And in the end, I voted for….
John McCain. I was tempted to vote for Romney — not because I’m really a fan of Mitt, but because I wanted to se Romney push McCain on economic issues. I’ve never bought the supposition that candidates who lock up the nomination early are better placed for a general election victory. Competition is what brings ...
John McCain. I was tempted to vote for Romney -- not because I'm really a fan of Mitt, but because I wanted to se Romney push McCain on economic issues. I've never bought the supposition that candidates who lock up the nomination early are better placed for a general election victory. Competition is what brings out the mettle in a politician. McCain has certainly been tested, and he deserves some credit for sticking to his positions even when they cost him the frontrunner status. I liked a lot of his Foreign Affairs essay, and I really like his take on executive power. Still, like Ross Douthat, I can't shake the impression that McCain has reclaimed that status more by default, luck, and the utter incompetence of the rest of the GOP field. Think about this. Giuliani self-destructed. Romney's pandering was about as subtle as a 15-year old boy would be in a room with the Pussycat Dolls. Paul's a bigot -- or quite friendly with bigots, I'm not sure which. Tancredo and Hunter were non-entities. Only Huckabee has improved his standing from the campaign he's run, but that's not saying much. It would be good to see Romney, as the last man standing, push McCain to be a better candidate. In the end, when faced with his name on the ballot, I couldn't seriously pull the trigger on someone who appears to hold no core values whatsoever.
John McCain. I was tempted to vote for Romney — not because I’m really a fan of Mitt, but because I wanted to se Romney push McCain on economic issues. I’ve never bought the supposition that candidates who lock up the nomination early are better placed for a general election victory. Competition is what brings out the mettle in a politician. McCain has certainly been tested, and he deserves some credit for sticking to his positions even when they cost him the frontrunner status. I liked a lot of his Foreign Affairs essay, and I really like his take on executive power. Still, like Ross Douthat, I can’t shake the impression that McCain has reclaimed that status more by default, luck, and the utter incompetence of the rest of the GOP field. Think about this. Giuliani self-destructed. Romney’s pandering was about as subtle as a 15-year old boy would be in a room with the Pussycat Dolls. Paul’s a bigot — or quite friendly with bigots, I’m not sure which. Tancredo and Hunter were non-entities. Only Huckabee has improved his standing from the campaign he’s run, but that’s not saying much. It would be good to see Romney, as the last man standing, push McCain to be a better candidate. In the end, when faced with his name on the ballot, I couldn’t seriously pull the trigger on someone who appears to hold no core values whatsoever.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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