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Can McCain lead "Republican redemption?"
 (Xinhua) -- As the curtain falls for the Republican National Convention Thursday night, the newly-nominated Republican presidential candidate John McCain has formally become the person to lead the party in a fierce general election in November. The task for him, however, is more than keeping the White House. Moreover, he is now entrusted to try to turn the tide and redeem his party's declining political brand. The question is, can he make it? REBRANDING THE PARTY From every aspect, the Republican Party is much weaker than it was decades ago. Although it beats the Democrats seven times of the last 10 general elections, the current picture is rather dire. Benefiting from Ronald Reagan's success to broaden the Republican base in the 1980s, George W. Bush came to power with a very strong party base. However, as the party is increasingly tilted to the right in recent years, its base has significantly shrunk. Compounded with unpopular Iraq policy and a string of scandals, the Republican brand is losing its luster quickly. Posted by: Fred 2008-09-07 |
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