Brownback Not Bullish on McCain's Chances in Kansas
SEATTLE -- Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, who's campaigning with John McCain says that while McCain is charging towards the Republican nomination, he may have a minor stumble today in the Kansas GOP caucuses.
"I think it's a very tough dynamic for John McCain going into Kansas," Brownback said on a flight from Wichita to Seattle Friday. "The state is well positioned for Mike Huckabee."
The McCain camp is concerned that voters may not turn out for their candidate because some may think John McCain has the nomination sewed up.
"I don't know what the turnout is going to be at all. It's not well-advertised so I wouldn't doubt that there would be a fairly low turnout of this. It may seem to some people that 'well, this is kind of over so why go through it?' "
Brownback weighed in on Focus on the Family founder James Dobson's endorsement of Huckabee saying, "You will never hear me say anything negative about this man, because he's helped millions of people raise kids. For me the central issue is what we've done to the family structure in this country and this guy has helped more than anybody else."
"I think there will be others that come out in support of John in the faith community in the upcoming weeks and months but it's going to take some time."
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis says they haven't had a lot of time to prepare for today's caucuses in Kansas and Washington state.
"We're not the perfect caucus candidate," Davis admitted. "It's exciting that we were able to count on people like Brownback for help in a place like Kansas. [Former Sen.] Slade Gorton in Washington state has always been a big supporter. So we are really riding on the backs of a lot of these guys…In primary states like Virginia and Maryland it's much more our turf and we hope to do well there too [on Feb. 12]."
And Brownback took pre-emptive blame if McCain does lose. "Every state he sent me to we've lost," he joked, referring to Iowa and Michigan. "So if it's a loss it's my fault."
Brownback will campaign next in North Dakota and Montana.
Today, John McCain is resting in California and will spend most of the day making phone calls for his campaign.