It´s the Time of the Season for Stumping: Ah, the presidential primaries. There´s nothing like a few weeks of intense media glare to thin the campaign herd, to separate the contenders from the pan-flashes, the thoroughbreds from the karma chameleons.

 

The first noteworthy environmental splash of this year´s campaign was made the other day during the New Hampshire primary by Sen. John McCain. In a speech in Concord, McCain declared, "I will clean up the planet. I will make global warming a priority."

 

The Arizona Republican hammered the theme at length and won some big cheers. It was an interesting strategy and a departure, coming from a candidate who has touched on climate change in the past, but seldom if ever in such a direct, focal manner.

 

The aforelinked Boston Globe article notes that McCain´s address echoed a speech on acid rain and other environmental issues delivered by George H.W. Bush, the incumbent´s father, when he campaigned in New Hampshire 20 years ago.

 

The elder Bush won that 1988 New Hampshire primary, and, of course, later the presidency. And as we learned Tuesday night, McCain´s big green Granite State sermon helped produce similar results.

 

Presidential campaigns have a way of running in ruts, I mean cycles. These candidates are sharp people, by and large. Most of them know their history. They know what has worked in past races. And they´re not above a little flattery in its sincerest form, especially when the stakes start to pile high.

 

Pete Fehrenbach is managing editor of Waste News. Past installments of this column are collected in the Inbox archive.

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