John McCain on '60 Minutes': Reintroducing himself, in a new role

Just a few months ago, John McCain's White House hopes were barely on life support. The Republicans getting all the attention -- and the money -- included Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson; no one, it seemed, wanted to hear from the Arizona senator, whose campaign was almost broke (he fired many of his staff and flew on commercial flights by himself, in coach, to campaign appearances) and whose bipartisan work on legislation (including campaign finance reform and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants) made him a pariah among the party's conservative base.

But in one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent political history, McCain clinched the GOP presidential nomination last week. Now he's beginning another sort of campaign -- introducing himself to the American people not as the self-styled maverick on the Straight Talk Express, but as the presumptive leader of his party, hoping to knit its various skeins -- social conservatives, moderate pragmatists, immigration hard-liners, and so on -- into a tapestry that pictures him taking the oath of office on the Capitol steps in January.

To that end, he appeared Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes" ...

where he held forth on a variety of topics:

He noted that his views on a number of issues had put him at odds "from time to time" with the GOP mainstream. But in his new role as the party's leader,  he said, "we have to, I think, re-energize the party, we have to expand the base, we have to appeal to the independents and we got to go out and get those Reagan Democrats -- and there’s a whole new generation of them. We got our work cut out for us."

Asked about "experience" -- which Hillary Clinton has touted in her campaign against Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination -- the four-term senator, whose strong suits are foreign policy and military matters, played off a Clinton ad asking voters which candidate they would want awakened in the middle of the night to answer a crisis phone call: "If the phone rings at 3:00 a.m., I think the American people would want me to answer it first."

At 71, McCain is the oldest of the candidates, and he was treated in 2000 for malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. But the voters have no cause for concern, he said, describing his health as "excellent" and adding that his medical records will be released "in the next month or so."

(UPDATE: Actually Ralph Nader is the oldest candidate at 74, while Ron Paul is the oldest major party candidate at 72.)

Finally, he was asked about his temper  -- and, just as a consummate politician should, he spun a potential liability to his advantage.

"I think I get angry when I see things go wrong," he said. "I've never been elected Ms. Congeniality. But I do believe that I can unite this party. And I think the American people support somebody who still has the capacity, maybe, to get angry from time to time when we see something wrong."

On an economic question -- specifically the rising price of gasoline -- McCain acknowledged that he has no immediate answer: "The only way we are going to fix it is to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. We've got to have a crash program, an all-out effort. But I can't give you straight talk and tell you that [snapping his fingers] tomorrow I can change the -- the price of a gallon of gas."

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Comments

[Figgins]

Candidate McCain: You can ease the spikes in the price of gasoline by showing the oil companies it is in their best interest to build at least two new refineries.

[Javalation]

McCain got mad at a reporter recently for asking him a question... is that what he means by things going wrong???

[terry garahan]

Did anyone else hear John McCain suggest that George Bush was a war ciminal by comparing his use of torture (waterboarding) to the leaders of Japan at the end of WW2?

[John Bowery]

"The Republicans getting all the attention -- and the money -- included Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson..." How ironic that they are STILL getting more attention than Ron Paul, in spite of the fact that he is the only Republican candidate still contesting McCain's nomination. The media would still like to ignore Ron Paul's candidacy for fear that a large percentage of the "anyone-but-McCain" vote (which is considerable) would go to him by default. How embarrassing if the citizens in the remaining primary states were allowed to show their displeasure with McCain, and actually defeated him at a time when they were all supposed to be falling into line behind his candidacy. No, in a rigged election the duty of the journalist is to make sure that there are NO choices left to confuse the voters. Congratulations on a job well done.

[David]

Candidate McCain: You can ease the spikes in the price of gasoline by instructing the financial institution that control the United States currency to stop debasing the dollar's value by printing more of them to give to your defense buddies.

[MJ]

I am a war veteran and can not in good conscience support this McCain fellow.

I do not understand his argument regarding ILLEGAL immigration.

I do not understand his anti SECOND amendment stance.

I do not understand how he can swear to defend the CONSTITUTION against all enemies foreign AND DOMESTIC without being at war with himself.

Why would he be Ms. Congeniality?

I would FEAR him answering the phone at 0300. I would be worried about him COMPROMISING the CONSTITUTION and our LIBERTY.

I don't think McCain will expand the party at all. If anything he may alienate the party base. Why would we want him to expand the party if that means watering down a conservative party with UNCONSTITUTIONAL LIBERAL IDEAS.

[poppatml]

The voters in the remaining states should vote thier conscious. The numerous canidtes brought varied and in some cases valid arguments that should be validated by thier vote. Voting is one of the most important acts our citizens can perform. The media has done its best to slant the election to the presumptve leader thru out this election. Don't let them keep you way from the polls. I for one will vote my conscious now and in November regardless.

[ginger]

he is not the oldest candidate. ron paul is.

please go to the man or woman on the street and ask him or her who the choice will be for president...if the person says "mccain"...ask what mccain's stance is, on any of the issues, for instance, immigration...and i bet you a nickel that person will HAVE NO IDEA.

mccain is bad enough. but the majority of the public is worse.

(Actually, Ralph Nader is now the oldest at 74.)

[Sean]

Umm....Actually Ron Paul is 72, therefore HE is the oldest candidate running for president.

RON PAUL 2008!!!

(Umm, actually not anymore. Ralph Nader is 74.)

[jen]

My father was an officer on the USS Forrestal when its firey fate happened. Dad did NOT like McCain and if he was alive today, I DOUBT STONGLY he would vote for him!!! McCain was/is a wreckless person.