The Myth That McCain Wasn't Conservative Enough

Pajamas Media ^ | November 11, 2008 | John Avalon

[AJKauf]

After a losing presidential campaign, the candidate quickly (and often cruelly) is painted as an object lesson in what not to do — but that should not happen in 2008.

In order to truly revive itself, the GOP should be more like the real John McCain in the future, and less like the conservative cast of the past decade: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Tom Delay. And it certainly should not look to the likes of Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin to lead a restoration.

You do the math: America has a moderate majority — 50% of Americans are centrists, compared to 20% who are liberal and 30% who call themselves conservative. ,,,

[Dahoser]

There are buffoons and then there is this guy.

[ladtx]

In other words the GOP should become Democrat Lite.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Sure. That’s why McCain lost, but hard-boiled conservative ballot initiatives for the most part won, even in liberal states like California.

Please, can we dispense with the mushy-middle “moderates” trying to convince Republicans that the last best hope for their political salvation is to dispense with the one brand of conservatism that has a winning record, even in bad years?

[Blogger]

No more media chosen candidates!

Conservatives stayed home.

[pissant]

Does Michael Medved write under the name John Avalon?

[ari-freedom]

yeah that’s why mccain was doing soooo well before he picked Palin. he was just rolling in the dough

[FreedomFerret]

This author isn’t sober enough.

[FrankR]

"In order to truly revive itself, the GOP should be more like the real John McCain in the future..."

This "pajama" guy is doing more in front of his computer than being a "journalist". More like John McCain, what a hoot! This pajama guy has got to be a bleeding heart liberal trying this "borned and raised in the briar patch" ploy.


"And it certainly should not look to the likes of Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin to lead a restoration."

See, I told you he was a liberal.

Sure, we should try more total "duds" like McCain, and forget about fireballs like Palin to spiff up the party. /sarcasm

[albie]

He lost. A) because he’s a liberal. B) because he always looks like he’s about to yell at you. C) because he’s a liberal.

[ArrogantBustard]

No more media chosen candidates!

Roger that. The media wanted us to back Rudy Giuliani.

They're savaging Sarah. If they hate her, it means she's a good candidate for us.

[BGHater]

McCain: I'm a proud conservative liberal Republican

[jbwbubba]

Yeah, god forbid you pick candidates in the future like Bush or Delay or you know people who actually won!

McCain was not a conservative and couldn’t argue like a conservative. Hell he lost the tax cut argument to the number 1 liberal in the Senate.

‘W’ for all of his lack of eloquence, could make a convincing conservative argument when it came to taxes.

[Liberty Valance]

There are buffoons and then there is this guy.

LOL! - ... And the bufoons are smarter.

[Wuli]

go look for other stuff from John Avalon

whether or not he is a registered Republican, he is a RINO at most

[ilgipper]

In the primaries, Obama beat Hillary two to one among independent voters. Over the course of the summer, McCain and Obama were neck and neck among independent voters, both with high approval ratings. McCain pulled briefly ahead with independents for a week in early September — and then three things happened: the financial crisis, the negative attacks, and Sarah Palin.

No, McCain pulled ahead in September because of great ads, a successful convention and the introduction of Sarah Palin. He lost from there for two reasons, the economic crash and his anemic response to that crash. Frankly, he had an uphill battle from that point because the GOP had the White House when it happened, but his response was dreadful. Obama won as a tax cutter and champion of the middle class when his lifelong work was to give stuff to the lower class at the expense of everyone else for the purpose of 'economic justice'.

[joethedrummer]

Gee, how ‘bout the fact that McCain began this campaign by TRASHING the conservative base?

[Vision]

Looking back on it McCain may have lost the election during the first or second debate when he suggest the government should now buy every foreclosed mortgage and reissue it to something the owner can afford.

Even I was thinking...what! Is this guy crazy?

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

The moderate majority had no problem electing the most leftist candidate in the history of presidential politics, though. Only we need to sell off our beliefs piece by piece until the focus groups like us again. John McCain lost because he wasn’t enough of a squish. That’s it.

[BradyLS]

It's funny. Two years ago, McCain was the media's darling. One year ago, I had Democrat friends who would say soberly, "I could vote for McCain." One month, the same Dems I know couldn't find enough bad things to say about him. Simply because he had an (R) by his name. Morale: Dance with who brung ya.