Would McCain have stayed "moderate" if Romney had beaten him for the '08 nomination?

[liberalpragmatist]

I think it's clear now that McCain is basically a flake. His positions are poorly-thought out and infinitely malleable, dependent on who's advising him and, crucially, on who he's angry at.

In 2001-2003, he was pissed at George W. Bush, angry at the Republicans and the Right, and he would up partnering with Democrats on everything because he was pissed and because his anger at the GOP wound up attracting many disgruntled centrist Republican types to advise him.

Then he wound up moving to the right in anticipation of the '08 campaign, and now has again become a hard-rightist because he hates Obama and is pissed at him. So now he surrounds himself with a bunch of hard-right Republican types and has adopted very right-wing positions.

So here's my question: if Romney had beaten McCain in '08, would McCain have again been pissed at the GOP and been more supportive of Obama?

[treestar]

1. Good point, likely the answer is yes

He's have been all mavericky!

[liberalpragmatist]

3. The one thing that might have keep right-wing though...

... is his primary challenge. So maybe there'd be no difference.

[emulatorloo]

6. McCain unleashed this teabagger nonsense on the USA the moment he chose Palin as VP

He put extreme wingnuttery front and center, and the media set about trying to act like she was mainstream.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. Clear that McCain is a fake?

That's decades old news.

[tularetom]

4. Nah, he's just a bitter little man and his fragile ego can't accept losing

He's pissed off at the world for not recognizing him as the statesman he thinks he is.

I think it''s beginning to dawn on him that he's more or less just a loser.

[jwirr]

5. I think he has always been that way but when they ran him for prez

he was in the spotlight for what he thinks about issues. That is what makes it seem that it is new.

[greencharlie]

7. YES

I believe so...