Republican candidate for President John McCain
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Moving on to the general election... I think for a lot of people, you're just so closely associated with the surge, and some people — moderates and liberals — are not going to be able to forget that.
Oh, I hope not. Seriously, because I'm very confident that by the general election, we would have achieved a lot more success.
What kind of success?
I hope they don't forget. I hope they don't forget that the leading Democrats declared the war lost, months ago. That they're still committed. And that they still won't acknowledge that the surge has succeeded. I mean, they refuse to... Senator Clinton said [she] would have to suspend disbelief in order to believe that it's... working.
What kind of success in Iraq do you expect to happen by the time we get to the general election?
Well, I think a gradual progression in reducing casualties. More and more government control. More success against al-Qaeda. Slow, but receptable progress in the government functioning —... the usual indications and benchmarks of a successful counter-insurgency.
One of the things that was really interesting about the race in New Hampshire was that Romney really tried to make it about cultural issues. He did the gay marriage debate... He did the anti-immigration stuff and that didn't seem to latch on. But with Mike Huckabee entering the race as a real social conservative, how do you think the role of social issues and cultural issues will evolve in the campaign?
Some of it is hard to know. In the case of South Carolina... there is the military patriotism et cetera... side of the equation as well. I think that Governor Huckabee is a very attractive candidate to many people, particularly social conservatives. But I think one of the reasons why he is appealing to them and a lot of others is because he has a certain genuine quality about him, so I think that helps him as much as his positions on those issues.
What do you think would happen if those social issues started to become more of a factor? Do you think it would change the debate? Would it get uglier or less ugly?
I don't know, but I could draw you a scenario where Rudy Giuliani also has traction among that other spectrum in the party. There is a pro-choice element within the Republican party. There is a New York kind of...
Those famous New York Republicans...
You know. But I mean, the more liberal — the more moderate to liberal wing of our party also. He is still viewed by a lot of our party as a genuine American hero.
It is way early in the race and I don't expect you to really have a fully formed answer on this, but so far things have been so crazy in both races, really, we have talked a little bit about what it means for the future of the Republican party. How each of the candidates sort of represent a different way it could go. What direction would your candidacy take it, what direction would it take the party?
As I tried to say last night in my speech, a return to the principles and values that have made our party so important to what is happening to America, particularly in the 20th century — values, low taxes, less regulation, strong defense, less government is better government, emphasis on the rights of the individual, spending, fiscal responsibility. I think that I would believe that I would hope that I represent the hopes not just of mainstream republicans, but also other Americans as well.
We've also talked about how your candidacy might redefine the Republican Party in slightly different ways in that you are for climate change [reform] and other social issues that you have taken positions on that are not usually associated with the Republican Party. Is that a direction that you think the party can grow? And also immigration....
On an issue such as climate change... That is a return to the Republican Party all through the earliest party of the 20th century. Teddy Roosevelt was a great environmentalist. [Ronald] Reagan even was an environmentalist.... So some of the things that I am advocating are not so much change, as return to the principles and values that not only made our party a successful party, but was good for the country.