Analysts eat words on McCain

This week John McCain racked up key victories, and now it appears inevitable he will win the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. But last summer many pundits were doubtful. Here are some assessments from then:

* “McCain is as relevant as Britney Spears. No one takes him seriously anymore,” said Rick Shafton, a New Jersey Republican pollster, in the Washington Times.

* “I think that there’s a widespread perception now that he is in a death spiral and that only -- only a Lazarus could recover. John McCain may be that, but not many people are,” said former presidential advisor David Gergen, on CNN.

* “I don’t see how he gets out of the ditch,” said Rick Wilson, Republican media strategist, in the Los Angeles Times.

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CLOSING QUOTE

‘As a matter of political practicality, this is over.’

-- Rich Galen, a political advisor to former candidate Fred Thompson, on John McCain’s nomination prospects after Mitt Romney’s departure from the Republican presidential race