No one stole the show at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference here this weekend, but Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) demonstrated why every other prospective 2008 presidential candidate must figure out how to get around him.
More than any of his potential rivals, McCain found a way to balance embracing a weakened President Bush -- at a time when many Republicans are running away from the president -- while appealing to those in and out of his party who believe Bush and other Washington Republicans have lost their way. No other candidate could claim to offer continuity and change almost simultaneously.
For the record, Hotline sponsored a straw poll at the conference in which McCain finished fifth behind Bill Frist, Mitt Romney, George Allen, and a write in George Bush. Supposedly, McCain asked his supporters to write in Bush, but most of these write ins were not McCain supporters.
It should be noted that even if you throw out Frist's home state voters, he still won the straw poll. Although I don't think Frist has a chance in hell to win the nomination, I do implore republicans to vote for the senior robot from Tennessee. Please, please, give Frist the nomination. This guy is as stiff as they come, and as George Bush proved twice, even stupid beats stiff.
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