--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who knows if John McCain could have won…" description: "\"Who knows if John McCain could have won that presidential campaign [2008] in any circumstances when George W. Bush the outgoing Republican president ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/rachel-maddow-1240_approval_who-knows-if-john-mccain-could-have-won_2312731.png" --- # Who knows if John McCain could have won that presidential… ![“Who knows if John McCain could have won that presidential campaign [2008] in any circumstances when George W. Bush the outgoing Republican president had a 22 percent approval rating.” quote by Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/rachel-maddow-1240_approval_who-knows-if-john-mccain-could-have-won_2312731.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/rachel-maddow-1240_approval_who-knows-if-john-mccain-could-have-won_2312731.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/rachel-maddow-1240_approval_who-knows-if-john-mccain-could-have-won_2312731.png) > “Who knows if John McCain could have won that presidential campaign \[2008\] in any circumstances when George W. Bush the outgoing Republican president had a 22 percent approval rating.” [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speculates on political outcomes, noting Bush’s approval rating as a factor in McCain’s chances. **In simple terms:** Political speculation about 2008 election. Key Takeaway Consider context in political analysis. Themes politics election analysis Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - voter behavior - media commentary - historical review Key Concepts public opinion campaign strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do approval ratings affect elections? - What other factors mattered in 2008? A Different Perspective Predictions can be uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) [Approval rating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval-rating/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Outgoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outgoing/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Presidential campaign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidential-campaign/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) ## Related quotes > [Currently, the United States provides 22 percent of the U.N. annual budgets, over $900 million in fiscal year 2007, and some of that funding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccaul/currently-the-united-states-provides-22-percent-of-the-u-n-annual/) [Michael McCaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccaul/) > [“There’s even evidence that compared with takers, on average, givers earn 14 percent less money, have twice the risk of becoming victims of crimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-m-grant/there-s-even-evidence-that-compared-with-takers-on-average-givers/) [Adam M. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-m-grant/) > [“One study had four doctors interpret fifty different tracings (the printouts generated by the monitor). The four concurred only 22 percent of the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armin-a-brott/one-study-had-four-doctors-interpret-fifty-different-tracings-the/) [Armin A. Brott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armin-a-brott/) > [We are the biggest donor to the United Nations, contributing 22 percent of the regular operating budget and nearly 27 percent of the peacekeeping budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-stearns/we-are-the-biggest-donor-to-the-united-nations-contributing-22/) [Cliff Stearns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-stearns/) > [By no means is Trump the first president or even the first Republican president to abuse the power of the office in an effort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamelle-bouie/by-no-means-is-trump-the-first-president-or-even-the-first-republican/) [Jamelle Bouie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamelle-bouie/) > [Not one Republican president has balanced the budget in 34 years. You can not trust Republicans with your money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/not-one-republican-president-has-balanced-the-budget-in-34-years-you/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [“There’s not a Republican president or presidential candidate in the last fifty years who hasn’t known the DeVoses,” Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/there-s-not-a-republican-president-or-presidential-candidate-in-the/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [New Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is fluent in Chinese. In a short period of time the Republicans have come quite a long way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/new-republican-presidential-candidate-jon-huntsman-is-fluent-in/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Every president since George Washington has taken executive privilege seriously. Every Republican president has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-lew/every-president-since-george-washington-has-taken-executive-privilege/) [Jacob Lew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-lew/) > [Mr. Chairman, I think the record should show that for the first time since McKinley, we have a Republican president worth shooting, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-johnson/mr-chairman-i-think-the-record-should-show-that-for-the-first-time/) [James Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-johnson/) > [I happen to be a Republican President... ah... the Vice President.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-happen-to-be-a-republican-president-ah-the-vice-president/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [One thing Republican leaders, regardless of whether they love us or they hate us, have got to understand is there's no way in hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niger-innis/one-thing-republican-leaders-regardless-of-whether-they-love-us-or/) [Niger Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niger-innis/) > [Vote Republican if you like, but don't kid yourself that a Republican president would replace Obamacare with anything at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/vote-republican-if-you-like-but-don-t-kid-yourself-that-a-republican/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [This is President Obama’s number one political agenda item because he knows we will never again have a Republican president, ever, if amnesty goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bachmann/this-is-president-obama-s-number-one-political-agenda-item-because-he/) [Michele Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bachmann/) > [What we need in Washington now is a strong Republican president who knows how to govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/what-we-need-in-washington-now-is-a-strong-republican-president-who/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) ## More by Rachel Maddow > [ Ben Carson also denounced \[Donald\] Trump's ban all Muslims proposal saying we do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/ben-carson-also-denounced-donald-trump-s-ban-all-muslims-proposal/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ Senator \[Tom\] Cotton has campaigned on wanting to kill Obamacare. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act back in January, but he now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/senator-tom-cotton-has-campaigned-on-wanting-to-kill-obamacare-he/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ \[Tom Cotton\] has been an absolute champion of the idea of getting rid of Obamacare, scrapping the Affordable Care Act. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/tom-cotton-has-been-an-absolute-champion-of-the-idea-of-getting-rid/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [If you're working on better conditions for prisoners, if you make that a popular issue and you invite mainstream media to weigh in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/if-you-re-working-on-better-conditions-for-prisoners-if-you-make-that/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Liberals say that we are secular country with a majority of Christians, absolutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/liberals-say-that-we-are-secular-country-with-a-majority-of/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [What's insulting to the American people, the Senate, to this whole process is that the Republicans, with all other nominees, have said Democrats are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/what-s-insulting-to-the-american-people-the-senate-to-this-whole/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Oswald Mosley's movement, it was a big movement. It was obviously anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, it was populist. Mosley wanted to replace the parliamentary system of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/oswald-mosley-s-movement-it-was-a-big-movement-it-was-obviously-anti/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Pentagon dollars are essentially seen as a different kind of funding that doesn't have to stand for itself and make an argument for itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/pentagon-dollars-are-essentially-seen-as-a-different-kind-of-funding/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [Military preparedness is absolutely a form of strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/military-preparedness-is-absolutely-a-form-of-strength/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [When Conservatives crusade against government while they are trying to be appointed to head the government, I think that's weird!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/when-conservatives-crusade-against-government-while-they-are-trying/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [One of the manifestations of depression for me is that I lose my will. And I thereby lose my ability to focus. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/one-of-the-manifestations-of-depression-for-me-is-that-i-lose-my-will/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [There had been a proposed plank for the platform that said the Republican Party believed the United States should support Ukraine in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/there-had-been-a-proposed-plank-for-the-platform-that-said-the/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [John McCain has refused to ever criticize Sarah Palin, to ever admit there was anything wrong about her choice. He has been capital "L"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/john-mccain-has-refused-to-ever-criticize-sarah-palin-to-ever-admit/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [ The more you push back on Donald \[Trump\], whether you're in the media or whether you are in the GOP establishment, the stronger his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-more-you-push-back-on-donald-trump-whether-you-re-in-the-media-or/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) [Explore all 268 Rachel Maddow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More Approval quotes > [Anyone who's read my 'Terror in the Skies' series knows that I have not been writing with an eye toward approval from any government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/anyone-who-s-read-my-terror-in-the-skies-series-knows-that-i-have-not/) [Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tehyi-hsieh/lean-too-much-on-the-approval-of-people-and-it-becomes-a-bed-of-thorns/) [Tehyi Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tehyi-hsieh/) > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the supreme court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/a-year-ago-my-approval-rating-was-in-the-30s-my-nominee-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Approval is a greater motivator than disapproval, but we have to disapprove on occasion when we correct. It’s necessary. I make corrections only after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/approval-is-a-greater-motivator-than-disapproval-but-we-have-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [These days people are mean to people just because they don't like the way they look. No-one should be hated because of their flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/these-days-people-are-mean-to-people-just-because-they-don-t-like-the/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [I got this emptiness inside that got me fighting for approval because I missed out on my daddy saying, Way to Go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/i-got-this-emptiness-inside-that-got-me-fighting-for-approval-because/) [Lecrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [My dad taught me swears when I was a toddler, and I saw, at a really early age, that if I shocked people, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/my-dad-taught-me-swears-when-i-was-a-toddler-and-i-saw-at-a-really/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [If torture is going to be administered as a last resort in the ticking-bomb case, to save enormous numbers of lives, it ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/if-torture-is-going-to-be-administered-as-a-last-resort-in-the/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Comedy is a very approval-oriented field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/comedy-is-a-very-approval-oriented-field/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) > [Whenever you are too worried about someone else's approval, that person loses respect for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/whenever-you-are-too-worried-about-someone-else-s-approval-that/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/pleasure-is-nature-s-test-her-sign-of-approval/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Do you really mean the only reason you try to be good is to gain God's approval and reward? That's not morality, that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/do-you-really-mean-the-only-reason-you-try-to-be-good-is-to-gain-god/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) [Browse all 904 Approval quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who knows if John McCain could have won that presidential campaign [2008] in any circumstances when George W. 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