According to the McCain campaign’s preferred narrative of last week’s unusual events, the GOP nominee swooped into Washington to rescue the rescue plan. And he did that, supposedly, by bringing rebellious House conservatives to the table and getting their concerns addressed. As Bill Kristol wrote this morning, “Assuming the legislation passes soon, and assuming it reassures financial markets, McCain will be able to take some credit.”
Since the legislation failed and the markets are anything but reassured, should we assume the opposite — that McCain will be assigned some of the blame for not bringing along those House Republicans?
Ambinder asks the same question here.
What this episode has taught us is that the fissures in the GOP are far too deep to have been repaired, lastingly, by the selection of a running mate or even the possibility that the Republicans could hold onto the White House. A McCain loss in November, if it happens, will hasten the reckoning. But the reckoning seems certain to come regardless.
