From the Times Online:
McCain could pull out of race by autumn
Presidential hopeful drops campaign staff as Republican consultants predict he'll be gone by September
THE former presidential front-runner, John McCain, may drop out of the 2008 race by September if his fundraising dries up and his poll ratings continue to drop, according to Republican insiders.
The speculation, vigorously denied by McCain’s camp, is sweeping Republican circles after a disastrous few weeks in which the principled Arizona senator has clashed with the party’s conservative base on immigration and also alienated independent voters by backing President George W Bush’s troop surge in Iraq.
Randy Pullen, chairman of the Arizona Republican party, said: “He’s a battler, so I’d expect him to carry on, but everyone is waiting to see what his new fundraising totals are. That’s pretty critical. If he doesn’t have the money, he won’t be able to run.”
The second fundraising quarter for candidates closes at the end of June and McCain’s results should be known by mid-July. more
While I admit that McCain v.2007 is a pale shade of McCain v.2000. I don't see him quitting. He's been waiting in the wings too long and this is his last chance. Additionally there is the question of what his percentages look like when Fred Thompson enters the race. Since McCain is viewed as a moderate Bloomberg could prove to be a bigger threat to him than Thompson.
Although the way his finances are shaping up it probably wouldn't hurt him to take a page from Ron Paul's play book at this point.
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