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'Smart Cookie' McCain Is What GOP Needs

PR-savvy moderate gives party hope in courting youth vote

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Mar 25, 2009 8:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Meghan McCain’s scuffle with Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham has shown she knows how to take a punch—and how to throw one, writes Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post. McCain’s critique of her party’s bomb-throwers is accurate, and her strategy has been savvy. "If McCain doesn't make it in journalism, she has a future in marketing," Parker predicts. "Madonna, meet Britney."

The GOP is at sea, struggling to accommodate the more moderate cohort the younger McCain represents and “allegedly, hoping to expand its tent.” Reaching out to McCain and her generation would be a good start, Parker argues: "The GOP's extreme voices are a turnoff, not just to young people but to millions of Americans who might otherwise be attracted to conservative principles."

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (3)]

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his daughter Meghan McCain react to the crowd as they arrive at a rally in Henderson Nev., Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. hugs California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, Oct. 31, 2008 during a rally in Columbus, Ohio. At right is McCain's daughter Meghan. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, gets a hug from author Laura Ingraham prior to a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Meghan McCain accompanies her father, then-presidential candidate John McCain, at a rally in Springfield, Va., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

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In a matter of weeks, [McCain] has created a brand, presenting herself as a fresh face of her daddy's party and a voice for young conservatives. - Kathleen Parker

The GOP's extreme voices are a turnoff, not just to young people but to millions of Americans who might otherwise be attracted to conservative principles. Who better to point that out than a young maverick named McCain? - Kathleen Parker

On the other hand, McCain is also a successful blogger with a following. She has established a voice and an audience. And the GOP is, allegedly, hoping to expand its tent. - Kathleen Parker

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

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'Smart Cookie' McCain Is What GOP Needs