McCain makes ground in Republican face-off
John McCain last night capped a resurgent week for his presidential campaign with a forceful and combative performance in the first televised debate among the 10 Republican contenders.
Mr McCain, who according to new polls has bounced back from a lackluster start and now leads his major rivals in the key early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, appeared more sure footed than the current frontrunner, Rudy Giuliani. The former New York mayor particularly struggled on the issue of abortion, a crucial issue for conservative voters who hold the key to choosing the party’s presidential nominee.
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, also put in an impressive performance, despite facing awkward questions about his former support for abortion. He was at times slick, confident and occasionally funny, on a night when Mr Giuliani failed to shine.
In a debate held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library overlooking southern California’s Simi Valley, the 10 candidates all strived to compare themselves to the former president, a hero among Republicans and conservatives, and to invoke his name. Mr Reagan, buried a few hundred yards from the debate stage, was mentioned no less than 16 times, while President Bush’s name was not uttered once.
The yearning to inherit the mantle of Reagan reflects a dispiriting time for the Republicans. After losing control of Congress last November, a disastrous war and a string of corruption scandals, many within the party believe it has lost its way and now view the Reagan years as a golden era of clear-eyed strength.
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Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
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