John McCain appears to be threading the needle so far, but he hasn't yet sown his comeback crusade into one, overall theme.
And because simplicity is the hallmark of any successful presidential campaign, he'll eventually -- and soon -- have to tidy things up in a singular concept, especially as this southerly economy encroaches on his usual territory of national security concerns.
"There's still a need for a larger overarching strategy to win the nomination," said a former aide, which was echoed by another: "I think John McCain today is the front-runner for the nomination, but his status is going to have to be reconfirmed in places like Michigan and South Carolina, and he's going to face his own hurdles in doing that. He's not the George Bush of 2000. He just doesn't have that kind of campaign."
Well, John, you may just have to stand short and reinvent yourself. You may just have to wallow in the whorishness of co-optation -- you may, that is, just have to pull a Bush 2000: You are whatever your appealing opponent is, times two, even while strangely underscoring that your opponent is an ignominious lout.
You should be an expert on the strategy, John, since you were on the brutal receiving end a few years back.
The winning word then was "reform" -- oddly identical to "change" -- and overnight George realized that he was, lo and behold, not only the real reformer of the two, but the reformer with results. Never mind that those results were hazy at best. All that's really important in a campaign is an attractive and alliterative slogan, which he pounded you with as he also pounded your character. You were dust in no time. I trust you recall.
Just do whatever works, John. That's the key to principled politics, and, as the New York Times' Caucus blog, among others, points out, that's also one critical element of Hillary's resurrection:
"After her Iowa defeat, Mrs. Clinton adopted ... the [Bush 2000] approach against Barack Obama. She co-opted Mr. Obama’s 'change' theme but argued that she could act to produce it, while her less-experienced rival could only talk."
I would only add that the process started somewhat earlier than the Caucus observed.
But next will come the character-assassination routine, already previewed in shabby rumors of Obama's illicit-drug use.
In the meantime, however -- unless things start to look hopelessly bleak for Hillary and yet another tactical shift is required -- she'll emphasize her Bushian credentials: a "reformer with results," which, in modern parlance, emerges as "change with experience." And just like with Bush, the results/experience coefficient will receive that little extra kick.
Of course if Hillary were really convinced that the country needs experience above all other qualifications, she would have endorsed former congressman, former cabinet secretary, former United Nations ambassador and present Governor Bill Richardson from the git-go.
As she got up every morning, devoting her tender thoughts exclusively to how she could help you, she simply would have initialed Bill's resume and sent a check.
Yet now, it appears, Bill is headed permanently for parts West, thereby narrowing the Democratic field to three, and leading to one final thought: In the run-up to the showdown of Feb. 5, you're going to start hearing the less-than admirable word "spoiler" in regular connection to the remaining fringe candidate, John Edwards.
Should you happen to be an Edwards supporter, I hasten to add that I use the descriptive "fringe" not as an insult, but as a mere matter of fact. John is not going to win this thing -- period -- not by delegates, not by brokering, not by any political miracle ever revealed to mankind.
It's over, John, and that's just a political reality. That may be good, may be bad, but either way, that's the way the open field has broken.
Perhaps if Mr. Obama were to whisper sweet vice-presidential promises in your ear, you will reconsider your commitment to finishing the marathon. As a co-candidate of "change," your (as many would read it) heroic withdrawal and subsequent Obama-endorsement over the Democratic personification of Bush 2000 would swiftly decide this race -- and that's hardly a mere booby prize.
You're a young man, John. You'll still be a young man in 2016. It's the smart play -- even smarter than Hillary's.