John McCain The Democrat?

John McCain nearly became a Democrat, with a tip-o-the-hat to OpenLeft.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was close to leaving the Republican Party in 2001, weeks before then-Sen. Jim Jeffords (Vt.) famously announced his decision to become an Independent, according to former Democratic lawmakers who say they were involved in the discussions.

In interviews with The Hill this month, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and ex-Rep. Tom Downey (D-N.Y.) said there were nearly two months of talks with the maverick lawmaker following an approach by John Weaver, McCain’s chief political strategist. - The Hill

If an avowedly anti-abortion, pro-military spending, anti-tax, flip-flopping candidate like John McCain considered joining the Democratic Party at the beginning of the Bush Administration, only to hug-and-make-up with The Executive three years later, could consider joining the Democratic Party, how much more possible is the conversion of so many moderate voters into Democratic partisans?

So who is John McCain?

McCain's political colleagues, however, know another side of the action hero - a volatile man with a hair-trigger temper, who shouted at Senator Ted Kennedy on the Senate floor to "shut up", and called fellow Republican senators "shithead ... fucking jerk ... asshole". A few months ago, McCain suddenly rushed up to a friend of mine, a prominent Washington lawyer, at a social event, and threatened to beat him up because he represented a client McCain happened to dislike. Then, just as suddenly, profusely and tearfully, he apologised. - The Guardian, UK

This is the Republican heir apparent, folks. A man who seriously considered becoming a Democrat in 2001, and was considered a possibility for John Kerry's running mate in 2004. A man who has to go out of his way to try to portray himself as a "true conservative," because the Republican primary voters know that he is only their fair-weather friend.

The enthusiasm gap between our side and the other side is only growing, and Nominee McCain will only exacerbate that problem. Here's some analysis from The Conservative Voice.

Now, McCain is not my favorite Republican. Out of the 2008 Presidential candidates Fred Thompson takes that honor, with Mitt Romney coming in a close second. McCain certainly has good qualities to him. His first good quality is that he's not Hillary Clinton. I think Republicans should bite the bullet if the choice is between a maverick Republican, and a socialist from New York. McCain's resume is not all bad. - The Conservative Voice

Conservatives are tying themselves into knots trying to talk themselves into supporting John McCain. And many of them just can't do it. Meanwhile, Democrats are quite happy with their choices, and the nomination fight has only served to polish and hone the message and campaign skills of our top contenders.

Even as the Republican Party is poised to flay itself over John McCain, we must remember that the real battle has not yet started. Once the nominees are decided, the entire landscape changes, because the knives and swift-boats will be out. We need to stand ready to fight and discredit the falsehoods and framing which no doubt will come in an onslaught.