McCain Campaign Manager Not Taking "Anything for Granted"

By: Andante Higgins
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' Dante Higgins:

WICHITA, KAN. -- With a lead in delegates and Mitt Romney out of the race, John McCain says he will press on with his campaign in primary states until he gets enough delegates to secure the nomination.

"It is mathematically impossible for anyone else to get the nomination," said Rick Davis, McCain campaign manager. "Well, look you don't want to take anything for granted. At the end of the day, until we get to that magic number ... he is not the presumptive nominee of the party. The last thing that this campaign and John McCain is ever going to is take things for granted. We are the ones who came back from a near-death episode."

According to a CBS News estimate, McCain has 709 of the 1,191 delegates needed for the Republican nomination. Mike Huckabee trails with 163.

McCain says he can compete for delegates and make inroads toward unifying his party as nominee. "But at the at the same time and not in any way trying to be dismissive of Governor Huckabee's candidacy, we also have to start making plans for the general election as well. Sit down with policy. Crank up the fund-raising, do the things that just the normal textbook kind of things you do when you move from one kind of campaign into another," he said.

McCain is also reaching out to conservatives and independents to unify the party as part of his plan. "That's why I want to meet with Governor [Mitt] Romney as soon as I can and work together on that. He got 4 million votes in the primaries so we're going to want everybody to be on board."

McCain also said that he spoke with former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson who told him he's willing to do whatever it takes to help McCain win the nomination.

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by marinepatriot February 9, 2008 7:33 AM EST: Mike Huckabee has always been the only candidate in this race for many of us. I have always said that not only is he an authentic conservative, he is an authentic human being.

We like Mike because he is out there fighting for us, the average everyday American.

Governor Mike Huckabee was kicked in the knees by Romney, but Mike got up and decided to keep fighting. He did not accept failure and he will fight to the end. His true American spirit has inspired us to love our Country again.

We are all going to go out and vote for Huckabee, because we are voting for ourselves, our children, and our future.

This race will be one sided from now on and Mike Huckabee will be the 44th President of the United States!; Reply to this comment


by trans-mutant February 9, 2008 6:42 AM EST: McCain is not qualified to be president as required by the constitution. See 14th amendment.

McCain was NOT born in US soil. He was not born in any of the 50 states of the union.

http://www.usembassy.gov/panama/mccain4th.html; Reply to this comment


by johnjacobs99 February 9, 2008 2:09 AM EST: McCain shouldn''t take anything for granted. He is only getting on average 40 % of the vote. Which means 60 % of the voters support someone else. He will have a tough time in the Fall since Republicans are not excited about him.

If Republicans are not excited about him, do you think Democrats will be? He will not have a chance against Obama.

McCain is starting to lose his memory and forgets his positions. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2a
nI

The other point is McCain is winning in the most liberal states. Those are the states that will vote Democrat in the Fall. He is not winning in the Conservative states which vote Republican.; Reply to this comment