Dem governors concerned about McCain

Washington Post:

Democratic governors from states likely to help decide the 2008 presidential election see Republican Sen. John McCain as a potentially formidable opponent whose life story and reputation for political independence make him a threat in November, despite conditions that they say now favor their nominee.

"To quote President Bush, McCain is never to be misunderestimated," said Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, McCain's home state. "He's a tough campaigner."

"In some ways," said Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a state that is considered a must-win for any Democratic nominee, "he's the ideal [Republican] candidate for Pennsylvania."

As Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) continue to battle for the Democratic nomination, McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has the luxury of beginning his general-election campaign.

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"He is appealing in Michigan," said Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who supports Clinton. "He does appeal to independent thinkers -- at least he did in the past -- and we have a lot of those in Michigan. Whoever the Democrat is, Michigan is a state where we're going to have to work."

Rendell, also a Clinton supporter, said McCain can compete for votes in southeastern Pennsylvania, where suburban voters generally favor abortion rights, and in western Pennsylvania, where many strongly oppose abortion.

"He's going to contest for those suburban voters that have been delivering Pennsylvania to Democratic presidential candidates for the last four elections," Rendell said. "He will be the strongest Republican to contest for their votes. And he does it without sacrificing the ability to go after conservative, pro-life Democrats in the western part of the state."

Napolitano, who backs Obama, acknowledged that with McCain as the GOP nominee, Democrats may face a stiffer challenge in winning Rocky Mountain states that have voted Republican in most recent elections but whose changing demographics make them Democratic targets.

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Other Democratic governors also balanced positive assessments of McCain with criticisms. Granholm said Iraq and the economy could undermine him in her state.

"Michigan is not in favor of 100 years in Iraq," she said, referring to McCain's statement that a long-term commitment in Iraq -- though not an all-out war -- might be acceptable to help stabilize that country. "He's got to be strong about not entering into new trade agreements that give away the store," she continued. "On those two issues, I think he's going to be vulnerable."

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said a McCain-Obama race would provide "the absolute matchup that contrasts the past and the future." Sebelius has endorsed Obama, and when asked how he would compare with McCain as a potential commander in chief in the eyes of voters, she pointed to the 1996 race between President Bill Clinton and former senator Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.).

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Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said McCain offers "a different face for the party" in a race in which "we're going to face the most left-wing presidential candidate, whichever it is, that the country has seen nominated."

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford supported McCain's candidacy in 2000 but remains neutral this year. Noting polls that show Obama leading McCain in general-election tests, Sanford said the campaign will look far different by Labor Day.

"As [Obama] beings (begins?)to fill in the blanks of what change means, a lot of the jet fuel that's been fueling his campaign is going to be taken out of his gas tank," he said.

As the Rasmussen poll indicated last night, McCain has the most upside of any of the candidates and the lowest negatives of any of the candidates. He has the potential to run a very strong race. He is going to have to educate some voters on warfare and the cost of losing in Iraq as well as the huge benefits of winning.