It's all Bob Dole's fault..

[SoCalDem]

And that rascally republican party's insistence on "turn-taking".

Clinton was not a strong president in '96.. He had lost congress in '94, and had not gotten his groove back yet. He could have been defeated by a guy like McCain, and McCain was just as "qualified" in '96 as he is now..in fact he was MORE qualified then, as a 59-yr old McCain, but it was Bob Dole's turn..

Bob Dole's easy defeat, DID get us a two-term dem, but he closed the window on McCain's fingers..

I am convinced that the Bush family "had the '00 plan" in high gear by the time of the impeachment, and it did not include McCain..

Had McCain run against Clinton in '96, he would probably have won, and been a two-termer, so whomever he would have chosen as a running-mate , would have run in '04 as a vice president..and there would have been no GW presidency..

McCain could have been president...in '96...but not now or ever ..

[dems_rightnow]

1. I definitely agree

.... that McCain's best shot was in '96. I'm not certain he'd have won, but he would have given a much better run at it than Dole.

[Virginia Dare]

2. If he had stood up to Bushco in 2000..

I believe we all would be better off today. They stole every shred of his dignity and integrity, but that's their m.o.

[SoCalDem]

3. the fix was in.. There was NO way he was gonna win..

Those Reagan/Bush papers were due to be released in Jan '01. Mccain would have had no "real" reason to stop them..

and Mccain did not have the big money people behind him like Georgie did..

[Virginia Dare]

4. Which is why it makes me so sick..

that he appears to think this is "owed" to him. I'm sure he was led to believe that. I wonder what words of wisdom Poppy had for him yesterday? I know they're forcing Mittsy down his throat. He's just a pathetic puppet now.