James Wolcott: McCain in Vain

Vanity Fair

John McCain's Straight Talk Express may have prevailed in the run for the Republican nomination but it's running on bald tires and rusty glory, according to NYCweboy:

More than anything, I think the "McCain Moment" came and went 7 years ago. When John McCain couldn't muster enough "maverick" support within the GOP to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of anointing George W. Bush (funny how they criticize the "coronation" of Clinton - which of course, hasn't happened - when that's been their mode for at least 40 years), he really became just another Republican who had to play by the rules. And in the year of ups and downs, McCain has shown, more than any candidate, a determination to play by rules he doesn't like to win over people he clearly disagrees with to allow him do things they probably don't want anyway.

His victory was product of soft attrition, his chief opponents proving to be a patsy brigade of glass jaws and hollow convictions (with only Mike Huckabee, still in the race, showing the ability to bob and weave and connect), and the math shows how tepid McCain's appeal was:

Turnout has been far higher in Democratic primaries across the country, at anywhere from 50-75% more voters on the D side in some places (and in total numbers for Tuesday).

McCain won South Carolina, for instance, with fewer votes than what he got to lose to Bush in 2000.

On "Super Tuesday" this week, McCain was often little better than 35% ish in states where both Romney and Huckabee were viable; as much as Romney, McCain was almost completely not viable in southern states that Huckabee won.

As George Will points out, McCain's super Tuesday wins of significance came in states where he can't win in November - Illinois, New York, California... just for starters.

In Arizona, his home state, 50% of Republican primary voters... voted for someone else. Hillary Clinton won Arizona with 51%.

(Continued here.)