Palin Pick May Erase McCain's 'Maverick' Image

McCain, Palin Now Head A Ticket That Is Emerging As More Red-Bloodedly Conservative Than Bush-Cheney In 2004

September 3, 2008 07:43 PM

John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin puts his campaign firmly on track toward a hard-edged drive to mobilize the GOP's conservative base, threatening to erase what remains of his centrist maverick image and his appeal to moderate and independent voters.The McCain of days past who attacked leaders of the Christian right as "agents of intolerance," who voted against "budget busting" Bush tax cuts, who broke ranks with his party on issues from gay rights to campaign finance reform, is now a faded memory.
What remains unclear is the extent to which McCain actively participated in the transformation of his political persona, and the extent to which he has been passive -- pushed and shoved by aides, partisan pressures, and external forces.

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