Changes

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]] [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]] formally announced his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States]] in Portsmouth, [[New Hampshire]] on April 25, 2007, and became the GOP nominee in September 3, 2008, after the longest primary season in history.

[[Image:Casmier.jpg|right|thumb]] [[Arizona]] [[Senator]] [[John McCain]] formally announced his candidacy for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States]] in Portsmouth, [[New Hampshire]] on April 25, 2007, and became the GOP nominee in September 3, 2008, after the longest primary season in history.

While his campaign's success was once considered unlikely, McCain won several early primaries and went on to win enough delegates to secure the nomination. McCain had gained national prominence during his surprisingly strong presidential campaign in 2000. He lost to now-President [[George W. Bush]].  

While his campaign's success was once considered unlikely, McCain won several early primaries and went on to win enough delegates to secure the nomination. McCain had gained national prominence during his surprisingly strong presidential campaign in 2000. He lost to now-President [[George W. Bush]].  

==Campaign development==

==Campaign development==

Based on his longevity in the Senate and his previous race in 2000, McCain already had name recognition coming up to the 2008 election.  He informally stated he would be a candidate for the [[2008 Presidential Election]] on the ''Late Show with [[David Letterman]]'' on February 28, 2007, and officially announced his candidacy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, two months later. A few weeks prior to making his announcement on ''Letterman'', he was beginning to trail behind former Mayor of [[New York City]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] in the polls. McCain supported the 2007 proposal by President George W. Bush for a "surge", an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed in the [[Iraq War]], which thankfully for McCain was a success. He started a series of campaign events entitled the "No Surrender Tour."  His campaign became far more prominent with his wins in the [[New Hampshire primary]] and on [[Super Tuesday]], and since [[Mitt Romney]] endorsed him was considered a virtual certainty to win the nomination.  He finally reached the 1,191 delegates to win the nomination on the [[Super Tuesday II]] contests on March 4th.

Based on his longevity in the Senate and his previous race in 2000, McCain already had name recognition coming up to the 2008 election.  He informally stated he would be a candidate for the [[2008 Presidential Election]] on the ''Late Show with [[David Letterman]]'' on February 28, 2007, and officially announced his candidacy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, two months later. A few weeks prior to making his announcement on ''Letterman'', he was beginning to trail behind former Mayor of [[New York City]] [[Rudy Giuliani]] in the polls. McCain supported the 2007 proposal by President George W. Bush for a "surge", an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed in the [[Iraq War]], which thankfully for McCain was a success. He started a series of campaign events entitled the "No Surrender Tour."  His campaign became far more prominent with his wins in the [[New Hampshire primary]] and on [[Super Tuesday]], and since [[Mitt Romney]] endorsed him was considered a virtual certainty to win the nomination.  He finally reached the 1,191 delegates to win the nomination on the [[Super Tuesday II]] contests on March 4th.

==Fund raising issues==

==Fund raising issues==

Senator McCain has announced that he will accept public financing for the general election.  After his party's nominating convention, the Federal Elections Commission will provide him with a check for $85 million.  His opponent, Senator Obama, has chosen to opt-out of the general election financing, the first major candidate to do so since the inception of federal funding.  Obama's campaign has stated that they expect to bring in more than the $85 million provided by the FEC and therefore do not want to abide by the spending limits incurred by accepting federal funding.  To balance out the expected fundraising advantage Senator Obama has, Senator McCain will be relying also on the Republican National Committee to help with the campaign through advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts.  The RNC has a distinct fundraising advantage over its Democratic counterpart, the Democratic National Committee.  The lack of funds, though, will hurt down-ticket Republicans who will not be able to fall back on RNC fundraising, but instead will have to rely on their own efforts as well as that of the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee which have lagged compared to their Democratic counterparts, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Senator McCain has announced that he will accept public financing for the general election.  After his party's nominating convention, the Federal Elections Commission will provide him with a check for $85 million.  His opponent, Senator Obama, has chosen to opt-out of the general election financing, the first major candidate to do so since the inception of federal funding.  Obama's campaign has stated that they expect to bring in more than the $85 million provided by the FEC and therefore do not want to abide by the spending limits incurred by accepting federal funding.  To balance out the expected fundraising advantage Senator Obama has, Senator McCain will be relying also on the Republican National Committee to help with the campaign through advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts.  The RNC has a distinct fundraising advantage over its Democratic counterpart, the Democratic National Committee.  The lack of funds, though, will hurt down-ticket Republicans who will not be able to fall back on RNC fundraising, but instead will have to rely on their own efforts as well as that of the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee which have lagged compared to their Democratic counterparts, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

   

Negatives about McCain include his age: if elected McCain,at 72, will be the oldest person elected President for the first time.  In a CNN poll conducted a month before the election, 47% of surveyed voters were either "somewhat concerned" or "very concerned" about McCain's ability to complete a first term.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/09/ftl.health.poll/index.html Poll: 47 percent concerned McCain wouldn't finish first term]</ref> He has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns ([[malignant melanoma]] in 2000), stating in 2005 that his health was "excellent."

==Campaign Issues==

 

====Eligibility====

 

===Budget===

===Budget===

McCain has stated he plans to balance the budget by 2013, via spending cuts by ending earmarks and proposing a one-year pause in discretionary spending, in addition to tax cuts.<ref>[http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/4dbd2cc7-890e-47f1-882f-b8fc4cfecc78.htm John McCain's Economic Proposals]</ref>  Economic experts, though, are skeptical that the ideas proposed by Senator McCain will create a balanced budget.  According to Robert L. Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group, "It would be very difficult to achieve in the best of circumstances, and even more difficult under the policies that Senator McCain has proposed." <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/us/politics/08budget.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Skepticism on McCain Plan to Balance Budget]</ref>

McCain has stated he plans to balance the budget by 2013, via spending cuts by ending earmarks and proposing a one-year pause in discretionary spending, in addition to tax cuts.<ref>[http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/4dbd2cc7-890e-47f1-882f-b8fc4cfecc78.htm John McCain's Economic Proposals]</ref>  Economic experts, though, are skeptical that the ideas proposed by Senator McCain will create a balanced budget.  According to Robert L. Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan budget watchdog group, "It would be very difficult to achieve in the best of circumstances, and even more difficult under the policies that Senator McCain has proposed." <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/us/politics/08budget.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Skepticism on McCain Plan to Balance Budget]</ref>

In August of 2008, McCain supporters in the [[Pennsylvania]] GOP filed a lawsuit to remove Libertarian candidate [[Bob Barr]] from the ballot in Pennsylvania.<ref>[http://www.foxreno.com/politics/17258065/detail.html GOP Wants Barr Barred From Pa. Ballot: Candidate Claims McCain Camp Playing Dirty]</ref> Barr is a staunch conservative and could draw votes away from McCain in a state where McCain could ill afford it.  The suit says Libertarians waited too long to substitute Barr's name for the stand-in candidate whose name had appeared on petitions. Barr denies the accusation.

In August of 2008, McCain supporters in the [[Pennsylvania]] GOP filed a lawsuit to remove Libertarian candidate [[Bob Barr]] from the ballot in Pennsylvania.<ref>[http://www.foxreno.com/politics/17258065/detail.html GOP Wants Barr Barred From Pa. Ballot: Candidate Claims McCain Camp Playing Dirty]</ref> Barr is a staunch conservative and could draw votes away from McCain in a state where McCain could ill afford it.  The suit says Libertarians waited too long to substitute Barr's name for the stand-in candidate whose name had appeared on petitions. Barr denies the accusation.

==Criticisms==

==Criticisms==

McCain discussed with the press that he is computer illiterate, a position that some have since criticized.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R9wnMVZE_Q Youtube: John McCain Admits He Can't Use a A Computer]</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/us/politics/13mccain.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&hp&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1216062882-WQLoVeqid4IdgFtNqjqEXQ</ref>

McCain discussed with the press that he is computer illiterate, a position that some have since criticized.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R9wnMVZE_Q Youtube: John McCain Admits He Can't Use a A Computer]</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/us/politics/13mccain.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&hp&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1216062882-WQLoVeqid4IdgFtNqjqEXQ</ref>

According to close McCain advisers, the nominee has been seriously considering a pro-choice running mate, with [[Senator Joe Lieberman]] and former [[Pennsylvania]] governor and Secretary of [[Homeland Security]] [[Tom Ridge]] most often mentioned.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12646.html McCain weighs a Lieberman surprise]</ref>  This has brought serious criticism from conservative voices such as [[Rush Limbaugh]], who stated: "He’s not going to help himself any additional way, he’s going to hurt himself by putting a liberal or a liberal Republican on this ticket, particularly pro-choice."<ref>[http://thepage.time.com/rush-limbaugh-on-prospect-of-pro-choice-veep-pick/ Rush Limbaugh on Prospect of Pro-Choice Veep Pick]</ref>  In addition, [[Laura Ingraham]] weighed in during an on-air interview with Senator McCain, asking "How could you consider selecting someone who opposed the federal partial birth abortion ban and was one of the eleven original cosponsors of the radical freedom of choice act as your vice president given your pro-life stance?"<ref>[http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/With_buzz_building_on_prochoice_veep_McCain_remains_coy_on_vp.html?showall With buzz building on pro-choice veep, McCain remains coy on VP]</ref>

According to close McCain advisers, the nominee had been seriously considering a pro-choice running mate, with [[Senator Joe Lieberman]] and former [[Pennsylvania]] governor and Secretary of [[Homeland Security]] [[Tom Ridge]] most often mentioned.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12646.html McCain weighs a Lieberman surprise]</ref>  This brought serious criticism from conservative voices such as [[Rush Limbaugh]], who stated: "He’s not going to help himself any additional way, he’s going to hurt himself by putting a liberal or a liberal Republican on this ticket, particularly pro-choice."<ref>[http://thepage.time.com/rush-limbaugh-on-prospect-of-pro-choice-veep-pick/ Rush Limbaugh on Prospect of Pro-Choice Veep Pick]</ref>  In addition, [[Laura Ingraham]] weighed in during an on-air interview with Senator McCain, asking "How could you consider selecting someone who opposed the federal partial birth abortion ban and was one of the eleven original cosponsors of the radical freedom of choice act as your vice president given your pro-life stance?"<ref>[http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/With_buzz_building_on_prochoice_veep_McCain_remains_coy_on_vp.html?showall With buzz building on pro-choice veep, McCain remains coy on VP]</ref>

==Notable Endorsements==

==Notable Endorsements==