Monday, October 13, 2008

McCain changes course

According to today's Times, John McCain is having trouble keeping some of the more extreme elements of his support under control and may be regretting choosing Sarah Palin rather than Joe Lieberman as a running mate.

"Mr McCain has been forced to appeal for calm, rebuking a man who said he was afraid of raising his child under Mr Obama. The Republican nominee said to boos from a crowd on Friday: “I have to tell you he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president.” He snatched the microphone later from a woman who suggested Mr Obama was an Arab...

On Saturday the civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis likened the atmosphere at Republican rallies to those of George Wallace, the segregationist former presidential candidate, saying: “Senator McCain and Governor Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division.” Mr McCain responded by expressing sadness that “a man I've always admired would make such a brazen and baseless attack”.

At a weekend event in Iowa, Mr McCain's campaign swiftly repudiated a pastor who introduced him with the claim that millions of foreigners were praying to “Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins”.

Many Republicans now openly acknowledge that his campaign has been adrift in recent weeks, ill-suited to deal with the economic storms or carry the increasingly heavy baggage of Mrs Palin. An inquiry on Friday concluded that she had abused her powers as Alaska Governor by trying to orchestrate the sacking of a state trooper who was her former brother-in-law."

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