Congratulations to George W. Bush who enjoyed his first presidential primary win on Tuesday in the state of Delaware. With 51 percent of the vote, Bush defeated Senator John McCain by a margin of 26 points. However, there is one subtly worth noting -- McCain never campaigned in Delaware. In fact, at one of the town meetings he held in his run through N.H., McCain was quoted saying that if he went through Delaware on an Amtrak train he would pull down the shades. Still, he was able to win 25 percent of the vote and beat Steve Forbes, who not only campaigned in the state but also won Delaware in 1996.
McCain became the biggest and best story in the country after serving up a serious loss to George W. Bush in N.H. on Feb. 1 and threatening Bush's coronation as the Republican nominee. It was McCain's silver hair and determined face, not Bush's boyish smirk, that garnished the front covers of three major news magazines this past week: U.S. News and World Report, Time and Newsweek. It was McCain's story and message, not Bush's tired rhetoric that was featured in these magazines for the perusal and edification of the American public. Indeed, this is indicative of the momentum McCain has accrued coming out of his win in N.H., but it is also perhaps indicative of the intense competition he has created for Bush in the quest for the Republican nomination.
For even the most novice image consultants and campaign strategists, it was obvious Bush's image and message needed some revamping after his performance in N.H. However, this might be have been a task too large for even Naomi Wolf and the image-creating team of Al Gore. Nonetheless, George W. Bush and his campaign regrouped in Texas this past weekend with the intention of developing a new campaign strategy to combat McCain's increasing popularity. With the South Carolina primary only nine days away, the Bush team exercised their sloganeering skills by introducing a new mantra for George W Bush. First, he was the "compassionate conservative," and now he is the "reformer with results." Perhaps it was the loss in N.H. or even common sense, but it appears as though the Bush campaign has finally realized that their candidate has a charming personality and a famous last name, but his message is far less attractive than the biography and message of reform being touted by McCain.
The latest buzz now surrounding the Bush-McCain contest concerns the negative advertising and piercing comments that both men are throwing back and forth. In N.H., they warmly embraced each other at debates and repeatedly complimented each other on the integrity and good nature of the campaigns they were running. Lately though, it seems these two men are no longer playing nice in the sandbox. While McCain is making comments comparing Bush to Bill Clinton, George W. is returning fire by calling McCain the "Chairman" in reference to his position as the head of the Senate Commerce Committee. On a recent episode of CNN's "Inside Politics," McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, and Bush's head strategist, Karl Rove, went head to head in defense of their candidates. Having the two presidential candidates exchange barbs in the heat of competition is one thing. However, broadcasting catfights between campaign managers is crossing the line. More importantly, it is perfectly indicative of why people are disenchanted with politics and uninterested in the presidential campaign.
The reality is Bush and McCain are going to be aggressive and at times negative -- or as the Bush campaign has said, "delineating differences." The stakes are high, and it is a matter of survival and a matter of expressing conviction in the hopes of winning the nomination. However, Bush and McCain and the Republican Party establishment must be wary of shooting themselves in the foot before they have even named their man. While a large majority of the buzz and media attention is focusing of the turbulent horserace in the Republican contest, there is a powerful man by the name of Al Gore who is gaining more and more momentum every day. Indeed, the Republicans want to nominate the candidate with the best chances of winning in November. However, winning the White House back might be very difficult if they have completely aggravated and frustrated the American public with their nasty, and at times, petty fighting.
