Flipping and Flopping Persists as McCain Becomes the Latest to Move Towards Mitt

    2008 Republican presidential nominee, Senator John  McCain originally declared that he was not going to be making an endorsement in the Republican presidential primary.   But in a recent  interview with  The Hill ,  the “Maverick” flip-flopped and stated that he will be making a endorsement at some point “later on”, which would according to insiders is code for “after Iowa”.

If that is indeed the case, the timing would be strategically right.

While McCain’s national popularity numbers are probably around the same as those in the back of the current Republican presidential field, he has been historically strong with New Hampshire independent and Republican voters.  And if Mitt fails to finish in the top two or three places in Iowa, he could possibly be in trouble in New Hampshire where momentum could help make his closest rival, presumably Newt Gingrich, surge past Mitt in New Hampshire.  And a loss for Romney in the Live Free or Die State would be lethal to his presidential campaign.

So a McCain endorsement could only help Romney in New Hampshire, but only in New Hampshire.

Elsewhere, John McCain’s endorsement won’t help Romney with any of the demographics and groups that he needs critical help in winning.  That includes the TEA movement activists, conservatives, and voters under the age of 45.   In those groups, a McCain endorsement is more of a hinderance than a help.  It would give them the impression of the type of establishment imprimatur that does not help Romney in an atmosphere of increasingly potent anti-establishment sentiments.

In addition to that, a  McCain – Romney union is a bit difficult to believe.  The two men really battled it out in 2008 and they each leveled some very strong blows to one another’s character and political records.  As seen in the video below, the two men also aggressively accused eachother  of flip-flopping.  Well if the McCain endorsement of Romney comes to fruition, it will just be another flip flop for both of them.

There is no love lost between Romney and McCain and while lining up behind your Party’s ultimate nominee is standard procedure in politics, when there is bad blood between two politicians, one does not usually rush to the others side before the nomination is his.

But in the case of McCain’s anticipated endorsement of Romney, it me be more of a sign of the establishment’s lack of support for Newt Gingrich, than a sign of John McCain’s sudden love for Romney.  As Newsmax recently wrote;

  “There is much hand-wringing among Republicans, publicly and privately, with some saying they dread the possibility of Gingrich as the nominee.”

Others members of the establishment are not exactly enthused by Newt’s unwillingness to play by the normal Washington insider rules that work to the establishment’s advantage.  It is one reason why many former colleagues of Newt from the House are a bit bitter and do not want to have to deal with Newt again.

Ultimately, this may all work in Newt Gingrich’s favor though.

As more establishment Republicans come out against Newt and for Mitt, the better for Gingrich.  It helps establish him as the anti-establishment, Washington outsider.  The candidate who is willing to challenge the establishment and burst the Washington beltway bubble that politicians like to work in.

So as far as Newt is concerned, the more McCain’s that endorse Mitt Romney, the better.