In the diaries, Tyler Oakley brought the word that John McCain was restarting his leadership PAC, apparently a sign that he’ll run for another term in 2010. According to Roll Call, McCain is telling his allies that he will indeed run again:
After much speculation that his failed presidential bid would be his last campaign, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has decided to run for re-election to his Senate seat in 2010.
McCain, 72, announced the decision during a meeting Tuesday evening with top ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), advisers Rick Davis, Charlie Black, Carla Eudy and other aides. The meeting, according to a knowledgeable source, took place off the Hill in a private office. […]
Though not at Tuesday’s meeting, one source close to McCain said that running for re-election “is his intention.”
“He’s ready to get back,” this source said. “He likes the game. He likes the deals.”
He still has time to change his mind, of course.
McCain doesn’t run from a fight. If he quit in 2010 the story would be: “McCain lost, and retired from public life two years later.” Besides, he by all accounts enjoys the job, and, despite his age being a subject of much jocularity on the campaign trail, he’s positively fresh by Senate standards.
creating a Tossup race right out of the starting gate.
Hopefully Janet will still take him on and he’ll decide he’d rather retire then lose.
Will mccain the aisle-crosser be reborn, or will the angry old guy steam around the senate?
Despite him saying this, I bet he doesn’t run. Either health reasons or the realization in two or three months that he will never be president.
Needs to run. On a related subject, does anyone know if it’ll be a three-peat for Schumer at the DSCC?
If McCrazy couldn’t even muster up a 9% win IN HIS OWN HOME STATE, then he’s DEFINITELY in trouble against America’s Most Popular Governor (Sorry, Sarah Palin!). So when will Janet Napolitano announce? I’d be willing to go down to Arizona to campaign for her, dammit! 😉
Something tells me life in the powerless minority, staring at Obama on tv every single day will take a toll on McCain. I would be very surprised if he ended up running again.
As an upside, he puts Arizona on the map and in the crosshairs for Democrats nationally. The Arizona state legislature and even the governor office are not very sexy targets. Arizona has disappointed so often that Democrats write it off as a matter of habit and a theory of a hopeless electorate lately more than on the math, I suspect.
Democrats performed at or over par/local generic partisan split alot of places two weeks ago. Arizona was one of the places of definite underperformance from the top of the ticket down (though Ann Kirkpatrick did win AZ1) even if it can be excused by not wanting to insult and abuse McCain. And prioritizing the best turnout operation people and all the money elsewhere. Obama got 45%; imho 49% Democratic vote share was the fair expectation for a strong campaign. And higher in 2010.
This is just speculation on my part, but I think Obama realizes he has a major opportunity on his hands. McCain probably desperately wants to rehabilitate his image and go out on top, once again adored by the press. Obama, knowing this, can help McCain rehabilitate himself like no one else can, and I think their little meeting in Chicago was the first step in that process. (I certainly don’t recall Kerry or certainly Gore having little tete-a-tetes like that with Dubya.)
Anyhow, for Obama, having McCain owe him would be quite a coup. McCain may not be popular with the base, and he’s pissed his own party off more than once. But he still has a lot of friends in the Senate, and he still has a lot of “bipartisan” cred (and the more he makes nice with Obama, the more he’ll start reclaiming). If he lends his prestige and oomph to a signature Obama issue as payback for rehab, then he could regain his former stature and would not make an easy or appealing target for a Napolitano.
Indeed, if my (somewhat convoluted and admittedly thinly sourced) theory is correct, then perhaps Napolitano would be better off taking on Kyl in 2012.
With the likelihood that Eric Holder becomes attorney general in the new administration, that leaves Gov. Napolitano free to run for US Senate. She’s term limited out of office. McCain is a damaged brand even in his own state (where the right-wingers hate him for not being a total nutcase about immigration). It lines up perfectly.
She should start an exploratory committee next year. Maybe McCain can be scared into retirement with the prospect of an epic fight with the governor.
Can we start a draft McCain 2012 campaign? I want to be sure Obama’s re-election is as easy as hit first win was.