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For months, I have been writing that John McCain is a viable candidate and that he has a "chance" to win this nomination.
Some people have taken this matter of political prognosis as an endorsement of McCain; It is not. What I have, instead, done is be one of the few writers to make an accurate prediction of McCain's chances, given the current political environment.
It's important to separate the two; For example, I believe the New England Patriots will win today -- but that doesn't mean I want them to ... In fact, I hate the Patriots. But if I were writing for a sports blog in, say, Indianapolis, I would still be honest enough to write that the Patriots are probably the best team in the NFL. That's an analysis. Not an endorsement.
While other bloggers and pundits were making wild predictions that "McCain is finished" or that he will be "out by Labor Day," I noted his strength in New Hampshire, the fact that he gets credit for being right on the Surge, and the fact that he is the one candidate who always reaches out (and gives access) to the media and bloggers.
This does not mean he is right about campaign finance reform -- or stem cell research -- or any other issue, for that matter. What it means is that he is, in fact, a viable candidate. That's what a political analysis is ...
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