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A growing chorus of Republicans says that the rough waters currently being navigated by Sen. Barack Obama may now make him an easier candidate to sink than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is not struggling with issues like race and religion.
But those same Republicans may want to consider the dangerous straits ahead for their own presumptive nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, whose gaffe last week in Iraq - where he appeared to confuse Sunni and Shiite factions - raised eyebrows.
In the wake of controversies over Obama's support from the divisive Rev. Jeremiah Wright, McCain may be pressed again to explain his past praise for the Rev. John Hagee, a wealthy and controversial televangelist with a penchant for outlandish statements. Hagee, who has suggested that Hurricane Katrina was retribution from God for sins including homosexuality, told the New York Times Sunday magazine that McCain specifically sought his endorsement.
McCain comes to California today to begin a campaign and fundraising swing in what has been promised to be a 50-state presidential campaign that will include blue California, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in both 2000 and 2004.
The senator from Arizona, just back from Iraq, will conduct a town hall meeting near San Diego with families, many of them military, on the subject of the war - a theme and a place that could be problematic as he aims to appeal to independent voters in the nation's most populous state. He'll make the appearance just miles from where President Bush strode onto an aircraft carrier in a flight suit in May 2003 and delivered a now-infamous address announcing that "major combat operations" in Iraq were over - while a "Mission Accomplished" banner waved behind him.
Fearing wrath of voters
But Democrats watching the race - and watching McCain's visit this week - say Republicans are simply hoping that they'll be able to escape the wrath of voters angered by the current president and the litany of problems that have sprung up on his watch. Those include the Iraq war, the economic downturn, high gas prices, a burst housing bubble and the resulting home mortgage crisis, problems affecting communities across the country.
"Given all the problems that Republicans have in this election year, they're obviously searching for someone who will be easy," said Democratic strategist Garry South. "I'm not sure either (Democrat) will be a pushover. For every problem that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton has, the Republicans have it 10 times over."
Republicans, particularly, should be wary of attempting to seize on the Wright issue to wound Obama, South warned.
"They can talk all they want about Jeremiah Wright," he said, "but you want to talk about ministers and lunatics supporting John McCain, like John Hagee?" South noted that the televangelist has especially infuriated Catholics by referring to their church as a "whore" and a cult.
From the Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson to Hagee, "the entire Christian right has made a profession out of saying ridiculous things ... including blaming gays, abortion and America for 9/11," South said.
Indeed, while Obama has had to distance himself from controversial religious figures like Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam who supports him, McCain has appeared on stage with Hagee and publicly pronounced himself pleased to get the televangelist's endorsement, saying he is "very proud of Pastor Hagee's spiritual leadership to thousands of people and very proud of his commitment to the independence and freedom of the state of Israel."
But the senator from Arizona has also made clear he doesn't support Hagee's hateful teachings, adding, "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy."
But those same Republicans may want to consider the dangerous straits ahead for their own presumptive nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, whose gaffe last week in Iraq - where he appeared to confuse Sunni and Shiite factions - raised eyebrows.
In the wake of controversies over Obama's support from the divisive Rev. Jeremiah Wright, McCain may be pressed again to explain his past praise for the Rev. John Hagee, a wealthy and controversial televangelist with a penchant for outlandish statements. Hagee, who has suggested that Hurricane Katrina was retribution from God for sins including homosexuality, told the New York Times Sunday magazine that McCain specifically sought his endorsement.
McCain comes to California today to begin a campaign and fundraising swing in what has been promised to be a 50-state presidential campaign that will include blue California, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in both 2000 and 2004.
The senator from Arizona, just back from Iraq, will conduct a town hall meeting near San Diego with families, many of them military, on the subject of the war - a theme and a place that could be problematic as he aims to appeal to independent voters in the nation's most populous state. He'll make the appearance just miles from where President Bush strode onto an aircraft carrier in a flight suit in May 2003 and delivered a now-infamous address announcing that "major combat operations" in Iraq were over - while a "Mission Accomplished" banner waved behind him.
Fearing wrath of voters
But Democrats watching the race - and watching McCain's visit this week - say Republicans are simply hoping that they'll be able to escape the wrath of voters angered by the current president and the litany of problems that have sprung up on his watch. Those include the Iraq war, the economic downturn, high gas prices, a burst housing bubble and the resulting home mortgage crisis, problems affecting communities across the country.
"Given all the problems that Republicans have in this election year, they're obviously searching for someone who will be easy," said Democratic strategist Garry South. "I'm not sure either (Democrat) will be a pushover. For every problem that Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton has, the Republicans have it 10 times over."
Republicans, particularly, should be wary of attempting to seize on the Wright issue to wound Obama, South warned.
"They can talk all they want about Jeremiah Wright," he said, "but you want to talk about ministers and lunatics supporting John McCain, like John Hagee?" South noted that the televangelist has especially infuriated Catholics by referring to their church as a "whore" and a cult.
From the Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson to Hagee, "the entire Christian right has made a profession out of saying ridiculous things ... including blaming gays, abortion and America for 9/11," South said.
Indeed, while Obama has had to distance himself from controversial religious figures like Louis Farrakhan, the anti-Semitic leader of the Nation of Islam who supports him, McCain has appeared on stage with Hagee and publicly pronounced himself pleased to get the televangelist's endorsement, saying he is "very proud of Pastor Hagee's spiritual leadership to thousands of people and very proud of his commitment to the independence and freedom of the state of Israel."
But the senator from Arizona has also made clear he doesn't support Hagee's hateful teachings, adding, "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my candidacy."
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