McCain: Have the reports of his demise been premature?

John McIntyre at RCP doesn't buy the notion that I've been peddling this week that John McCain's Presidential campaign may as well be over. In a radio interview this week he did not predict such but would neither rule out a Kerry-esque turn of events in 2008 for Republicans.

Like Kerry in 04, McCain was supposed to be next in line for his party's nomination and like Kerry, McCain is struggling to stay in the top tier of candidates here in the early part of the campaign.

We all know what happened to the Democratic front-runner in '04, and again while not predicting such a scenario, McIntyre wouldn't rule it out. Neither does K-Lo:

I'm Not Putting My Money on This [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Craig Crawford floats McCain dropping out:

If presidential campaigns had such a thing as an honorable discharge, Sen. John McCain could get one.

The Arizona Republican’s White House bid has gone from bad to worse with this week’s news that he lags well behind leading candidates in both parties for the almighty dollar. McCain’s aides say that he inexplicably held only two fundraisers in the first two months of 2007.
No wonder that his first-quarter earnings put him at $12.5 million in contributions, compared with $15 million for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and $20 million for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

In short order, McCain has gone from presumed front-runner to enduring rumors that he might not even stay in the race. If he dropped out, McCain can always blame his support for the unpopular Iraq war — highlighted by his recent trip to the region — and exit with dignity.