Dismantling the Myth of McCain

How the Republican senator’s maverick image is a sham
By David Moberg
In These Times

As the presidential race shifts into summer gear, Democrats have a McCain problem. And John McCain has a Bush problem — or at least Democrats hope he will.

Judging from opinion polls about the president and the direction the country is going, if George W. Bush were on the ballot this fall, Democrats would win the presidency. Even an unspecified Democrat running against a generic Republican would win handily.

But with Sen. Barack Obama facing Sen. McCain, early summer polls show the race gets much tighter, with the lead over McCain for the real Democratic candidate running about 10 points less than for the generic.

McCain’s strength stems from his media-fostered image as a straight-talking maverick reformer and former prisoner of war. But the downside for McCain is that many Republicans distrust him, with roughly a quarter of Republicans withholding votes from him even in late primaries.

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