Its a bad sign for a Republican presidential candidate to lick the feet of the current unpopular commander in chief. It is never good to have less cash on hand than the "fringe" candidate. Its terrible to see your staff leave the campaign in disgust. But when Republican voters favor a Democrat over you, it really is time to walk away.
From The Carpetbagger Report:
Less than a month ago, with his campaign in free-fall, John McCain’s presidential campaign circulated talking points to supporters, explaining the skeleton of the senator’s comeback plan. In a nutshell, the strategy was premised on McCain excelling in three early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Success in these three states would get McCain back on track, and victory would beget more victory. The plan looks a little shaky in light of the senator’s wholesale collapse in Iowa.
How bad is that collapse? Oh, its really, really bad.
The changes among Republican voters since March are dramatic. Romney is now the preferred candidate at 21.8 percent — double his March support.
Giuliani’s support, 10 percent, decreased by almost 8.5 percent. McCain’s support has collapsed in Iowa. His support among registered Republicans dropped from 14.4 percent in March to 1.8 percent in July-August. UI political scientists note that McCain has been passed in popularity not only by former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., who earned 5.2 percent support, but also by a Democratic challenger, Obama, who is supported by 6.7 percent of Republicans. No other candidate received more than 3 percent support. (emphasis added)
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