This could be fun:
Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principles.
McCain has not yet signaled the changes he plans to make in the GOP platform, but many conservatives say they fear wholesale revisions could emerge as candidate McCain seeks to put his stamp on a document that currently reflects the policies and principles of President Bush.
“There is just no way that you can avoid anticipating what is going to come. Everyone is aware that McCain is different on these issues,” said Jessica Echard, executive director of the conservative Eagle Forum. “We’re all kind of waiting with anticipation because we just don’t know how he’s going to thread this needle.”
McCain has spent the past year and a half trying to straddle the philosophical schism in the modern Republican Party. In primaries, he stressed his conservative credentials, but since clinching the nomination he has often reminded voters of his more moderate stances while professing his fealty to conservative positions.
A platform fight at the convention could disrupt that carefully choreographed effort by highlighting the stark differences in vision for the party separating McCain from some of the GOP’s most dedicated activists.
After months of breathlessly and endlessly parsing every statement by the Clintons and Clinton supporters relishing the prospect of a convention fight for Democrats, certainly this will be the top news stories in the liberal media- an actual convention fight over the platform of the GOP. A nice nasty fight over immigration probably will do McCain a world of good with the hispanic vote, that is for sure.
pinola
I don’t particularly want to see this happen. It’s a way for McCain to separate himself from the Bush presidency in the eyes of Republicans and swing voters and I want as little daylight between those two as possible.
dnA
This will be spun as just another side effect of McCain’s impeccable integrity, which you question at your peril, and only if you hate america.
calipygian
If you watched Fred Barnes on Fux Nuz Sunday, Freddie was saying that McCain needs to be like, “Oh Noes! Teh Gayz!” to win.
Nothing like being on the wrong side of history and not even knowing it.
El Cid
Clearly, by reprinting this report, John Cole is questioning John McCain’s service record / integrity, and Bob Schieffer is going to have to stammer, splutter, and nearly cry again.
Nice going, JC.
TR
Better yet, he did so in a canary-yellow sports jacket. The only time it’s alright for a heterosexual man to wear a jacket that color is if he’s getting inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
I think it was a cry for help. “Pay attention to the gays! Pay attention to me!”
Baron Elmo
Don’t forget the indomitable Ron Paul… isn’t he planning to raise a little aitch-ee-double-toothpicks at the convention? Just the thought of a crazed Paul Posse on the loose, screwing mightily with the desperate efforts of the GOP faithful to work up a little enthusiasm for Saint John… it’ll make up for every minute of the hair-tearing insanity we had to endure during the Hillary/Obama cage match.
pinola
Baron Elmo: hmm, you have a point there. Yeah, could be worth a peek, most definitely!
jake
Le Feexed.
scarshapedstar
Seriously, don’t get your hopes up. If Wolf Blitzer and Co. deign to mention this, it will be in the manner usually reserved for protest marches: find one guy wearing a “Buck Fush and Muck FcCain” t-shirt, bring in a fat random Paultard and Ed Gillesppie/Karl Rove/Trent Lott to be the talking heads, and Ed/Karl/Trent will point out that they “look and sound just like Michael Moore and probably voted for John Kerry” while the Paultard sputters about the deficit, and then move on to a TMZ photo in which Amy Winehouse appears to be sporting track marks. Fin.
$5 says that the coverage will be painfully similar to what I’ve described and you will be disappointed. Anyone wearing a Hillary T-shirt at the Democratic Convention, on the other hand, will be a weeklong celebrity.
Splitting Image
Prediction:
Obama will keep his lead at about 5 points or so up until the conventions. If he’s still clear after the Republican convention, he’s got it.
It’s a little worrisome right now since the Democratic convention appears to be somewhat poorly organized. They really do need to have their act together. On the other hand, the Republicans have to manufacture a flawless performance if McCain is going to come out ahead. He needs the boost more than Obama.
Assuming Obama is still a few points ahead after the Republican convention, he should hold it until the debates, at which point he should pull ahead by 10 or 15 points.
This is what I’ve been assuming will happen for months. If the Republican convention turns nasty, Obama should end up further ahead than expected. I wonder what will happen then? Half of the Republicans will realize the writing is on the wall, and the other half will go nuclear.
ThymeZone
Magoo is going for broke. He can easily get everything wrong. He’s just about there now.
Punchy
It would be if you were to see this on TV, read about it the paper, and his discussions of its impact on the radio. But you wont. So it wont. B/c The Media wont allow it.
Of course, if it gets out, it’s only Evidence of McCane’s Incredibly Jowely Maverickynessiousness.
The media’s going full-on for McCane to win this.
nightjar
Somewhat Off-topic, Wingnuts play Hitler Card AND Beatles Card on Obama’s convention acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium.
Tlazolteotl
So, McCain is already losing the Hispanic vote by something like 30 percentage points. “Do him a world of good” could be worse!
joe
There’s a ‘Beatles Card?’
Srsly?
PeterJ
My guess is that the Beatles card has to do with this.
Well, what can the wingnuts do except cry and throw hissy fits?
In other news, the GOP have decided to let McCain give his acceptance speech in front of another green screen and then they will add the audience in post production.
nightjar
Scroll some down the link I provided.