Would-be First Daughter Goes Off on Conservatives

In the spacious apartment of the newly minted media celebrity Meghan McCain, everthing has the look of middle-of-the-road decor along with a bit of unique style, from the baby rhinocerous figurine collection in the hutch to the portrait of former President Gerald Ford front-and-center in the foyer. The atmosphere, however, resembles more of a political campaign. An aide scurries by and a scheduling secretary busily works on a laptop and haggles with would-be interviewers as we sit down for a very brief interview.

"I can't imagine I would have been any busier had Daddy won!", she laughs. Just then her blackberry rings; she glances at it. "It's Katie Couric again," she sighs. "I told her I'm absolutely booked this week. I've got Matt Lauer tomorrow morning, the View later in the day, Jon Stewart, then Larry King. I barely have time to sleep!" She declines to take the CBS anchor's call, as she reflects on the last few months. "It's been a lot of fun, I've never felt so popular in my life. I think the question right now is where do Republicans go from here, and I've been in so much demand from those wanting the answer to that question."

Asked what went wrong with her father's campaign, she is philosophical. "Daddy would have been a great president, don't get me wrong, but we have to give the new president a chance. Daddy would have been like Gerald Ford," she says as she looks up at the man she considers the model republican president. "He was the ideal republican, so well liked by Washington insiders on both sides of the aisle. I wish I were alive in that time, such an exciting decade to be a republican, except for the Nixon thing, he was kind of creepy." She glances at her blackberry. "Speaking of creepy, ooh Newt Gingrich is following me on Twitter, yuck! But Ford, now there was a president, kind of stiff but really warm inside like John Kerry who I proudly voted for. I like the whole 'Whip Inflation Now' thing, it's kind of sexy when you think about it."

I wondered aloud if there was any conservative alive in this country whom she hasn't offended. "Hey, I'm like Daddy, a real maverick. I know I've pretty much offended conservatives everywhere, but I know there are a few that I haven't offended yet. Pro-life groups, gun owners, I'll get to everyone eventually. Let me just say that all conservatives are yucky, there I said it!"

Asked whether there is anything Republicans can hang there hat on if they move any further to the center than they already have. "Hey it's like, they won, we have to let them govern. As Daddy said, we have nothing to fear from an Obama presidency. But we have a say too, and I plan to speak up when I disagree with the democrats...I can't really think of anything off the top of my head, but when I do, I'll be sure to mention it to Barbara Walters or someone..."

This begs the question, which I asked as tactfully as I could, why not then just switch parties? "The Republican party can be an important player as a minority party in this country. I mean I'm proud to be a republican, but we need to be more like the democrats, except maybe drive nicer cars. But I look at my friends in the Democratic party...well that's pretty much all my friends come to think of it," she giggles, "and how many shows have they been on? I would lose all my media leverage if I were a Democrat."

Our ten minute interview is about over, but Ms McCain's fifteen minutes of fame seems to go on forever. Just then her blackberry rings again. She motions that she needs to take it this time. "Hi Katie! Well aren't you the persistent one!"