown me much further behind than we actually are.”
“We’re doing fine,” he maintained. “We are very competitive in many of the battleground states.”
The remarks make McCain look like a candidate either blind to reality, or one keeping up appearances knowing that if he would publicly admit he fears election day, all would indeed be lost. We will know after November 4 which one it is.
His remarks about George Bush are correct, as are his remarks about how other Republicans thought of him years ago and still, today. However, one cannot help but wonder whether he is doing his party any service by pointing out time and again how he is a maverick who is different from all those other Republicans who are all little George W. Bushes. If you do not want the party to be blasted away in Congress, it seems to me that a more supportive attitude towards other Republicans and towards the party as a whole would be wise.
But, McCain seemingly still believes he can win this election, resulting in him speaking as someone who has to distance himself from his party. Even if doing so means that his party will lose important seats in Congress, resulting in a filibuster proof Democratic majority.
Watch the entire “MSNBC” show:
