(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-31 17:09

At the very least, the Democratic family feud is elevating McCain.

"He's able to go out there and be the statesman, and that's valuable," said Chris Lehane, a Democrat and former aide to President Clinton. He said McCain also benefits because there's no Democratic nominee to challenge him on his missteps.

For example, McCain opened himself up to criticism recently when he mistakenly said that Iran was allowing al-Qaida fighters into its country to be trained and returned to Iraq. Democratic operatives tried to hammer him on that but several say the lack of a nominee harmed their ability to make a dent.

While overall a boon, the prolonged Democratic race does present challenges for McCain.

It's dominating the campaign conversation and threatens to eclipse his ability to be heard. It also appears to be generating Democratic enthusiasm that could translate into boosted voter registration and participation, which could bode poorly for Republicans in November.

Nevertheless, McCain is seeking to make the most of his opportunity. He's using the time to tackle his to-do list and counter the private concerns of some Republicans that his campaign's transition from the primary to the general election is too slow.

Seeking to project the image of a leader well-known around the globe and well-versed on world issues, McCain traveled overseas in March to meet with world leaders and returned stateside to give a forward-looking address on foreign policy that differed from Bush's approach.

Last week, he went West in search of money and held nine fundraisers in five days. He brought in $5 million at California events alone but still has significant ground to make up compared with his Democratic rivals. In February, Clinton and Obama raised more than $80 million -- and had some $60 million on hand -- while McCain raised $11 million and had just $8 million available.

On Monday, McCain was starting a made-for-TV tour of places in the country that shaped his life and giving speeches on how the lessons learned will shape his presidency. The "Service to America" tour is an attempt to flesh out his biography and vision and cut into the Clinton-Obama media deluge.

"Every single day, McCain has an opportunity to present himself to the American public as someone with leadership, experience and statesmanship," said Kevin Madden, a veteran of Republican Mitt Romney's 2008 campaign. Meanwhile, he said: "Negative attributes being aired every day are becoming ingrained in people's perceptions about the Democratic candidates and could hurt them in the fall."

On that point, Democrats painfully agree.

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