McCain supporter and former Mass. governor Jane Swift on Obama’s election

ADAORA UDOJI:

Among those who were supporting John McCain, Jane Swift, and that name has got to be familiar to you. She is the former governor of Massachusetts, she was supporting John McCain. Early on, she took to his side and during the primary. And recently, she was out stumping for him, campaigning for him across the country. And in Sarah Palin, I’m sure, Governor, you found a kindred spirit. Somebody who found themselves under the glare of the national press.

JANE SWIFT:

Well, good morning. I, I think certainly one of the great things among so many other historic things in this election, is that those of us who so fervently believe we need more women in the highest leadership positions in politics now have a lot to reflect on after this election with two historic female candidacies, Hillary Clinton’s and Sarah Palin’s.

And we’ll get to test many of the research ? much of the research and many of our assumptions about how candidates are treated when they run, as women, and particularly how women with young children are perceived by the electorate. But you know, today, I think we all want to wish Senator Obama well. He certainly has enormous challenges before him.

And all Americans, as Senator McCain said, need to support him and give him our best wishes and whatever help we can to make sure he’s successful.

ADAORA UDOJI:

And what do you make of the Barack Obama win yesterday? Do you think it was a vote against the Bush administration, or do you think there was just something so tantalizing about him, his message and his plan in the face of all of these major issues facing America right now?

JANE SWIFT:

Well, certainly the external factors ? the unpopularity of President Bush, the fact that Republicans really lost our credibility on spending discipline and a very weakened economy which generally, voters blame to the party that holds the presidency. So I think all those things certainly worked against Senator McCain and it created wind at the back of Senator Obama.

But let’s give credit ? Senator Obama ran a brilliant campaign with some difficult challenges and I think he deserves credit for that and hopefully those skills will be used to carry us for ? forward in difficult times.

JOHN HOCKENBERRY:

Governor Swift, you know, eight years ago, we were saying that perhaps the Republicans were inheriting some mantle of a party of youth and educated people and the suburbs and you know, this sort of new America was, was migrating Republican.

It seems that Barack Obama has suggested that no, that’s not the case. What do Republican strategists do over the next four years?

JANE SWIFT:

Well, I think one of the things that we need to do is to look at ? you know, we actually held a lot of the places that Republicans traditionally won and we lost narrowly in a lot of swing states. But I think the most concerning things are the new voters and the younger voters because obviously over a long period of time, that ? if it becomes an established trend, can make you a permanent minority.

I think one of the things that I thought and I think Senator McCain said [?] strongly is this anti-immigrant sentiment that some in our party express is really ? even if it were the right policy which I think it’s not, it’s terrible politics when you have such a huge and emerging immigrant population that makes this a vibrant country and always has.

And so, I think we’ll definitely have to revisit some of those positions within the party and I, I think we also need to begin to bridge the differences between people who have a difference of opinion on abortion so that we not only talk about tolerance, but we practice it.

ADAORA UDOJI:

Very serious issues and certainly there will be a lot of discussion among Republicans as to what comes next. Governor, former governor of Massachusetts Jane Swift, we really appreciate your time this morning.

JANE SWIFT:

Thank you. Have a good day.