I wanna be president soooo bad...

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McCain is doing what digby calls the Maverick Mambo. Part of this seems to be picking a fight with Grover Norquist. This may be a good idea, since I bet most Americans have no idea who Grover Norquist is. I’ve enjoyed McCain when he’s spoken out against the Bush administration on torture and global climate change. But the guy seems just as deluded as the Bush administration when it comes to Iraq, if not more so. And he’s shown that he’s been willing to kiss the ass of the Christianists (whom he formerly held at arms length) in his quest for the presidency. I think we should declare the official McCain honeymoon over and start talking about all the Bush water this man has carried.

It will be interesting to see how the Republican nomination process shapes up. I have no doubt there will be someone running who is cozier with the Christianists than McCain. McCain is also vulnerable because of his insufficiently xenophobic immigration stance. You can bet that someone will be trying to whip that horse to the Republican nomination. On the other hand, McCain might look very strong in a general election, so the Republicans may rally around him. Digby seems to think that the Republican base is very docile and will go along with a candidate anointed from on high:
Everyone believes that McCain will have trouble with the GOP base but I really doubt it. The old saying is true: Republicans fall into line, Democrats fall in love. The religious right will do as its told. They always have and they always will. At the end of the day I think McCain wins the nomination and the wingnut Christians support him.
I am less sanguine on McCain’s prospects with the Republican base. I believe that the Christianists are very much “feeling their oats” these days and are more and more insisting that they get their way (witness the failure of the Harriet Meiers supreme court nomination). And the anti-immigrant crowd has shown no deference for their “dear leader” Bush, and I doubt they will for McCain, especially when another candidate is pandering to their desires. Still, when faced with the Democratic alternative, the Christianists and Xenophopes may do as they’re told. But maybe they’ll do enough damage in the primary that McCain will lose his ridiculous aura of being everything to everyone. At any rate, it’s going to be an interesting campaign season, for both the Democratic and Republican nominations in 2008.

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