Arizona Senator John McCain has recently realigned his presidential campaign committee, mostly for cost savings, as his fundraising efforts had been falling short. His staunch support of President Bush and the War in Iraq have not been well received by fellow Republicans, especially those also seeking the Republican nomination for President of the United States.
According to USA Election Polls (USAElectionPolls.com), McCain is doing best in the Western states, which was predicted. His strongest hold is in his home state of Arizona.
While most candidates are distancing themselves away from Bush and the calling the war a mistake, McCain, a former military member remains behind the decision of the Commander in Chief in his decisions on the war. Even the Republicans who had a chance to back Democratic ideals of ending the war and chose not to do so, are wary of McCain’s candidacy and his up front support of Bush.
McCain has never made promises of ending the war and as a result, with President Bush’s popularity continuing to decline, many Republicans are distancing themselves from the President. McCain is doing just the opposite, knowing that Bush will not be able to help him in his quest for the nomination. Some political watchers say in the long term his support could come back as a bonus, showing him as a candidate not willing to cave to political pressure.
Despite his lack of funding and his position on the war, many think it is too early to count him out of the race. Just as John Kerry lost any support for a presidential run immediately after the last election, McCain’s supporter appear to be slowly backing away. It is too early in the race to consider him down for the count and if his campaign contributions pick up to fund his effort, he could easily move back into a lead.
