McCain avoids ad attacks on Bush

By Jeremy W. Peters

Daily Staff Reporter

If John McCain's campaign strategy were judged solely on his advertisements, the Arizona senator could be considered tame according to standards set by the mudslinging presidential campaigns of the past.

At the Michigan Republican Presidential Debate last month, both McCain and Texas Gov. George W. Bush made a pledge not to run negative ads.

"I would like to shake hands right now. We will not run another negative ad," McCain said.

That was Jan. 11.

Since then, accusations of foul play by McCain and a barrage of ads attacking the senator's policies have surfaced as the race has become tighter. For the most part, McCain has steered clear of attacks on his rival.

"He feels he can win more voters by not running ads that attack Bush," said Sen. John Schwarz (R-Battle Creek), who chairs McCain's Michigan campaign.

Whether his decision to steer clear of attacking his opponent will bring about a McCain victory in the Feb. 22 Michigan Republican primary is still to be determined.

"It gives him the high ground," University political science Prof. Hanes Walton said.

"He's expecting it to translate into votes and we'll know on the 22nd," Walton added.

But recently McCain has come under attack for running ads in South Carolina that compare Bush with President Clinton, suggesting that both have problems being truthful.

The ads were in response to a South Carolina woman's claims that her young son received a call from someone who claimed to be a pollster but proceeded to attack McCain's personal character. Bush denies anyone from his campaign placed such a call.

Schwarz maintains McCain's new ads are a necessary response to the attacks. "I don't know how you can stand by and let (Bush) savage your integrity without responding," Schwarz said.

The McCain ads have been followed by a counterattack from the Bush campaign claiming that by airing the commercials, McCain was "over the line."

Although McCain has pulled the ads, the damage already may have been done.

But the intended target has emerged victorious instead of battered - a South Carolina poll has the Texas governor in front by seven points.

Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said he thinks it is too soon to tell whether McCain's decision not to run negative ads will benefit or hurt him in Michigan.

"If you've got a lot of money, like Bush does, and run a negative campaign, it could hurt McCain if he turns the other cheek all the time," Ballenger said. "People are very impressionable and tend to believe negative ads."

A potential hindrance for McCain in Michigan is Gov. John Engler, who heads Bush's campaign in the state. Michigan Secretary of State Candice Miller and former state GOP Chairwoman Betsy DeVos also have given Bush their support.

Schwarz said this does not concern McCain.

"We've dealt with this by pointing out the fact that each high-ranking official has one vote, as does everybody else," he said.

Ballenger underscored that McCain's showing in Michigan is crucial to the future success of his campaign.

"Michigan really will be important, and McCain will have to win here if he loses South Carolina. If he loses both states, he doesn't have the resources to carry himself through to Super Tuesday on March 7," Ballenger said.

The Detroit News published a poll Sunday showing McCain with a nine point lead in the state.

One month ago, the newspaper conducted a poll in which Bush led McCain by a 34-point margin.

"He just started to connect with people and he got a tremendous boost from New Hampshire," Schwarz said.