The McCain Update

The McCain Update - February 22, 2008
This week, John McCain's position as the presumed Republican nominee was confirmed by his position in the polls and his big victories in the Wisconsin and Washington primary elections. The Gallup national tracking survey now shows John McCain leading with 62 percent of the Republican vote and Mike Huckabee with only 22 percent. This is a new high for John McCain and the lowest vote share for Mike Huckabee since prior to his Super Tuesday victories.
Our internal count of delegates puts us at 1055 delegates, 136 delegates away from clinching the nomination. This count includes privately pledged RNC members and a few estimates on what we received in states like Iowa – where the actual delegates will be selected soon at State Conventions. We are confident that the contests on March 4, where more than 250 delegates will be up for grabs, will provide John McCain with enough delegates to officially become the Republican nominee for president.
Pollsters are shifting their attention to the general election match-up where John McCain is competitive against both Democratic candidates. John McCain leads Hillary Clinton by 4 points on the most recent three days of Rasmussen's daily tracking survey and trails Barack Obama by 3-4 points over the same recent tracking data. As the general election heats up, the race will remain close.

Victories Continue in Wisconsin & Washington
Tuesday brought great victories for John McCain in the Wisconsin and Washington primaries. Each victory brings us closer to the necessary number of delegates to officially make John McCain the presumptive nominee.
John McCain said on Tuesday night, "We have traveled a great distance together already in this campaign, and overcome more than a few obstacles. But as I said last week, now comes the hard part and, for America, the bigger decision. Will we make the right changes to restore the people's trust in their government and meet the great challenges of our time with wisdom, and with faith in the values and ability of Americans for whom no challenge is greater than their resolve, courage and patriotism? Or will we heed appeals for change that ignore the lessons of history, and lack confidence in the intelligence and ideals of free people?"
Click here to watch John McCain's election night speech.
Former President Bush Endorses John McCain
Former President George H.W. Bush endorsed John McCain in Houston, Texas on Monday.
Former President Bush said, "As someone who also helped lead our great Party at the RNC and later as president, I believe now is the right time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it will take for our conservative values to carry the White House this fall. His character was forged in the crucible of war. His commitment to America is beyond any doubt. But most importantly, he has the right values and experience to guide our nation forward at this historic moment. So I am very proud to endorse John McCain for the presidency for the United States of America."
John McCain thanked former President Bush for his endorsement, support and friendship over the many years. This endorsement is an important step in further uniting our party and moving our country forward. Click here to watch video of this endorsement.
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Latest News
Below are the top news articles from this week. For more news articles and press releases, go to www.JohnMcCain.com for the latest update.
USA Today: McCain Accuses Obama Of 'Doublespeak' On Campaign Cash
Wall Street Journal: How Right Is McCain?
Columbus Dispatch: McCain Looks to November as He Hits Ohio in Earnest
Wall Street Journal: Obama's New Vulnerability
Akron Beacon Journal (OH): McCain Tells Ohio He Will Fix Economy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI): McCain Shifts Campaign Focus To Democrats
Houston Chronicle (TX): McCain Claims Texas A Vital Part Of His Campaign
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI): McCain Promises To Battle 'Radical Islamic Extremism'