Republican frontrunner John McCain on Thursday offered an olive branch to his conservative enemies, as Democrat Hillary Clinton struggled to match Barack Obama’s multimillion-dollar money machine.
McCain was set to brave an annual gathering of fervent conservative activists, hoping for a truce with the critical Republican voting bloc that helped Ronald Reagan and George Bush into the White House.
Clinton, meanwhile, faced reports she is stuck in a cash crunch after loaning her campaign $5-million, as Obama poured on the pain by reaping a stunning $7-million since their Super Tuesday clash this week.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) attracts thousands of core social, religious, economic and national security conservatives, and may be McCain’s best chance to overcome the bloc’s distrust.
The Arizona senator has a solid conservative voting record, but has enraged the key constituency with his stands on immigration reform, by initially opposing Bush’s huge tax cuts and on campaign finance measures.
McCain, who emerged as the solid frontrunner from the Super Tuesday nationwide nominating clash, skipped CPAC last year, a move which further sullied his conservative credentials.
Conservatives could severely wound McCain’s hopes in November if they decide to stay away from the polls.
”My message will be we all share common principles, common conservative principles and we should coalesce around those issues in which we are in agreement,” McCain said on Wednesday.
”If you agree on everything there’s something wrong. We need spirited discussion and debate on specific issues [while] sharing a common philosophy.”
In the deadlocked Democratic race, Clinton attempted to keep pace with Obama after the political world was rocked by revelations over the surprising loan to her campaign and reports senior staffers were working without pay.
An appeal by the former first lady had already racked up $3-million in less than 24 hours since Super Tuesday and a new $6-million target was set to be unveiled on Thursday.
Illinois senator Obama, however, who last month raised an incredible $32-million, again outpaced the former first lady, as his campaign revealed he had raised $7-million since polls closed on Tuesday.
The Obama campaign believes its fundraising edge will help them grind down the former first lady in coming contests in crucial advertising blitzes, and allow him to compete across a wider area.
Clinton said on Wednesday she had dipped into her pocket because she believed very strongly in her campaign.
”We had a great month fundraising in January, broke all records. But my opponent was able to raise more money,” Clinton said.
Obama’s team called the announcement ”a dramatic move, and a clear acknowledgement that our campaign has the momentum”.
Clinton’s camp said her haul last month was $13,5-million after both campaigns gave total 2007 figures of $103-million for Obama and $115-million for Clinton.
The Democratic rivals will duel through a clutch of smaller contests, in territory like Maryland and Washington DC, favouring Obama, before the next big showdowns on March 4 in Ohio and Texas, which lean more towards Clinton.
If no clear winner emerges by then, eyes will turn to the next big showdown at the end of April in Pennsylvania, with chances growing that the tie may have to be broken at the Democratic convention in August.
McCain won nine of 21 states on offer Tuesday, giving him 720 delegates to the Republican convention, compared with 279 for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and 194 for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
But McCain (71) remains short of the 1 191 needed to win the nomination, according to a Real Clear Politics count.
Clinton won eight states on Tuesday, including the three biggest prizes, California, her home state of New York and Massachusetts, but Obama won 13.
A Real Clear Politics running count had the New York senator with 1 056 delegates, half of the 2 025 she needs to capture the nomination. Illinois Senator Obama was close behind with 979. — AFP
