Although some Republicans may say that there is no problem distinguishing John McCain from George Bush, the reality of the matter makes for a very tricky situation. Party leaders worry about being seen as supporting a third term for George Bush and the specifics of the upcoming convention in Minnesota are very, very important. It is so essential to pull it off just right, that some do not even want Bush to be seen (let alone heard) at the big event at all.
From The NY Times:
This year, of course, Mr. McCain is trying to escape from Mr. Bush’s shadow. Most Republicans say Mr. Bush should play whatever role Mr. McCain wants him to. Some, like Representative Dana Rohrabacher of California, simply wish Mr. Bush would keep out of it, though few would say so openly.
“I don’t think there are a lot of people who want to see him at the convention,” said Mr. Rohrabacher, who is especially irked with Mr. Bush for his stance on immigration. He said the president “should stay home from the Republican convention, and everybody would be better off.”
But others, like Rob Portman, a former congressman and budget director for Mr. Bush, say Mr. McCain would be unwise to put too much distance between himself and the sitting president. “The president’s approval rating among Republicans’ base voters who are needed for a successful McCain campaign is relatively high,” Mr. Portman said.
Despite intra-party differences, one thing is for sure, there will definitely not be anymore embraces of the two Republican icons. As for the divide in opinion between those like Rohrabacher and Portman, both know that George Bush is a problem for their brand, since he has been the official banner holder for the last eight years. The question is, do you try to earn the respect of a small minority or look to convince a larger minority?
Of course appearances are important and especially in St. Paul when voters really begin to pay attention, but the real worry for the GOP is if those voters look at the candidate's policy decisions and see that John McCain, despite any theatrics, is just more of the same from the last eight years.
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