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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If you're John McCain, the good news is that you have been endorsed by the President of the United States, George Bush. That may also be the bad news.
Once bitter enemies, the two men staged a virtual love-in at the White House yesterday while Bush sang McCain's praises and promised to do anything he could to help him – whether that means showing up or staying out of the picture. Mr. Bush insists that the election will be a referendum on McCain, not on him.
Really? Not everyone may feel that way. Bush is an unpopular president who is tied, much like McCain, to an unpopular war and is presiding over an economy that, according to billionaire investor Warren Buffet, has already slipped into recession.
So just how closely does McCain want to be identified with President Bush? Some Democrats are already calling McCain "McSame" and referring to him as "George Bush-Light." McCain's campaign suggests they'll use President Bush for fund-raising and at events in heavily Republican parts of the country, but it doesn't sound like there will be many joint appearances.
The campaign insists this has nothing to do with the president's low approval ratings, but rather because the candidate needs to "stand in the sun" on his own. More straight talk from the McCain camp.
The Democrats are positively giddy about being able to tie McCain to the president. The DNC has posted a video clip of Mr. Bush's endorsement on its web site, saying that McCain has "worked hard over the last 8 years to throw away his maverick image and morph into the ultimate Bush Republican." Ergo the nickname, "McSame."
When McCain was asked if the endorsement might hurt him among independent voters, he answered that he's on the same page as the president when it comes to the party's principles along with their shared conservative philosophy. Which was not an answer to the question. Even more straight talk.
Here’s my question to you: What will President Bush’s endorsement mean for John McCain?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Bob writes:
I think that this will certainly hurt McCain… I plan on voting for a Democratic president, but if John McCain aligned himself with a moderate/liberal Republican as VP, then there might be a horse race. In summary, I think if the American people get a hint of Bush from McCain's campaign then it will be a landslide Democratic victory.
Krish writes:
I think it'll help McCain. It'll bring in droves of cash - in the final analysis, this matters. McCain's major strength that he is putting forward is national security and by extension, the war in Iraq. Bush's unpopularity will not wash on McCain.
Bill from Falkville, Alabama writes:
With the president’s approval rating being the same as that of a bubonic rat, McCain needs to distance himself from this failure of a president and his policies. He needs to address what he would change about this administration's policies.
Lance writes:
The endorsement has about the same value as Roger Clemens using Barry Bonds as a reference for a new pitching job!
Bill writes:
Jack, It will mean money, lots and lots of campaign money. And it means McCain has integrity and respect for the office. He's not running away from the president just because he is unpopular.
Debbie from Mesa, Arizona writes:
Lovely photo op yesterday. Kind of reminded me of the photos of Putin and Medvedev. Same story, different continent.
It is true many Democrats are already calling him John McSame and it is also true that many Republicans are referring to him as Juan McCain. Put the two together and you have Juan McSame. And that, "my friend", is a scary, scary prospect.