Posted on 03/04/2008 12:01:44 PM PST by jdm
Barring a political miracle, Senator John McCain will win the GOP primaries in Texas and Ohio today, and most likely garner enough delegates to lock up our party's presidential nomination. I know many of you aren't thrilled about supporting McCain, and some of y'all have even made blood oaths that you will never vote for "that man." And trust me. I get it. I know exactly where y'all are coming from. For some, it was McCain's opposition to President Bush's tax cuts. For others, it was McCain's cheerleading for patently unconstitutional campaign-finance legislation. For social conservatives, it was McCain's support for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. And for many, it was all of the above, as well as McCain's propensity for bucking the Republican establishment and cozying up to liberal dems like Ted Kennedy. Understandably, these things have irked many a conservative, including yours truly.
(More below the fold)
That having been said, the fact remains that there is a method to McCain's madness. His status as a maverick Republican helped him stand out from the Senate crowd, put him in a position to forcefully challenge then Governor Bush for the GOP nomination in 2000, and almost certainly is the reason behind his securing the nomination this time. So, let's give credit where credit is due: McCain's political acumen is pretty damn strong. Indeed, even McCain's most fierce detractors have to admire the way the good senator came back from the political graveyard, in Lazarus-like fashion, to secure the GOP nomination. These are the attributes of a man who will be a formidable candidate, regardless of who the dems nominate.
But Alexham, what about ideas, principles, and party loyalty? Shouldn't these things matter?
Hell yes, they matter. Indeed, that is the primary purpose of the GOP nomination process. And Lord knows, I've been a purist. Until today, I have supported Governor Mike Huckabee, solely on the basis of his positions on "Culture of Life" issues. But the time for purity is over. We have a nominee, and it is high time for conservatives to bury any grudges they have against Senator McCain and do everything in their power to help him become the forty-fourth president of these United States.
I realize, of course, that many of you have no intention of supporting John McCain, and no amount of rah-rah "Go Team!" rhetoric is going to persuade you otherwise. Once again, I get it. Lord knows that Senator McCain has torched many a bridge. But let's get real for a moment, shall we? The Republican brand is about as popular right now as the kid with blue dye next to him in the swimming pool, and that fact isn't going to change any time soon. The brutal truth of the matter is that John McCain may be our only hope this year. And while many of you no doubt have fantasies about how time in the wilderness will help bring about a restoration of the "Real Republican Party" (as I often did re: Rudy), the reality is that a great deal of damage can be done by a President Obama or Clinton in the next four years. Is that something you're really willing to risk? Three to four Supreme Court appointments? Major tax increases? Implementation of a radical proabortion agenda? Dialing down the War on Terror? Perhaps you are willing to do just that. But as for me and my house, we will strongly support John McCain for president. He may not be perfect, but he's a damn fine politician, and he's light years better than Obama or Clinton.
Some of us need whiskey. It’s a requirement.
“Calling all GOP Purists: It’s time to support John McCain”
Agreed.
Uh.....No.
No.
GOP purist? ROFLMAO!!!
Get bent.
I am not a republican anymore.
If I get a chance I will vote for Hill.
Not yet!
Maybe with a vote in November but no more money. Let all the purists that got us here pay for it.
No.
I’ve been accused of posting mccain negativity on other posts, so I don;t want to disappoint.
NO! I will not vote for Mccain. Mccain can bite me,
Dream on. The grumpy, crazy old man is a guaranteed loser. If you want to tilt against windmills and waste time campaigning and voting for him, of course, that is your business. Perhaps you should read Don Quixote for valuable lessons in the art of futility.
Ditto
Oops. . . . wrong thread. I was looking for “conservative purists.”
No chance. I won’t contribute to a leftward swing of the GOP, I do not trust McCain as far as I can throw him for the reasons detailed in this and every other conservative/republican forum.
If the 37% Candidate loses, so be it. We survived Carter, we’ll survive Obama.
Yes, I will be voting, I’ll just be leaving POTUS blank for the first time in my life.
“I didn’t leave the party, the party left me.’
Ronald Reagan
“And trust me. I get it. I know exactly where y’all are coming from.”
From reading this guy’s defining game, he doesn’t fully.
There are two factors in support: the number of supporters, and the INTENSITY of support.
I can see many conservatives honding their noses and voting for McCain, but I can’t see them donating time, money and enthusiasm as they (we!) would for a solid conservative.
I’m not saying that’s how it should be, or shouldn’t be. Just how it is.
Absolutely! Makes Sense! He’s certainly not perfect...but then none of the other canidates we ran in the Primaries were either!
There will never be a day when I will vote for a backstabbing pos such as insane mccain.
You moderates and liberals have your man now get him elected.
Screw that noise.
I’m in.
Yeah it’s time to support MCain since he is courting Democrats right in front of conservatives.
Regards
I will probably vote for McCain. Will I send him money, make calls, put out a sign, bumper sticker? Probably not.
He made is way with the Media and the Middle. Let’s see how far thay take him.
For the country’s sake, McCain needs to court conservatives.
Exactly. Without us.
I will if--and only if--the VP is a consistent, reliable social conservative.
I just voted today here in Vermont, and at least I got to vote for a good replacement for a moonbat on the town select board.
The only Republicans on the ballot were McCain, Giuliani, and Huckabee. At this stage it’s only symbolic, but I wrote in Fred Thompson, since I can’t stomach McCain or Huckabee.
Well, he was as "off" as two left alien feet on the amnesty debacle. That's not a "pretty damn strong" acumen having misunderestimated something so wrongly.
I guess calling conservatives ‘purists’ is the only place to go when you become a liberal RHINO sell-out.
Calling everyone who post these pleas:
This is a Conservative Forum, not the GOP cheerleading Squad.
Sis Boom Bah your way here GOP cheerleaders and cheer all that you want.
Conservatives will discuss conservative issues here and John isn't one of us.
Hope .. for what ? Hope that he'll only half kill the economy and our freedoms ?
Tell me again why party is more important than principles ?
I have sincere reservations about McCain. I don’t your prospect would fair any better.
Not one SECOND before Election Day. I may have to eat my words and vote for him, but I won't pretend to support him.
If I were a republican, the last person I would want to win the presidency is John McCain. But I’m not.
I have no dog in this hunt. It is merely high comedy for me. At least it would be if it were not so serious.
If I put my faith in this nation, it’s voters and leaders, instead of Christ, I would be suicidal. I am not kidding. But fortunately it is merely the type of stuff that has been going on for generations. We’re just coming out of a long quiet spell - at least on US soil. But it is going to get very interesting.
People talk about the economic crisis the US and world are in, but forget to consider the impact it will have on our culture, our divorce rate, domestic violence rate, murder rate and social unrest.
We are indeed living in interesting times, but the REAL interesting part is still a few months off.
Maybe this will help too....
Decision time
By Oliver North
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080212/COMMENTARY06/717988319/1012
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
NO. I’ll concentrate on the House and Senate.
Precisely. I may as well vote for no one than McCain - I despise them all.
I’m considering it, but it depends on his VP selection.
I refuse to vote for a RINO and if that is the best the Republicans can offer us Conservatives, then I say “Let Obama or Hillary run the nation into the ground for the next 4-8 years!”
I am not voting for Democrat-Light!!!
Think, that is...
I have a hard time with that only because I don’t want Billy Jeff anywhere near the WH.
Hey, what’s the big deal, we’re just mavericking!
Not a minute, not a nickel, not a bumper sticker. It'll be strange to be at the office on Election Day rather than passing out sample ballots at the polls.
I am not a republican anymore.
If I get a chance I will vote for Hill.
:::::::
Not the answer. I am not a Republican any more either. But I will NEVER vote to put a Marxist thug, especially a known power-mad criminal, like a Clinton in the Oval Office. NEVER. To say nothing of the fact that she, like Osama, is TOTALLY UNQUALIFIED to be president of anything.
Sadly, none of us like the fact that there are no conservatives left in the race. It is a dark day for America and its freedoms and principles. But we must make the choice that makes the most sense. That is McCain. We must support him. The consequences of the alternative will be too much for America to withstand. I think we can, with some focus and participation, can control alot of what McCain does.
Like a genius he greatfully accepted Hagee's support only to find out that the guy is a nut case and most conservatives recognize that. Opps. He has NO political acumen that I can see.
The “Republican Party” is just a name.
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