Why McCain Actually Lost in S.C.

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John McCain is basking in the sunlight after a razor thin “victory” in South Carolina over Michael Huckabee (the guy who raised taxes by half a billion in Arkansas, wants to give illegal immigrants tuition aid, and enjoyed “fried squirrels” in college). But it is the tremendous failure of McCain to triumph by a larger margin that is the real story. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney barely competed in this race. When one looks at the facts instead of listening to the talking heads on CNN they see that McCain has actually weakened among Republicans over the last 8 years. In 200o, John McCain won 42% of the vote in South Carolina; on Saturday, he only won a total of 33% - about 100,000 votes less than his last bid.

But of course liberal news organizations such as CNN and MSNBC have been promoting McCain as the “Comeback Kid,” and have featured catchy graphics reading “MAC is BACK.” They realize that an old, angry, and tired Washingtonian is the weakest opponent for them to go up against in November, especially considering the possibility of an energetic Barack Obama winning the Democratic nomination.

So why is it that Republicans continue to dislike this decorated war hero? I mean come on; doesn’t he deserve the nomination after trying for so long and being a prisoner of war? The answer, as we are finding this year, is a passionate ‘No!’ The fact is, McCain is running in the wrong race; he has voted against the Bush tax cuts twice, sided with Democrats in his amnesty plan for illegal immigrants, and has been immersed in a Washingtonian mindset for over 25 years. As we have seen in Iowa, Wyoming, Michigan, and Nevada, Republicans are choosing Washington outsiders over Washington insiders.

Who, then, will the “Anyone But McCain” faction support? My answer is Governor Romney. Because McCain can’t hide his record, he has attempted to vilify and confuse voters of Mitt Romney’s. McCain hoped that if he kept making wise cracks (followed by unnatural winks) that Mitt Romney is a “flip-flopper,” then Republicans would somehow forgive him for his lack of conservative credentials. Although you may hope it is John, this isn’t a race among Democrats; your constituency is smart enough to see a desperate candidate deflect. Instead, as we have seen in Wyoming, Michigan and Nevada, voters see Gov. Romney as the best equipped to handle our struggling economy, and the most electable in a general election (especially in pivotal swing states such as Michigan and Nevada).

McCain should enjoy the limelight while he can, because in the end he represents Washington, and Republicans and Democrats agree: Washington is broken.