The wheels are coming off the McCain campaign

It's one thing when your political enemies refuse to give credence to your views. It's quite another when your friends believe your train has left the track.

1) In the past few days, we've learned that a former Republican governor of Michigan, William Milliken, who endorsed McCain during the primary, is now leaning toward supporting Barack Obama. "He's not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken. "...his campaign has become rather disappointing to me."

2) Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican senator from Rhode Island announced yesterday at Obama's Grand Rapids [Michigan] headquarters, that he would be voting for Barack Obama. He urged other Republicans to do the same. Chafee dislikes McCain's kind of Republicanism. And he thinks Sarah Palin is "totally unqualified."

3) Phil Arthurhultz, a former Republican state senator from Whitehall [Michigan] is traveling with Chafee to encourage people to vote for Senator Obama.

4) Bob Eleveld, a former Kent County Republican chairman who headed up a division of McCain's 2000 campaign is disillusioned also. While not ready to swing publicly to Obama, he said "I'm not supporting either of them at this point. Suffice it to say there are a number of people who have been strong Republicans in the past, including party chairs, who feel as I do."

Eleveld is concerned about McCain's "pandering to the Christian right." He went on to say "I think the straight talk is gone."

5) Christopher Buckley. This is the biggie. The son of one of the most famous Republicans in the recent memory, William F. Buckley, Christopher has abandoned the so-called "Straight-talk Express."

McCain has become "inauthentic," says Buckley. He has become "irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget 'by the end of my first term.' Who, really, believes that? ... His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And ... there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"

Then Buckley went on to praise Obama. "He has exhibited throughout a 'first-class temperament' ... I've read Obama's books, and they are first rate. ... He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."

6) Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the late Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Ms. Eisenhower gave a ringing endorsement of Obama at the Democratic Convention.


I think it's fair to say that the wheels are coming off the McCain campaign.

I would also say, tongue in cheek, "Thank god!"