July 13, 2007
McCain: I'll Drop Out When I'm Dead
Sen. John McCain said only death would keep him out of the 2008 presidential race, even as his campaign machine continues to fall apart around him.
When asked if he could foresee circumstances in which he would drop his bid for the White House, McCain quipped, "Contracting a fatal disease." McCain was speaking to reporters following an address to the Concord Chamber of Commerce in New Hampshire.
McCain added, "I was [just] in Iraq. You never know."
The Arizona senator acknowledged that he has lost support from conservatives and independents because of his positions on immigration and Iraq, respectively. But he said he was sticking to his guns.
"I take responsibility for those positions as well as for any, quote, problems we have within the campaign function," he said.
McCain's bid for the GOP nomination seems close to being derailed after a week of bad news. McCain lost his top two campaign staffers, Terry Nelson and John Weaver, on Tuesday. More than half his campaign staff has been laid off in order to stanch the flow of money leaving the campaign.
Initially, it seemed like Nelson and Weaver left the campaign out of frustration with the glacial pace of fundraising and McCain's refusal to waver on his Iraq and immigration positions. But later reports indicate that McCain asked the two to resign.
One reason might be that McCain's campaign is nearly broke, after spending practically all of the $25 million it raised in the first half of the year. McCain's camp reported that it has more than $1 million in outstanding debt, which would leave the campaign with coffers in the six figures. (Washington Post's Paul Kane has logged Weaver's extravagant spending habits.)
In national polling, McCain has been unable to close in on front-runner Rudy Giuliani, despite the former NYC mayor's mixed record with conservatives. A new USA Today/Gallup poll had McCain lagging behind Fred Thompson, who isn't even officially in the race.
McCain today said it was "very tough" to lose Weaver, but insisted he could still win the GOP nomination.
"We've always had a relatively small staff, and we've never been able to compete on money," he said. "But we'll win the same way we almost won in 2000."
McCain's optimism doesn't seem to comport with reality. It's difficult to see how he can convince voters that he is right about Iraq with such paltry resources. McCain is right when he says money doesn't win campaigns, but it is a sign of voter enthusiasm. Compared to the rest of the top tier -- and even Ron Paul, who polls in the single digits -- there is little for McCain's second go at the White House.
It is supremely ironic that the disintegration of McCain's shot at the presidency is twinned to the plummeting political fortunes of President Bush, the man he nearly defeated in the 2000 primary campaign. Up until recently, McCain enjoyed a sparkling reputation among independent-minded voters of both parties. He also has the longest resume on defense and military issues out of the entire slate of candidates. This week could mark the beginning of an infelicitous end to McCain's presidential aspirations.
Posted at 1:33 PM
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Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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