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Sen John McCain has taken an active role in recruiting center-right candidates to run for office in 2010.
From the Politico
Fresh from a humbling loss in last year’s presidential election, Sen. John McCain is working behind-the-scenes to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image.
McCain is recruiting candidates, raising money for them and hitting the campaign trail on their behalf. He’s taken sides in competitive House, Senate and gubernatorial primaries and introduced his preferred candidates to his top donors.
When the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy created a vacant Senate seat in Massachusetts, McCain went so far as to solicit former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling to run for the seat.
It’s all part of an approach that is at odds with most other recent failed presidential nominees, whose immediate response to defeat was to retreat from the electoral arena. But those familiar with McCain’s thinking say he has expressed serious concern about the direction of the party and is actively seeking out and supporting candidates who can broaden the party’s reach.
In McCain’s case, that means backing conservative pragmatists and moderates.
“I think he’s endorsed people with center-right politics because he has an understanding that the party is in trouble with certain demographics and wants to have a tone that would allow us to grow,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who is McCain’s closest friend and ally in the Senate.
“At a time when our party is struggling and has a lot of shrill voices and aggressive voices, he’s one that can expand our party,” said John Weaver, a longtime McCain friend and strategist.
“John remains the titular head of the Republican Party and he will be until there’s a new nominee,” he said. “Most of the people that ran and lost you never heard from again,” he said. “He’s not going to be like Ed Muskie or Hubert Humphrey.”
In essence McCain wants candidates that are more like him. That worked well for the GOP in 2008.
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About the author
Don Irvine is Chairman of Accuracy in Media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow him @donirvine to read his latest thoughts.
9 Comments for McCain Pushing GOP to the Center
Will someone please tell John McShame to GO AWAY! He has done nothing to enhance the Republican Party. It is time for Senator McCain to get out of the proverbial closet and join his fellow donkeys in the Socialist Democrat Party!
I hate to say this because I respect what John McCain has had to endure. However on so many KEY issues he has split the Conservative vote/philosophy, and done so much damage in process. I don’t have to say any more than McCain-Fiengold, but there are other quieter examples. I suspect those that openly, lovingly refers to him as a maverick really held him in disdain and laughed at him behind closed doors, … well someone laughed anyway. He’s a “Useful Idiot” to the “Useful Idiots” -I know what the original term meant- I’m sorry to say this because he’s given so much and he has courage but this courage has become misplaced. His Presidential campaign was a joke not entirely his fault but a good deal was. At best he’s an old fool who should retire.
McCain should retire from politics. He no longer recognizes what is in the best interest of American conservatives. He is doing more harm than good.
Ditto. John, please retire—your curious values and compromises are not the key to the future. The problem with success and riches, however achieved, can lead to an unwarranted self-confidence in all your ideas. John, recognize your limitations and that all your honest attempts at bi-partisian-ism only strengthened your opponents. When you confronted Obama in the debates for not stopping his supporters foul ads, he replied “it’s a tough campaign.” You should have right then and there said ‘so be it’ and turned your own independent supporters loose while maintaining your own style. Instead, you took the imperial position. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men can’t repair your flaws. Just retire, enjoy your pensions and your wife’s success. God speed and watch over you in your retirement
McCain runs the Repub party. To bad rank and file repubs are blissfully un-aware of this. Repubs don’t even know Trump is a big player in the Repub party quietly pushing gambling interests.
McCain is not the head of the Republican Party, in fact when he attempted to enlist Curt Shilling, he should have gone through the RNC.
John has lost his way, although I do respect him, and he needs to continue winning his seat until there is a better Republican who can win his seat.
Do not want to give the Dems a chance at his place.
I did not want to see Obama elected but I also did not want to see McCain elected so I could not bring myself to vote for one of these men and I believe there where millions of voters out there who felt as I did. There is hardly any difference between McCain or Obama and even today I feel the same way and would not vote for either.
Sorry but McCain is not the leader America wants or needs and I would never vote for him even as dog catcher. He wants to make ever illegal who cvrosses our border given amnesty and I disagree strongly with this. I hate illegals and believe american laws should be enforced and would never vote for someone who did not enforce our immigration laws and our border. I think of John McCain as I do John Kerry and could never trust one of them.
John McCain is hurting the Republican Party.
ebony,
I agree with you, McCain has changed over the years, but we have to get someone else in the Office of President who will help this Country get back on it’s feet. If Obama’s Government Run Health Care, and Crap and Tax (Cap and Trade) Bills pass. We can all kiss the Greatest Nation ever…Goodbye.
Mexico closes their borders on both sides, in fact every nation has border laws, we do as well, but they are not being enforced. The Democrats/Liberals/Socialists all want them here to vote for their party, they really do not give a damn about them otherwise. We have enough poor people as it is before they began coming over in droves. Not to mention the Border Violence, and all the illegals let out of jails, just to end up killing people. The bigger problem is that we have terrorists coming across both borders, but the Mexican border, they dress just like them to get here.
If you sneak across their border and are caught, you go to jail, when and if you are deported back to the US, you are put on a no entry list.
Cannot wait for the 2010 elections and the 2012, when someone gets Barack out of office…In my opinion, Presidents have no skin color, in fact I am hoping to hear more from J.C. Watts, former Congressman from Oklahoma to see what his agenda is…he is a Black Republican, and was one hell of a Congressman…just another fresh one to look at and see where he stands.
John McCain still doesn’t get it. He lost the election for all the reason stated above. We don’t want a Rhino, I want a true, conservative not some wishy washy, let’s all get along type candidate. I admire his herosim and respect him a a true war hero, but as a political leader, sorry, it’s time to give it up and let a true conservative step in. Lindsey Graham suffers from the same disease and neither will ever get my support again.