Republican candidate for President John McCain
(4 of 4)
Do you think that message of regeneration or going back to what worked before is going to resonate?
It is change.
It's change?
It's change. We have to meet new challenges. We have an increase in global warming in my view, so our party has to change to address it. A lot of young Americans view that as one of their top issues. We let spending get out of control so we have to change to become fiscally responsible.... I think a lot of the change has got to meet the new challenges of the 21st century, but with the same standards and principles that to some degree we have abandoned.
Is that how your vision for the future of the country and the party is different — definitely different from a Democratic vision, but different from other candidates?
Again, when they say change, what are they talking about? They say we are going to change. I have yet to hear that specifically described. I am saying that we have to restore trust and confidence in government. That is the key element of any successful governing individual or party, because we have lost trust and confidence. We have to regain it. I don't believe in abandoning principles and values that have made this nation great. I say that change is the kind of change like I made... [that] I and others are responsible for in Iraq. That is a big change. But it also goes back to the classic counter-insurgency strategy that has succeeded in the past so... everybody is for change. The reason why they are for change is because the status quo in Washington is not acceptable to the American people. We all know that from every polling data. So is that going to be change? [Is it just someone saying] Here I am and I am going to change things or is it [someone working] to lay out a specific agenda such as [addressing] climate change, such as addressing spending, such as addressing balancing the budget, such as addressing reform of social security and Medicare. That is real change. And in all due respect to the Democrats, I have yet to hear a specific. I am going to return. I am going to bring about change. Well, why is that? I am telling you what specific change is.
What do you think about Hillary Clinton's victory last night?
I thought she proved again that she and her husband — and I give him credit for campaigning very well for her — that they are... [that] she still is a very effective campaigner. I also watched in the morning parts of her speech and she did a good job there. I never counted her out. You remember our conversations on the bus? Everyone said "What are going to do about Obama?" and I said you still got Senator Clinton here and even [John] Edwards, although it appears he may not have much viability left.
What do you think it is about her campaign or message that put her over the top?
I don't. I would leave it up to the analysis of people who watch these campaigns. I am not qualified and haven't paid that close attention, except that I think she was able to motivate people who supported her more intensely than Obama did.
She had more people vote for her... [Laughs]
[Laughs] I think that... sometimes, as you say, voter turnout matters. How is it that she turned out more people that were committed to vote for her? I think part of it is because she was able to convince them that there was a reason to do it. I didn't watch her campaign or speak. I know all about her tearing up and all that, but I am certainly not qualified to judge how that affects people's votes.
What is going to happen in Michigan?
I think we can win there. I think it is going to be interesting. I think that Governor Huckabee has some strength there and Governor Romney also, as he has been running television for a very long time. I am confident we can do quite well there.