McCain supports Graf

Via AZ Daily Star: McCain supports Graf for House seat

WTF? Wow, has McCain no standards left whatsoever? The Straight Talk Express has just taken a detour into the racist KKK militia mosh-pit.

I don’t think this helps Graf as much as it does McCain. Moderates know that McCain is playing in the shallow end of the gene pool to set himself up for a 2008 run at the White House. They aren’t likely to be influenced to vote for Graf because McCain wants to shore up his base. If McCain were to become very prominent in Graf’s campaign, it might have an effect: a mere endorsement won’t.

On the other end, Graf already has the base on board. McCain benefits among the far right by looking inclusive and down with his homies. Those in the base who are cheesed at McCain’s ideas on immigration reform aren’t likely to be moved, but there is definite goodwill to be won by McCain in this scenario.

One could with some justice say this story is reported backwards: the real news is that Graf has endorsed McCain, not the other way around, because the only benefit will flow to McCain, not Graf.