The article "Bring back the real McCain" in the Economist suggests, among many other news outlets, that Senator McCain isn't the same person he has been for the past 25 years. Democrats like to say that Senator McCain is moving more and more to the right. To be honest I don't see it. Political talking heads use the phrase often that "The McCain of 2000 wouldn't vote for the McCain of 2008". That's simply not true.

Senator McCain is definitely not a third Bush term. The writer of the article says that "Mr. McCain used to be a passionate believer in limited government and sound public finances; a man with some distaste for conservative Republicanism and its obsession with reproductive matters." He still is that man last time I checked. There are many issues that McCain differs from his party. Senator McCain was a strong critic of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He help push for the Secretary's resignation in November of 2006. Senator McCain received one of his harshest disapproval from his own party when he sponsored immigration reform that allowed a form of amnesty to illegal aliens. Many news commentators state that Senator McCain wouldn't vote for McCain-Feingold in 2008. To my knowledge no reporter has simply asked McCain would you support and vote for McCain-Feingold again? My feeling is that reporters haven't asked McCain because they know most likely he would still defend and support his legislation.

The article in the Economist also suggests that Mr. McCain should spend less time talking to evangelicals and talk about the economy and his tax plan instead. I do not agree with that idea. For too long the evangelical vote has been dismissed. No one thought that the evangelical vote would be President Bush's strength and put him back in the White House in 2004. Mr. McCain has many of the demographics and votes that he needs except the evangelical vote. Christians are warming up to Senator McCain (and especially now after the Governor Palin pick for Vice President) but if he can receive a strong evangelical vote, again the country just might be surprised how much strength that vote carries.

There are many strengths and weakness that can be said about Senator McCain; and there are many personality traits, both good and bad of the Senator. Senator McCain has always been consistent and one never to change for anybody or any election. For 72 years McCain has been a "tough cookie" and not give into to terrorist as a prisoner of war; so I don't think that McCain will give into political pandering or political pressure to win an election. If McCain has been consistent for 72 years I don't believe he's going to change in a matter of a couple of months.