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Marc Ambinder reports in The Atlantic today that in a draft of his speech when he announced his candidacy for president last year, Senator John McCain and his staff included a pledge that he would only stay in office for one term. “The idea to serve one term had long been discussed among top advisors, and McCain was on board,” writes Ambinder. But the day before the speech (in New Hampshire on April 15), he cut that section away after friends and advisers cautioned against it. “He made a decision and we didn’t do it,” said Mark Salter, his chief speechwriter, who crafted the speech. Ambinder today outlines the benefits and limitations of the one-term strategy, which he says McCain had planned on having central to his entire campaign strategy. Ultimately, complications regarding McCain’s perceived power with Congress and the status of the vice-president outweighed the potential benefits of not having to worry about running again and separating himself from the pack. The plan was dropped entirely and is no longer discussed within the campaign.
McCain Almost Took “One-Term” Pledge [Atlantic]
