The Contest Has Begun - 1/2

March 4, or Mini-Super Tuesday (again), marked a new, but not surprising chapter for the Republican candidates in the race for president. After having had a long-running campaign for a position deemed for him mathematically impossible, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made the official announcement of the ending of his campaign. But he made sure to add, "We aren't going away completely. We want to be a part of helping to keep the issues alive that have kept us in this race."

Having gained the necessary delegates (1,191+), Sen. John McCain is now the Republican nominee-in-waiting. This event comes as somewhat of a shock seeing how four months ago, John McCain would never have been expected to make such progress. Said McCain at to supporters last night in Dallas, "Our campaign must be, and will be more than another tired debate of false promises, empty sound bites, or useless arguments from the past that address not a single American's concerns for their family's security."

It's now up to McCain to make sure he has the full backing of his fellow Republicans. He's already gained support from former candidates and opponents Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and now Mike Huckabee. Said Huckabee he extended his support to McCain and to the party to do everything possible to unite the Republican party, but more importantly to unite the country. But of course one of the biggest endorsements McCain could receive came today from President George W. Bush.

President Bush and Sen. McCain were once opponents for the GOP nominee for president, and have had their share of differences. But said today by the current U.S. commander-in-chief, "John showed incredible courage, strength of character and perseverance in order to get to this moment and that's exactly what we need in a president — somebody who can handle the tough decisions, somebody who won't flinch in the face of danger."

President Bush went on to add his support for McCain, saying that he would be campaigning with him when he could. Now some might think that because of Bush's low approval ratings, and him being a Republican could do damage for John McCain's campaign. Many would like to say that a vote for McCain is a vote for Bush, or a vote for any Republican is a vote for Bush- not true. Said the president, "They're not going to be voting for me...I've had my time in the Oval Office." "It's not about me," he added, "I've done my bit."

With no opponent threatening his place in the race (*cough* Ron Paul) John McCain can now focus on what he'll do to improve the country, such as socially, economically, and the security. He also needs to be clear on the issues and prove that just because you may not have agreed with the Bush administration doesn't mean Democrats are the answer- not that I'm enforcing a political party. So while Hillary and Barack continue to battle it out, for John McCain, the contest has begun.