Doesn't it seem odd that McCain ended up the GOP lead? I was

thinking about this the other day and began to wonder what promise sell-out-McCain made to the GOP puppet masters in exchange for his rise to power. There was a time when I respected McCain (it was a very long time ago) as a Republican (before their party was hijacked by the NEOCONS). Anyway, in a typical "pact with the devil" kind of move it seems that McCain has made such a deal in order to be their chosen one. Think about it...of all their options...McCain? Unless of course McCain agreed not to investigate this criminal cabal, not to prosecute the crimes committed by this administration, etc. Then, it makes sense that McCain becomes the front runner for the GOP.

In my opinion McCain sold out to this criminal cabal a long time ago so what's a few more years of looking the other way in order to have a shot at *'s 3rd term?

McCain constantly puts his foot in his mouth, he is not captivating, inspiring, "presidential" or any of the things a candidate should be except for his willingness to fall in line with the NEOCON way what does he bring to the table? I do honor his service in the Military all those years ago, but separate from that, what does he have to offer?

It is as if the mob is in charge of Washington DC and they tell the next president how it is going to be and that person does what their told and they get to pretend to be in charge.

Just a thought.

I felt then, and I felt now, that the deal was that he would support Bush's reelection, and stop making noise about disagreeing with Bush. In exchange, the deal was that he got the '08 nomination. You know how those diebold machines just always work out so well....

Rudy with his 9/11 Tourette's issue... the Mitt-Flopper... Huckabee the eater of squirrel brains... those are some crazy-assed people.

That will be worth the price of admission..........

He held it together against the little-leaguers he faced before. But against Obama, he's gonna flail uselessly until his outsized anger rears its head... then we'll have some good fun.

nom because there's been such a flood of skullduggery coming out of the Bush administration that I can hardly see at all.

I can't rule anything out at this point, that's for sure.

Without a doubt, this was a rocky week for John McCain, and as a partisan Democrat, may I add that I hope it is the first of many between now and November.

No Ronald Reagan II this time around, eh fellas?

A candidate that both sides can be unhappy with - a real uniter!

way worse than Kucinich, Edwards or Gravell supporters did.

I feel sort of sorry for them.

Expect an anti-War Republican and conservative Obama voting block

they'll be their for us in November.

edited to add:

They get that Obama doesn't believe in "tyranny by the majority."

They trust him... even when they disagree with him.

Indeed. Most of the base, the non-fanatics who have conceded that Bush was horrible, were expecting someone to the RIGHT of Jr. They had their sights set on a Tancredo, Duncan Hunter or Thompson. Guys who were "true" conservatives and hated immigrants.

Instead they got the co-author of the Amnesty bill with Ted Kennedy of all people. A guy who openly admitted to almost switching parties. A guy whose opinions shift with the political winds just as they just got finished beating Kerry for the same alledged flaw. They got a guy who has spent a career trying to please every side and everything, a "Maverick" because no one actually knows what position he will hold tomorrow.

I know there is a large smear machine behind him, but on the surface he is a sacrificial lamb at best.

and decided to run on war & flags (Gays and God later in the campaign).

Weird that he is the nominee. I don't think there was much to choose from, but still it seems "funny."

Yes, I am saying the only way for me to come to terms with John McCain is to tell myself that he was bitten in the neck by Donald Rumsfeld.

Has jumped the shark when the best they can offer is second hand remakes of the same old thing.

L-

This could be seen in that the Democratic Candidates all had more money going into their Campaigns then did the GOP candidates. Most Corporations do NOT like giving to losses, and given that the GOP is expected to lose this fall, none of the GOP candidates were able to raise the money needed to win.

The Democratic Candidates quickly reduced itself to Hillary and Obama. One of the reasons this campaign has run so long is most people believe whoever gets the nomination will get elected. Thus who was the GOP candidate was of little concern to big donors to the parties.

Given the above, McCain had run in 2000. He had a preexisting name recognition and a preexisting group of supports. Thus he had the best base of all the candidates for the GOP nomination. Now he had the best base, it is possible to over come with this money and support from other parts of the party. The problem is none of the Candidates could raise the money to challenge McCain. None of them had support by a sizable group within the Party to challenge McCain. Thus McCain won more by default, he was the last man standing do to having the most pre-existing support.

Now McCain can still win in the fall, but requires the Democrats to shoot themselves in the foot. The present fight for the nomination is NOT such self-destruction. The issue will be how are both sides reconsider, and that will be in the Convention or at the various inner party meetings before the Convention. What will the old men in the smoke fill room decide (And that includes Obama and Hillary and I doubt smoking will be permitted but the image of a Smoke filled room filled with white males is to strong to resist).