And Now to the Issues

Texas Gov. George W. Bush was a big winner in Saturday’s Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, but he and Arizona Sen. John McCain both bear scars from that bitter campaign as they move westward. The escalating primary schedule goes to Michigan and Arizona on Tuesday and then to California and 10 other states with primaries on March 7.

Bush scored solidly with core Republicans, and especially with Christian conservatives, in South Carolina. But in reaching so strenuously to the far right, Bush has damaged his claim to be a compassionate conservative who is open to people of all ideologies.

McCain was hurt by the negative campaign waged by Bush and allied organizations. But the senator made a strategic blunder by airing a commercial comparing Bush’s trustworthiness to that of President Clinton, a low blow. Then he pulled his own attack ads and vowed to run no more negative messages. In the end, McCain both hurt his war-hero, reformer image by appearing to be just another mudslinging pol and left himself open to Bush’s unanswered attacks.

McCain sorely needs to win in Michigan, where Democrats and independents can participate in the GOP primary. A victory would restore some momentum to his campaign, but McCain faces a huge obstacle in California, New York, Ohio and seven other primary states on March 7. California is the biggest prize of all, with 434 convention delegates at stake--winner take all. McCain’s problem is that only Republican votes will count here in the awarding of delegates.

Now the underdog, McCain needs to go far beyond his hallmark program of campaign finance reform and to talk about how he would blunt special-interest influence on Congress and the White House. Bush needs to back up his slogan of being a “reformer with results” with more specific evidence of what he actually has accomplished during his five years in the Texas governorship.

McCain did well with Republicans in his big New Hampshire victory, but when Bush received a massive 78% of GOP voters in conservative South Carolina, the tide changed. In New Hampshire, McCain demonstrated that he had appeal across the political spectrum. In South Carolina, Bush proved he can be a tougher, more focused candidate.

So far this campaign has been largely about image and campaign style. California voters deserve, and will demand, more. It’s time for both Bush and McCain to flesh out and declare from the podium their programs on health care, the environment, public education, Social Security and other issues so voters can see how they stack up against the Democratic campaigners as well. Voters need to know more precisely what Bush and McCain would do as president of the United States.