McCain and Republicans Distance themselves from Bush Legacy as Convention Begins Tomorrow

[AlphaCentauri]

Fast on the heels of the pageantry that Democrats offered in Denver, John McCain and the Republicans start their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota on Monday, making a valiant effort to look further and far away from the George Bush presidency. McCain seems willing to take on orthodoxies and to be a maverick at times. He proved it with his V P pick, Sarah Palin of Alaska. A new breed of Republicans is emerging on the scene as delegates assemble in Minnesota. This might turn out to be an incredibly compelling convention and we are definitely going to witness hectic times, according to some critics.

Change is what is shaping US politics today: “a change oriented election cycle with the economy as its motivator”- a dynamic that Obama and McCain would capitalize on... We have relatively new candidates, Obama and Palin. They are matched by two experienced stalwarts, McCain and Biden. This is quintessential politics, riding the wave of crosscurrents leading to a major change but backed by those who had been running the show for decades.

America is now facing two cohesive bases-Republican and Democratic. Within those two there are segments that may look contradictory. How Obama and McCain can unite their bases would determine the course of history. Meanwhile, between 10-15% of independents are sitting on the fence according to many surveys.

Republican convention next week would target some key states in order to win over those independents. Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Virginia come to mind, just to name a few.

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