John McCain is in real trouble. His Ted Kennedy-cosponsored immigration bill is unpopular with Republicans and even the public in general, and he is falling in the GOP polls. He now comes in fourth, behind Rudy, the most flexible man in the world, and Arthur "Fred Thompson" Branch.
It's a shame, too, because the consensus seems to be that he really triumphed in the last GOP debate. He came across as not at all scary or fearmongering, and he was able to explain his support for his unpopular ideas in compelling, moving ways. He came out looking the most reasonable of all the Republicans (which, to be fair, ain't exactly that hard), and that's obviously a campaign-killer. Well, that, and immigration, and Thompson. And wasn't he involved in some sort of campaign finance scandal in the 1990s? Don't think it won't be coming back when he starts talking about campaign finance reform.
Ultimately, even though McCain might have assuaged a lot of scared voters' doubts on Tuesday, it's beginning to seem more like a swan song than a new beginning. I have to predict, sadly, that by the end of July, McCain is probably going to be down to single-digits nationally, and he'll probably only manage a third-place in the Iowa Caucuses, behind elastic-man and Freddie. Then again, the Democrats will trounce either of those bozos, so bring 'em on!
