The Philosopher King, Almost
N FEBRUARY 13 this year, as Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama rounded off nine days of sweeping primary victories smashing Hillary Clinton across more than half of America’s 50 states, a key strategist of the Republican nominee, John McCain, quietly announced he would retire rather than work against Obama. “I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama,” McCain adviser Mark McKinnon said in an interview with the non-profit National Public Radio in Washington DC. While insisting he disagreed with Obama on “very fundamental issues” and would still back McCain “100 percent”, McKinnon said: “I met Barack Obama. I read his book. I like him a great deal.” On May 20, two days after an astounding 75,000 supporters rallied to hear Obama at Portland in the northwest state of Oregon, McKinnon — who masterminded the advertising campaigns of George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential bids — resigned from the McCain campaign even as r...