Will McCain Make a 'One and Done" Pledge at RNC?

By Rick Moran

This is a concept that has been discussed on many websites and speculated on by pundits for months:

Will John McCain announce at the convention that if elected, he will not run in 2012?

Not a peep about this concept has leaked from his campaign so my guess would be that if it is a possibility, it is the most tightly guarded secret of his operation, known to only the top two or three advisors. Perhaps McCain himself is the only one who could speak to the truth of the idea.

On Fox News Sunday, campaign chief Rick Davis refused to rule out the possibility

Wallace raised the prospect - much discussed in political circles - that McCain could combine the one-term pledge with a vow that he would run an apolitical administration.

"If you know John McCain, you know there's not going to be much politics in the White House," Davis replied, ignoring the matter of whether the Arizona senator, who turns 72 later this month, could limit himself to a single term.

Asked directly about the matter, Davis replied: "Chris, you're going to have to come to the Republican convention."

When Wallace noted that Davis wasn't ruling it out, the aide again declined to discuss the prospect. "I'm not talking about it all," Davis said.

There are many pros who think it a horrible idea, that he would arrive on inauguration day "quacking" as one wag put his lame duck status.

But the mood of the country is such that the pledge of a president to truly work in a bi-partisan manner by being apolitical might attract enough independents and younger voters to put him over the top. At the very least, a one and done pledge would make a huge amount of news and alter the dynamics of the general election race.

I too, think it a horrible idea. First of all, it tends to highlight rather than obscure the age issue - something the Obama camp will seize on immediately and hammer McCain on daily. Secondly, it really would mean that McCain would be a lame duck the moment he took the oath. Presidents get as much done by being feared as they do being loved. Take away the fear factor and getting politicians to go along with you becomes an exercise in herding cats. McCain could fight for his issues all he wants but it would do him little good if the Congress knew he would be gone in 2012.

Also, it would put an enormous burden on his Vice Presidential nominee. He will be vetted by both the Obama campaign and the press as a potential president, not Vice President. For four years, the White House beat will have two subjects; the president and the probable GOP nominee in 2012. That can only detract from McCain's presidency.

But who knows? Everything is speculative anyway because it's never been tried before. Perhaps in today's climate and circumstances, it would be the best possible thing for the country.

Or a spectacular failure.