Will Obama face McCain? We’ll know after Super Tuesday
James Forsyth says that the Republican nomination is all but settled, and McCain has achieved a stunning comeback. If the Democrats want the White House, they must pick Obama as their candidate and put the Clinton past behind the party once and for all
At one point it looked as though the Republicans would lose all by themselves in 2008: both history and circumstances were against them. Only once since the war has a party managed to win the presidency after one of its members has served two full terms, and that was in 1988, after the most successful presidency of the modern era — Ronald Reagan’s. It will be a long time, if ever, before anyone lists George W. Bush’s presidency as a success. Meanwhile, conservatives seemed oblivious both to the stench of corruption surrounding their movement and how out of touch they were. But the Republican survival instinct has kicked in and they are set to nominate their strongest candidate, John McCain.
McCain has the most impressive biography of anyone running on either side. It might be remarkable for a former First Lady or the son of a Kenyan goatherd to become president of the United States, but it would even more striking — and a greater testament to character — if someone who survived five and a half years of torture as a prisoner of war did so. McCain’s deeds exert an even more powerful emotional pull than Obama’s magnificent words.
The Arizona senator was declared politically dead last year when his campaign imploded following divisions among his senior staff. His positions on immigration and Iraq, furthermore, seemed to be eroding his support among Republicans and Independents respectively. But by sheer willpower, the same quality that got him through those years in the Hanoi Hilton, he revived his political career. He now campaigns with the exuberance of one who knows that what doesn’t kill you politically makes you stronger, and the nearer he gets to the nomination the more up for the fight he appears.
In Florida McCain looked about a decade younger than he did in the days before New Hampshire. Just after the tracking polls had shown him with a four-point lead on election eve, McCain strode into a rally in Orlando with the same strut that he had as a naval aviator: he is just about the only 71-year-old who could get away with using the music from Top Gun and Rocky at his appearances. Indeed, the mix of tunes seems appropriate given that McCain combines the cockiness of a Maverick with the resilience of a Balboa. McCain’s arms, which he can only raise above his head with pain because of the torture that he endured in Vietnam, are also swinging more freely — and being raised higher — than they have been in a long time. This is a man who is as tough as he is determined.
More articles from: James Forsyth | this section
Post this entry to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Advertisement
Labour’s punishment freaks are hounding honest citizens
Ross ClarkRoss Clark says that far from keeping our streets safer or cleaner, the government’s new force of amateur policemen are ignoring the worst offenders and pursuing law-abiding innocents instead
‘Whoever killed Benazir wants to kill me’
Christina LambChristina Lamb interviews the husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari, who hopes to be named President of Pakistan this Saturday
Never mind the Olympics — get set for the Jubilee
Robert HardmanFree and open to everyone, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 will eclipse the London Games, says Robert Hardman — an unforgettable tribute to the monarch
A pilgrim’s progress for the 21st century
Mary WakefieldMary Wakefield talks to the author William P. Young, whose self-published religious novel has astounded the publishing world and sold nearly two million copies
In defence of David Southall
Theodore DalrympleTheodore Dalrymple examines the evidence against two much-vilified British paediatricians, Professors Southall and Meadow, and finds it sadly lacking
What possessed McCain to take a punt on Palin?
Rod LiddleRod Liddle says that the appointment of an inexperienced, gun-toting formerbeauty queen as his running mate may well be John McCain’s undoing
Here’s how McCain can beat Obama to the White House
Reihan SalamThe acclaimed young Republican writer, Reihan Salam, says that McCain can win the presidency if he appeals relentlessly to the non-college-educated white middle class, pursues family-friendly tax reform and stands for global peace through American strength
Give us back our Big Idea, Mr Cameron
Liam ByrneLiam Byrne — tipped for Cabinet promotion in the reshuffle — says that when Cameroons advocate ‘fraternity’ they are repackaging the Conservative case for the shrinking of the state
America is still the nation whose eyes say ‘yes’
Douglas MurrayDouglas Murray tours a country despondent about its presidential race and increasingly uncertain about Barack Obama. Yet the world still needs America’s strengths
‘There is nothing saying Labour will ever win power again’
Fraser NelsonThe choice facing the governing party is between defeat and annihilation, says Fraser Nelson. For now, Labour is mired in ‘division without decision’ as Jack Straw, David Miliband and others wait to see who — if anyone — will wield the knife against Gordon Brown
Latest blog posts
sponsored links
Sky TV, Broadband & Talk from £16 a Month
Sky TV & free broadband packages available from £16 a month. Choose from a standard free sky box, sky plus or sky hd.
Sky TV, Broadband & Talk from £16 a Month
Sky TV & free broadband packages available from £16 a month. Choose from a standard free sky box, sky plus...
ROME CENTRE
PORTA METRONIA, ROME Standing high on the top of one of the seven hills of Rome- the Coelian- this unique
City Breaks. ROME and PARIS
ROME and PARIS: over 350 holiday rentals apartments listed: visit www.romanreference.com and www.parisreference.com or call +39 0648 903612.
Jewellery. RUFFS (Estd. 1904).
Goldsmiths by Design Welcome to Ruffs! You have found a company of Goldsmiths that specialises in the manufacture, amongst other
Spectator Business | Apollo Magazine
Corporate | Advertising | Privacy | Terms
Spectator, 22 Old Queen Street, London, SW1H 9HP
All Articles and Content Copyright ©2008 by The Spectator | All Rights Reserved
D. Day
January 31st, 2008 3:26amYour annointing of McCain may be premature. He still hasn't won anywhere near 50% of Rep. votes in any primary.
Sempronius
January 31st, 2008 10:27amAn interesting analysis but I'm not sure I agree with it. There is not much substance behind Obama - on national security he's a nightmare - I'm not sure he can withstand the scrutiny of the general election campaign, and he will still have to go some to beat the Clinton machine. I think now Giuliani is gone McCain is a shoo-in for the GOP nomination but I although he has a good chance against Obama I think Hillary will be a tougher prospect - much as I would like to see McCain win.
Ganpat Ram
January 31st, 2008 11:49amSo Forsyth wants Democrats to vote Obama with their brain? I think Forsyth is writing very much with his brain - as a Republican supporter he wants an easy candiadte for the Republicans to beat in the Presidential election. The very fact that so many Republican sympathisers are running over with enthusiasm for Obama makes me very suspicious. Their hatred of Hillary is not irrational, as is so often assumed: they know the Clintons are the most formidable enemies the Republican Party has had for a long time - since FDR, in fact. Nor were the Clinton tactics in South Carolina in the least bit discreditable. IT WAS OBAMA, not the Clintons, who made the election a racial matter, by claiming with nauseating hypocrisy that the Clintons' brief word of appreciation for the anti-racist legislation of President Johnson was meant, of all ridiculous things, to denigrate Martin Luther King....That was DELIBERATE RACIAL INCITEMENT BY OBAMA. For that reason alone I would NEVER vote for such a man. NO: HILLARY FOR PRESIDENT !!!!!!!!
micheal
January 31st, 2008 9:02pmu suck Obama rules
bob
January 31st, 2008 9:03pmObama rules
Diarmuid
January 31st, 2008 10:07pmGanpat - 10 exclamation marks. A sure sign of a deranged mind.
Ganpat Ram
February 1st, 2008 1:07pmDiarmuid: As you haven't a single serious point to make, your response is worthless. I am not surprised - such is the quality of Obamaniacs. It will be a huge pleasure when Hillary eviscerates this swaggering loud-mouthed thin-skinned conman.
NRBuchsbaum
February 2nd, 2008 1:00pmWhen is the ritish press going to finally condemn the Palestinians and stop letting anti-Semitism get in the way?
j.moreno
February 2nd, 2008 1:07pmMr. Forsyth underestimate our capacity to elect personalities, in this case a war "hero", 71 and a half years old who expects to re-live the Vietnamese fiasco. He advocates for more wars, probably beginning the demise of the last empire. All empires end when over reach the military capacities. Roman, Spaniard, French, British, Soviet were not defeated militarily by went bankrupt.
E Ukiro
February 2nd, 2008 8:01pmIt's easy to see why someone like Ram would not like Obama. People of his ilk would not vote for someone like Obama for the most narrow atavistic reasons. While I do not accuse Ram of racism it is still not likely that he would vote for someone whose father is African - for primeval reasons. Pardon the pun.
Jim
February 3rd, 2008 2:45amI am glad to know that the Clinton campaign staff members that are paid full time to serf the net and blob are still fully employed.
AUBREY KAMBA
February 24th, 2008 2:48pmamerica has moved from democracy to oligarchy,and to say dictatorship is non existant in the u.s is a lie they say mugabe has been in power for long but voting for hillary means that having two families rule a country the same number of years mugabe has been into power.voting for hillary is advocating plutocracy , oligarchy, dictatorship.YET people are suffering because of sanctions imposed on the mugabe government.next is another bush followed by chelsea clinton.OBAMA IS THE MAN