Nancy Reagan Gives McCain Seal of Approval
John McCain stands by former first lady Nancy Reagan, who endorsed the Arizona senator Tuesday at her home in Bel Air, Calif. (AP Photo)
Former first lady Nancy Reagan formally backed John McCain for president Tuesday at her Southern California home, saying she decided to forgo her custom of waiting until after the Republican National Convention to endorse because it’s obvious he will be the nominee.
McCain, who still faces critical conservative voters, said he hopes the endorsement will help him bring the party together.
“This is an important, most important kind of expression of confidence in my ability to lead the party that I could have,” McCain said Tuesday, adding that he hopes the “new Reagan Democrats” are watching.
Reagan said very little during their appearance together in Bel Air, Calif., letting McCain do most of the talking.
But she chimed in at the end in response to a question on why she decided to give such an early endorsement.
“But it wasn’t early on,” she said. “Let me inject in here. Ronnie and I always waited until everything was decided and then we endorsed. Well, obviously this is the nominee of the party.”
Reagan said earlier in a statement that McCain has a been a “good friend” for more than 30 years.
“My husband and I first came to know him as a returning Vietnam War POW, and were impressed by the courage he had shown through his terrible ordeal,” she said. “I believe John’s record and experience have prepared him well to be our next president.”
The support of Ronald Reagan’s widow could help McCain shore up the backing of conservatives who have long viewed him skeptically for his record of breaking with the Republican party on some issues they hold dear. At the same time, Reagan’s nod also could help further align him with the former president who attracted Democratic as well as Republican voters.
McCain said Tuesday those Democrats are “very important.”
Now certain to win the GOP nomination, McCain is on the West Coast this week to raise money.
Reagan’s eventual support was expected, and she becomes the latest Republican heavyweight to fall in line behind McCain. She and McCain have long been close, and it was only a matter of time before she spoke up for her friend.
The former first lady has nurtured her husband’s legacy and generally has stayed out of the political spotlight in recent years, with a few exceptions. She remained quiet during the multicandidate fight for the GOP nod but attended debates held at her husband’s presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.
In 2006, she lobbied in favor of legislation to expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, a position McCain shares, but President Bush vetoed the bill. President Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
John McCain is too old to run this country. Shame on you Nancy Reagan.
Nancy wake up and smell the coffee, because it is brewing.
What a silly article. Did you expect Nancy Reagan to endorse one of the Democrats?
I have the highest respect for President Reagan and his wife Nancy. McCain is the logical choice to lead our country.
My God! What is going on “re-runs” Nancy endorced John during the debates at the Reagan Library!!!
Nancy probably is senile or Ahemizer — what is FOX’s problem
This is about as useless as Hillary Clinton running for president. Sleeping with the president does not mean you know how the political process works.
This woman, after all, is responsible for the billions in waste of taxpayer dollars and ruining of lives that is the “war” on drugs.
The Republican Nominee should go and have quite retiremenet after unsuceessful attempt to make a difference in the lives of American people. Mccain and his wife look so wane and old in appearance that what they need now is to retire quitely and have a good retiremenet life.
BIG DEAL!
Just listen to all the Liberals crying on this post!
This endorsement will pull all the Conservatives to back McCain while, the Democrats can’t reach a decision of who the nominee will be. I am just sitting back and laughing.
The man with the most experience will win the election. The American voter will in November vote for the most experience person …Oh! I forgot Hillary was dodging Sniper bullets in a war zone. My friend let me tell you if there was a sniper Hillary would long gone. A sniper is a professional killer. By the way I was shot in Iraq 18 yrs ago and it was a significant emotional event in my life for and I remember it as if it was yesterday that’s for sure. Miss-spoke my butt!
Hillary lies so much she confuses fiction with reality.
Say what you want - attack Nancy Reagan and hope that it makes your candidate look better. Hardly. It is hard to dispute that one of the greatest presidents ever was Ronald Reagan and Nancy was right there with him. American can learn a lot from them and her. It is appalling to read the disrespectful comments about a President that has passed and his surviving wife. That is desperate!
That is the Dem way - the uglier the better.
What next Nancy will be VP choice????????
I usally vote republican, however, I need to know more about McCain’s stance on Stem Cell Research. Is he in favor to veto the federal funding ban on stem cell research? This issue is vital to me as the mother of a diabetic child.
I voted for Bush twice, but I just cannot overlook my strong views on giving scientists what they need in this country to move forward to discover cures for cancer, alzheimer’s, diabetes, etc.
Thank you.
Laura Weber