Posted on 03/10/2008 9:16:44 AM PDT by jdm
Over the weekend, Paul did a post that talked about demands that some conservatives are making on John McCain as the soon-to-be Republican nominee. I added some comments of my own; it's fair to say that both Paul and I are skeptical of the reasonableness of such demands.
That prompted an email from talk radio host Mark Levin, the subject heading of which was "John, Did You Actually Mean to Write This?" This initiated an exchange between Mark and me, which, with Mark's permission, I'm reproducing below:
John, did you actually mean to write this?
If there are conservatives who sincerely believe that it makes little difference whether the Executive Branch is run by John McCain or Barack Obama, they are entitled to sit out the election. And if they're going to sit it out, I'd appreciate it if they would sit it out entirely; in other words, stop attacking McCain for his "impurities."I assume you did. I will address is on my show tomorrow. I don't believe conservatives should sit out this election, but I would suggest the argument that conservative criticism of McCain is a demand for purity is a pretty thin argument.
Also, Paul, if you have evidence of John McCain's record speaking out for increased defense spending during most of his career, may we see it? And if you can find anything akin to a McCain policy statement laying out how he would take on global terrorism (apart from Iraq, say, Iran and Pakistan, for starters), would you pass that along as well? As this is McCain's strength, I think it's not too much to ask for.
My reply to Mark:
Of course. I only write things I mean, although I may express myself imperfectly at times.
Conservatives are of course free to criticize anyone they choose, a privilege I indulge in freely. But some conservatives have made a fetish--an obsession--out of criticizing John McCain, who was, after all, the only viable Republican candidate who could plausibly describe himself as a life-long conservative.
It is rather silly to expect that every four years the Republican Party will nominate, or the American people will elect, a flawless, unalloyed conservative. This is because we conservatives are a minority. We are a minority because we have not persuasively made our case to American voters that our policies are preferable to our opponents'. Frankly, in the current political climate, we are lucky to have a nominee as conservative as John McCain, and we are even luckier that, because of his outstanding character and service to the nation, our mostly-conservative nominee has a good chance to win.
I'll let Mark have the last word, with his reply to me:
McCain's character in the political context is defined how? Staking out what he considers to be principled positions and stubbornly holding firm even if his position is unpopular? If so, you seem to condemn conservatives for the same thing, but with such uncharitable words as fetish, obsession, and purity. And yet, many of McCain's positions have been unprincipled on big matters, or acts of betrayal as Sowell put it, betraying both principle and party. And his rhetoric has often manifested itself in pandering to the kneejerk positions of the left/media-I am thinking of his efforts against tax cuts and for McCain-Feingold.
In any event, this is why, in part, I found your post unusual, I.e., more cheerleading than analyzing. That's fine, but then why demand that others keep their mouths shut. Do you think that's a persuasive point? I think you made Bozell's case.
I think this is a pretty good example of the kind of intramural argument that many conservatives are having these days. Such debates will no doubt continue for a while, perhaps until November; for my part, I intend to engage in quite a lot of analysis along with an occasional spot of cheerleading.
Levin article ping....is McCain a pure conservative? Does it matter?
So the moderate elites are against purity? How pure is it that a Republican nominee is the Republican nominee via liberal and supposed independents crossing over to elect him.
“How Conservatives See John McCain”
Back-stabbing POS Democrat with an “R” next to his name.
IMO, a fair description of McCain is power-hungry, arrogant, an ego maniac, a RINO, a loose cannon, and a politician oozing with an in your face attitude while thumbing his nose at conservatives. Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
“is McCain a pure conservative?”
The opposition to him has never been about purity.
If nothing else Republicans across the fruited plains are smiling, laughing and waving our guy’s signs such is our joy at the nomination of McCain.
Soon the streets will be littered with the dollar bills that we throw at our beloved nominee in our joy and enthusiasm for his candidacy.
And not only has every Republican of every stripe, color and creed joyously graced our nominee, McCain, a fine even-tempered fellow we all adore, the man has managed to entice a few moderates and disenchanted Dems to his side.
What a guy!
I think it’s safe to say that the attacks will continure against McCain on this forum. I’m sad to hear this, as I can’t see an Obama or Hillary presidency as anything otherwise a catastrophe for the the country.
Hopefully, Hillary will get the nomination and unite us beyond McCain who will pick a conservative VP running mate.
Why must McCain choose a conservative running mate if he’s already so solid, as the argument goes?
As Reagan has been my idol in politics, I wonder what he would think of this man as our hope for the saving of our country by the islamofacist and pelosi democrats all at once? God save America!
“I’m sad to hear this, as I can’t see an Obama or Hillary presidency as anything otherwise a catastrophe for the the country.”
I see them all equally as horrible.
“Hopefully, Hillary will get the nomination and unite us beyond McCain who will pick a conservative VP running mate.”
Should McStain pick a red-meat conservative, then remind us of his own age and “iffy” health once in a while....I’d likely vote for that ticket.
Who will McCain work for? Who will he work against?
WE ALL KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
Eggxactly, holdonnow!
While thinking about the VP choice awaiting McNasty, I realized it really doesn’t matter to movement conservatives. The movement I’m most involved with is the anti-Invasion movement. McAmnesty is our mortal enemy. I’d be betraying my own beliefs if I were to vote for him. There are so many reasons not to vote for him. “What if he picks Tancredo or Hunter?”, you might ask. Well, he ain’t gonna pick Tancredo! He might pick Hunter, but I doubt it. Whomever he picks, they’ll the the pro-war ticket.
You're kidding, right? McCain would have to move two sigma to the right to even be an impure conservative.
Republicans in Congress are beguiled by Barak, Hillary they know and hate.
What’s with this “purity” thing? I just don’t like McCain.
I don’t trust him. I don’t like his collaboration with democrats, his views on global warming, freedom of speech, immigration. Nor do like the people he employs, like Juan Hernandez.
McCain hasd been running around pushing electric cars. When he drives one wherever he has to go, I will drive one.
I also will be content writing a candidate in this year. I believe I have made it quite clear why.
“My real name is Tim Couch(R) and I live in Kentucky. My mission is to whack bullies”
Time Couch (QB) ?
Because there’s a good number of FRs that don’t like the man.
Time = Tim
God, I actually got one convert....
My vote will be a write in. I’m positive of it.
Funny thing how we anti McCain voters get the blame from people who actively support Hillary’s nomination.
Hillary and Osama (oops, obama) will castrate our armed forces in order to become popular with the rest of the world. And the worse of the two, Obama, is at best another Jimmy Carter.
And yes, I have heard “after Jimmy Carter, we got Reagan”. Well, I believe it is too dangerous to give the reins to these either of these dem anti-American candidates, especially obama. This time the new Reagan may inherit a nuked American city courtesy of an Obama presidency. But hey, at least we'll have a conservative president after that, right?
I'll hold my nose and vote for McCain. Too much at stake in my eyes to put politics above the country.
Did Paul answer this? I've been looking for evidence of the same, to no avail.
Amen!
Its a joke, but yeah, I am really not Tim Couch. Did you see the thread where he intoduced a bill in Kentucky that would force people to post using their real name to stop internet bullies? On the thread some of us said we should all post under his name.;^)
Kooky
In addition to my comments, I believe that we should hold McCain’s feet to the fire, making him painfully aware of his conservative responsibilities.
But providing a 1/2 vote to either hillary or obama by not voting McCain, that’s just downright ugly.
How is telling the truth about someone attacking them?
“God, I actually got one convert....”
Hardly. I hate the man. I’d be voting for the Veep and hoping for “the best” as far as McBoobs’ health is concerned, if you get my meaning.
I don’t worry about it anymore. I have stated many times on FR why I am not going to vote for McCain.
In 2006, if I wasn’t happy with everything Bush was doing and complained, I was always having it thrown in my face that I knew it before I voted for him, so why did I vote for him?
Geesh, now, If I don’t vote for McCain because I know in advance that I will not like what he does, I am bad.
Sooooooooooo....I am going to do what I feel is right for me, and those who do not like it...too bad, too sad.
I believe that when the dust has settled Hillary will be the Democrat Party nominee.
I do not believe that Conservatices will unite behind Mc Cain, Republicans will, conservatives won’t.
But in the end it is irrevelent what Conservatives do or do not do. Because as one poster posted to me Mc Cain is going to win in a landside. Also as other analysts have avowed, for every Cnservative vote Mc Cain loses, he will gain 10 independent and Democrat votes.
But one thing puzzles me. If, as the Mc Cain supporters have stated and restated, Mc Cain does not need the votes of Conservative why do the Mc Cain supporters get so bent out of shape when one tells them they are not voting for Mc Cain?
Thanks Mark, I having been trying to articulate this exactly.
If the man gave up his position on amnesty, pathway to citizenship or whatever it's being called this week, he could shore up his base. Even rank and file Democrats are offended by the cheap labor line jumpers and their supporters.
My distrust of this man spikes when I hear defend the border first. Then what? Why isn't he doing something concrete about it now as a powerful Senator?
Best regards
Right now?
No.
Given the alternatives, the RINOS checkmated us once again.
Vote McCain this time around.
After the elections start looking for a third political party which provide us with some degree of respect.
If he did that, then I would at least have a reason to vote for him--my trust that if the almighty still favors this nation, McCain's administration would not last long.
Unfortunately, that sounds exactly as if it's not really Londo speaking, but rather your Keeper... /grin
Just go back 6-12 months on FR, and see how conservatives viewed Sen McCain.
If it looks like a close contest, then we have to decide between the Dem nominee and McCain.
Please inform us how you intend to do this effectively. McCain has consistently, over the last several years, sided with the dems on a number of overarching issues. How do you expect to stop that pattern of behavior?
No, he side-stepped the questions and went right back to partisan emotionalism. It's all they have...
That makes sense.
I think a lot will depend on who this guy picks as VEEP.
If he goes with that phoney from Florida, he’s had it.
Then, a "path to citizenship." He just said it again in the video showed during 60 Minutes yesterday. (I just posted a thread, with links).
I’m not sure Clinton will get the Dems’ nomination, but assuming so, if she can dirty-trick her way to that, why not the same to McCain. He has many more skeletons in his closet than Obambi. He’s as dirty as Clinton and not nearly as good at
it.
That’s why I thought Rush’s “ploy” was so stupid. Should’ve killed the (Hilda)beast while we could.
I think it's a greater disservice to our fighting men and women that McCain fully intends to put them all under the jurisdiction of the United Nations' International Criminal Court (you know...the same one that gives Islamists a pass, but goes out of its way to try the West's troops on trumped up "war crimes").
“I’ll hold my nose and vote for McCain.”
When a voter decides to vote for “the-lesser-of-two-evils” then it is guaranteed that the voter will get evil no matter who wins the election.
I don’t like “evil” and refuse to vote for “evil.”
Thank you, Mark. That's the bottom line. His natural tendancy is to spit in the face of conservatives, undermine them, any chance he gets. His 20 year record is filled with examples. He and his supporters recent speeches and statements admonishing conservatives (and talk radio) for telling the truth about liberal Dems attests he doesn't really care what we think. He has the nomination, but not the base. How pathetic a scenario.
VP isn't going to make much difference to me overall who McCain chooses. As much as I love Cheney, it is Bush that ultimately makes the decisions, has been running the party. McCain will still be the one that will 'speak' for the Republican party, and he is not a conservative. Let's say we get a solid conservative VP: McCain's pattern is that he marginalizes conservative voices. So will he listen to a conservative VP, or is it just for show that the individual is on the ticket? I think we know the answer in our hearts.
Brent Bozell is right: Conservatives may just stay home, no matter what. McCain can't be Reagan, even if he tried. It is not in his nature. He can make all sorts of promises to conservatives, but I personally won't believe any of them. He's stabbed and betrayed conservatives too many times.
I could not agree with you more. I never voted for McShamnasty when I lived in Arizona and will not vote for him here in Texas.
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