McCain is Sinking Fast

This from Rasmussen Reports(tip to Kos):

Support for McCain has been declining recently. Data released last week showed the Arizona Senator trailing Barack Obama (D) and John Edwards (D) in general election match-ups for the first time. Prior to that time, McCain had been ahead of every Democrat in our general election polls.

McCain is now viewed favorably by just 52% of American voters. That's down from 56% earlier this month and from 59% in December. His vocal advocacy of increased troop strength in Iraq may be having a negative impact on his popularity. Just one-third of voters (34%) share McCain's view while 56% want to go in the opposite direction and reduce the number of troops in Iraq. However, 94% think the troops will still be fighting in Iraq when the next President takes office.

I have commented in the past that the Republican nominee, no matter who, will be wearing the concrete boots of Bush in 2008. I still believe this is true for all of the candidates but John McCain has inexplicably made his road even more difficult. It is now clear that John McCain has permanently attached himself to the failures of the Iraq war. This is his escalation and no matter how he tries he will not be able to escape it. Getting this meme out into the public consciousness is thanks to many democrats, but specifically to John Edwards, who early on dubbed the escalation, "The McCain Doctine." Somehow even if Edwards' language hasn't stuck, the idea has. This is now Bush and McCain's war, and it will tar the entire Republican party in 2008.