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McCain camp raises $11.2 million in 2Q
By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 57 minutes ago
Republican John McCain reorganized his campaign Monday, cutting staff in every department as he raised just $11.2 million in the last three months and reported an abysmal $2 million cash on hand for his presidential bid.
"We confronted reality and we dealt with it in the best way that we could so that we could move forward with this campaign focused on winning our primaries in the early states," said Terry Nelson, McCain's campaign manager.
Once considered the front-runner for the GOP nomination, McCain trails top Republican rivals in money and polls.
More than 50 staffers, and perhaps as many as 80 to 100, were being let go, and senior aides will be subject to pay cuts as the Arizona senator bows to six months of subpar fundraising, according to officials with knowledge of the details of the shake up. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the campaign would not publicly discuss details of the restructuring.
McCain's tally in the second financial quarter, which ended Saturday, is expected to trail those of Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who have not yet released their totals. In the first quarter, McCain came in third and raised just $13.6 million.
Officials said the fundamental leadership of the campaign will not change; Nelson, a veteran of President Bush's winning 2004 campaign, will remain campaign manager but said he would volunteer his time instead of drawing a salary for the next few months.
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I think that Bush is done except in the eyes of some die-hard war hawk Republicans. The off-year election should have told him that the public (in my opinion) wants fewer soldiers Iraq. Instead, he throws more soldiers into it. Also, he supported the amnesty bill that I think further drove away some of the Republican base. Time is still left but unless there is significant lasting change in Iraq and a strengthening of our borders, the Bush teams ideology, if not the Republican party, will be finished for a while.
Of course I have no scientific survey or crystal ball. This is, after all, just reasonable speculation on my part.
Bush is running again? I thought that was prohibited?
I understand that Bush cant run again. Thats probably why he seems to be doing his own thing (playing the lame duck in my opinion). I meant that he is losing support. Those who strongly support Bush might lose support themselves. Perhaps, as election time approaches, Republicans may even want to distance themselves from Bush. I hope that this better explains what I meant to convey. Bush, himself, cant run again. Neither could Bill Clinton. Yet, Bushs policy, views, and position could continue under the next president. That seems to be more and more unlikely.
What does all that mean?
If he wants his position, policies, and ideas to continue he should listen to the public and compromise. If he wants to help his political party to win the next election, he should listen to the public and compromise more, or stay out of the way of other Republicans who want to distance themselves from him. Bushs term will be over soon but his ideas might continue if he becomes more moderate.
What leads you to think such? His base loathes him on all but the WOT, which he is about to garner hatred on as well.
He might lose some of his base or right wing war hawks but I think that he would gain some moderates, anti-war conservatives, and some of the undecided crowd those that think that he has done enough.
He might lose some of his base or right wing war hawks but I think that he would gain some moderates, anti-war conservatives, and some of the undecided crowd those that think that he has done enough.
Bush, GW, the Holy Terror is going to pick up 'moderates', 'anti-war' conservatives, right.
I might be way off base on this. I dont have statistics. I just think that he is ignoring the desires of the general public and losing some moderate conservatives in the process. He will only be left with die-hard Republican Bush bots (for lack of a better term) who will vote Republican anyway no matter what.
Okay. Okay. You have a point there but I do think that there are some conservatives who think that enough is enough who would still vote Republican if Bush would just ease up. I guess that anti-war was a bad divisive word to use. I guess that I cant explain myself very well except to say that in my opinion, if Bush wants to win more votes for the Republican Party, he needs to listen to get general sentiment of the general population.
Bottom line, Bush could NEVER have won over those you are referring to. Now he can't even get some defense of any of his positions. Lost cause.
Okay. I suppose that Bush and his plans will be gone in a year or so, but do you think that his uncompromising stubbornness has irrevocably damaged the Republican Party come Election Day?
Sorry that I pulled the topic from McCain. From what I see, McCain is a non-entity politically. He was an entertaining maverick for a while but people have lost interest. He has practically no chance of winning the presidency.
I suppose that depends on him. Can we count on more like amnesty? If yes, no he will not hurt the party, he's off the rails.
My guess, he's about to pull the rug out from the troops, surprisingly the democrats may come to the rescue. Losing the left, but gaining the right.
I guess that we agree to disagree. I think that if Bush becomes more of a moderate and listens to the people, the Republicans will win more votes than lose.
Also, to not fund the troops would be to pull the rug out from the troops. To not supply them with every bit of armor that they need is to pull the rug out. See:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/08/rumsfeld.troops/
To send troops home would not be analogous to pulling the rug out.
