Back On The ‘Straight Talk Express’
March 16, 2007, 8:38pm
Eight years ago, Sen. John McCain was the darling of the press when he dared to challenge the presidential ambitions of then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Reporters loved McCain, R-Ariz., for his maverick image and his willingness to openly chat them up on his bus, the “Straight Talk Express.”
McCain tried to resurrect that spirit yesterday by getting back on the bus, and his campaign posted video snippets of Day One on the road to the Internet.
If yesterday’s front-page story in The Washington Post is any indication, though, the press isn’t nearly as enamored with McCain this time. They’re reporting on his travels but also wondering aloud whether he is a maverick any more or whether his “straight talk” has the same cache with voters, Republicans in particular.
In chatting with reporters, McCain made a “tar baby” reference and immediately apologized, according to an entry at the Post’s On The Campaign Trail blog.
That episode prompted McCain to talk about politics in era when candidates’ gaffes are captured on film and can quickly spread across the Internet. “You just have to be really careful about everything you say,” he said. “It may have a chilling effect, over time, on any candor that people want to employ. I’d rather make mistakes and go on. Life’s too short.”
Categories: Arizona, Sen. John McCain, Presidency 2008, John McCain
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