Monday, January 21, 2008

Novak: GOP rallying around McCain

Syndicated columnist Robert Novak says the Republican party is prepared to circle its wagons around Sen. John McCain for the presidential nomination. In his latest column, Novak says McCain's South Carolina performance Saturday was a far more important win than Mitt Ronmney's in Nevada (which was only contested by Romney and Ron Paul) sent a signal to Republicans, who do not care for a free-for-all battle, that McCain is the man:

Sen. John McCain's win over Mike Huckabee in South Carolina was no landslide, but stands as by far the most important win in his quest for the presidency. It means that McCain by any measurement is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. He clearly leads in Florida's Jan. 29 primary, and a victory there will send him into the virtual national primary Feb. 5 threatening to wipe out his opposition.

The question is whether the Republican establishment's grudges will persist, as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's have, to somehow keep from the nomination the candidate the Democrats feel is the strongest Republican in a general election. The probable answer is no, because it is in the nature of Republicans to abhor a Democrat-like free-for-all and seek an anointed candidate. McCain is far closer to such a status than his principal rival, Mitt Romney.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be nice if columnists and reporters would let the GOP make up it's own mind on who we want as our candidate? I for one certainly don't see most republicans circling around McCain. Just one look at conservative talk radio for example, will tell you that it is Romney whom the wagons are starting to circle around.