Some Bush supporters were dismissive of what McCain accomplished. The Arizona Senator won Michigan, e.g., only because independents and Democrats made up 51 percent of voters in its so-called Republican primary and voted overwhelmingly for McCain. The Republican establishment, having lost by winning less than 40 percent of the vote in each of the past two presidential election cycles, had opened many primaries to crossover voters to attract new voters for the Grand Old Party. George W. Bush had been delighted. Bush and his establishment backers were horrified when McCain picked up such votes instead, running to Bush's Left and forcing the him to scramble for votes farther to the Right than the Texas Governor had wanted to go.
Compassionate conservatism is inherently moderate.
He advocated smaller tax cuts than either Bush or President Bill Clinton, and simultaneously proposed more funding and partial privatization of Social Security. Policy has nothing to do with his success. He barely understands his own tax plan. Bush enthusiasts scoff that their guy will automatically carry states like Arizona in November, and that no Republican could win the electoral votes of Kennedy's Massachusetts. One way to create a balanced, if not always centrist, ticket is to have the winner in a tough primary race thus embrace his opponent as Ronald Reagan did in 1980 by naming Northeastern moderate George Bush, Dubya's dad, as his vice president.