McCain's challenge
First Read highlights just how well McCain will have to do to win this November: "according to the latest NBC/WSJ poll, the biggest political albatross heading into November is -- drum roll, please -- George Bush. In the poll, 43% say McCain being too closely aligned to Bush and his policies is a major concern. That’s compared with 36% who say that about Clinton’s apparent flip-flops; 34% who say that about Obama’s bitter-guns-religion remark; 32% who say that about Wright and Bill Ayers; 31% who say that about Clinton’s honesty and trustworthiness; 27% who say that about Bill Clinton having too much influence on policy decisions; 17% who say that about Obama not being patriotic enough; and 16% who believe McCain might be too old. When you add that Bush problem to other macro-political trends -- just 27% approve of Bush’s job (his lowest mark ever in the survey), just 15% think the country is on the right track, 81% believe the country is in a recession -- that’s quite a head wind McCain and the Republicans are facing."
The key for McCain is to make sure that he runs as McCain the maverick and puts sufficient distance between himself and Bush. Even then he is going to have to rely on some missteps by the Democratic nominee.