A rock and a hard place

Having recently gained the support of two Presidents named Bush, John McCain finds himself with some additional conservative pull. However, with economic recession looming, McCain might find G.W.'s help more trouble than it’s worth.

Though he claims to be a conservative, McCain has traditionally been somewhat of an outcast among their obstinate ranks. Primarily a result of his stance on immigration, the Arizona Senator has been harshly criticized by the group to which he continually yearns for association. Sen. McCain likely needs the approval of conservatives, as the unpopularity of our current President seems to have left all but the most diehard Republicans questioning their party's ideals. As such, by aligning himself with George W. Bush - whose limited popularity hangs in the fiscal balance - McCain’s fate now rests squarely on the President’s economic prowess.

A 30 percent approval rating speaks volumes of the President’s perceived success, as do the incessant promises of change offered by candidates of all sorts. The sustained satisfaction of this 30 percent, however, would now seem to be in jeopardy. Recent economic conditions have had an adverse impact on most industries, especially those primarily constituted by blue collar conservatives. Jobs and money are being lost at an alarming rate and all fingers seem to be pointing at the President – a de facto attack on conservative fiscal ideals. Thus, should he stick to his conservative guns, McCain may lose the very support he now desperately seeks.

History shows that after a particularly bad Presidential run, the following Presidency is rarely won by the incumbent party. Other issues aside, the economic uncertainty of late has left the reputation of President Bush damaged, to say the least. Moreover, such dissatisfaction is certainly not limited to Democrats, as even conservatives cannot ignore the pronounced injury to their pocketbooks. Hence, Sen. McCain finds himself between a rock and a hard place: the support he so desperately needs at present could easily be his undoing in the end. And he has only to stand by and watch it play out.