John McCain’s victory in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary Saturday doesn’t assure him of the party’s nomination. It does, however, make the Arizona senator the clear front-runner. It also continues a remarkable political comeback for a man who long has earned respect across partisan and ideological lines for both his “straight talk” approach and his leadership on difficult issues.<\/p>\n
Polling data indicate that Sen. McCain again did well among independents Saturday. That follows the pattern he established while attracting a considerable number of independent and even Democratic votes during his unsuccessful bid for the 2000 GOP presidential nomination, a pattern that resumed with his victory in the New Hampshire primary earlier this month.<\/p>\n
That ability to draw non-Republican votes would be a crucial asset in November if Sen. McCain, a mainstream conservative, goes on to capture the nomination. So would his no-nonsense style, as well as his knowledge and experience on the domestic and international fronts<\/p>\n