Posted on 01/28/2005 8:23:00 AM PST by crushkerry
I am a rightwinger. I don’t mind telling you. I generally vote for the most conservative candidate (who isn’t a nut) in the GOP primary and then I generally vote for the most conservative candidate in the General Election (who is, almost inevitably, the Republican.) Which is why I’m worried about 2008.
As I have written before, I have it on a rock solid source that Senator John McCain will be a candidate for President of the United States in 2008. And I have it from a well-placed source inside the Governor’s office that Jeb Bush’s commitment not to run in ’08 is genuine. So the question becomes, who can stop McCain, if indeed he needs to be stopped.
For the record, I could easily vote for McCain in a General Election, especially against Hillary Clinton. But I am hardly fond of the mercurial bloke from the Sun Belt. He is far too addicted of leftwing media laudation. He has consorted with too many diabolical characters of the Left to create too many dreadful pieces of legislation. Chief among these is the execrable McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law, which helped create a George Soros-funded hate speech machine and for which McCain has not received nearly enough opprobrium. Finally, I am still concerned he never apologized for this ... The Arizona Republican's staff is in spin mode after the lawmaker's appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" Tuesday. McCain was talking with host Jon Stewart about the elections, when Stewart asked if, in light of the Republican triumphs in Congress, Americans "should buy guns." "The Bushmaster is popular now," quipped McCain, alluding to the rifle used by D.C. sniper suspects John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo. A McCain spokesman tells us the senator was not making light of the recent shootings. "If anything," says his rep, "he was stressing the need for better control of guns." Sen. John McCain's sense of humor may be a little too edgy for his own good.
Nonetheless, as things stand today, no one, and I mean no one of the Left and no one of the Right, who is considering running for president in ’08 can beat McCain.
Of course, that ‘no one on the Left’ part is a check in McCain’s ‘pro’ column. He would mop the floor with Hillary as the media would carry his water even against her throughout the General Election. So in love is the MSM with McCain, I have generated a theory that it has actually led to the public downfall of Michael Moore. Recall if you will McCain’s mildest of rebukes of Moore at the GOP convention
During his speech to the delegates, the Arizona Republican singled out the director of the anti-Bush film Fahrenheit 9/11, who was sitting in the press section at Madison Square Garden. McCain called Moore a "disingenuous film maker who would have us believe that Saddam's Iraq was an oasis of peace, when in fact it was a place of indescribable cruelty, torture chambers, mass graves and prisons that destroyed the lives of the small children held inside their walls."
That caused Michael Moore to fire back in the pages of USA Today :
Poor John McCain.
Here's a guy I've always sort of liked, a courageous war hero reduced to carrying water for the Bush campaign.
So it was Monday night, as I sat in the press section — unbeknownst to Sen. McCain — when he switched from pro-war convention speaker to film critic. Out of nowhere, he began to attack my movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, calling me a "disingenuous filmmaker." The problem is, he hasn't seen the movie, a fact he later admitted to Chris Matthews on MSNBC.
And from then on it was all over. Sure, imply George W. Bush is responsible for 911, but don’t you dare cross John McCain, the MSM seemed to say en mass. Within hours, the darling, if brainless, Katie Couric (who theretofore had only conducted florid, obsequious interviews with Moore) turned on the obese low-budget filmmaker:
COURIC: Some people say you're not helping the Democrats, because you're seen as too extreme, a bit of a jerk, no offense, by some people.
MR. MOORE: Uh-huh, yeah. You wouldn't say that, though, would you?
COURIC: Well, I don't--well...
MR. MOORE: Well, you just did.
COURIC: Yeah. No, but I think--I mean, I think that you're very controversial. I mean, you would admit that, Michael. And some people think you're...
MR. MOORE: Yeah. But--but--but you know just in dealing with me, personally, I'm actually not a jerk at all. I'm kind of a nice...
COURIC: I don't know you well enough to make that assumption.
MR. MOORE: Well, you and I, well, we've hung out a little bit. I mean, we...
COURIC: Well, I've interviewed you, but.
MR. MOORE: Well, and off camera here, we've talked a little bit.
COURIC: But--but I guess, forgetting all that...
MR. MOORE: Well, what's your impression of me, just on a personal level?
COURIC: It has nothing to do with my impression of you.
MR. MOORE: But it's not a jerk thing, is it? [/align]
Moore seemed crushed. And indeed he was. The MSM never looked at him the same way again. That’s how powerful McCain’s relationship with the MSM is. Anywho, I digress.
So who can stop McCain? No one, as far as I can tell.
Rudy Giuliani? I like Rudy, but he is a liberal Republican. He’s pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, he is by no means a tax cutter. Giuliani is a ball buster who makes the trains run on time; great for the cabinet, but not, in my opinion, for the top job. Moreover, the Bernard Kerik affair may have tarnished his 911 reputation a bit.
Mitt Romney? Another good guy. But a Mormon Republican from Massachusetts of all places? I think not.
Senator Sam Brownback? I like him, but few others have ever even heard of him. Senator Chuck Hagel? Perhaps in the Democrat primary. Senator Lindsey Graham has started the “triangulation” about four years too early and can no longer be thought of as a conscientious conservative. Senator Rick Santorum has a tough re-election fight ahead of him and still must mend fences with conservatives for the apostasy of having endorsed Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey; an ill-conceived political stroke that is still causing chaos in the Upper Chamber.
Colorado Governor Bill Owens has a “Monica” problem, if you know what I mean.
Perhaps the most intriguing figure is newly-minted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But (and it pains me to have to ask this) will Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky Republicans vote for a black woman named “Condoleezza?” Doubtful. (Paradoxically, that a black woman named “Condoleezza” and a multi-ethnic fellow named “Barack Obama” are even mentioned as tier one candidates by their respective parties demonstrates how far we have come.)
So what’s a conservative Republican to do? McCain is acceptable to me in a General Election. But he is unacceptable to many, many conservatives I know. Further, his vision for America is utterly uninspiring to many of the vilified “Moral Values” voters who overwhelmingly supported George Bush for re-election in 2004, and who carry a disproportionate amount of weight in the primaries.
Wanted: A conservative who can run and beat McCain in the 2008 GOP primary. Any ideas?
Ping
Ping
Let's worry about getting through this Presidency first. We need to keep the GOP on track and turning the campaign promises into realities.
Why we are worried about 2008 I'll never know. McCain could be dead for all we know by 2008
If John Mcpain runs for the GOP Iwouldseriouslt think of voting Democrat as long as it isnt Hillary or Kerry.
And he'll finnish lower than Bob Graham.
He's been there, done that.
That horse can't run. ;)
Interesting.
All he has to do is convince people to vote for him.
I would be horrified if he was the Republican candidate...he is a RINO, and probably more liberal than some liberals!
he's not more liberal then Hillary.
Blah blah blah BS punditry.
It'll be the two Virginia ex-govs, George Allen (R) vs. Mark Warner (D).
None of these current bigmouthed, divisive, controversial losers in the Senate will get another chance at the Presidency (Sen. George Allen having none of the foregoing liabilities).
And I don't have any idea how Warner will keep his name in the spotlight until 2008.
Four years is a long time. One good snap in his synapes, and John McQueeg might implode by that time. And unfortunately, his does have skin cancer. That might get him, too.
its Hillary.
Start thinking about voting for McCain, because our party stands for nothing if it allows Hillary and Bill to walk back into the oval office.
That is a good point...I mean, I would NEVER vote for a RAT, and as a New Yorker, I detest Hitlery, so yes, if it came down to it, I would have to go with McCain. Let's just hope that it doesn't get to that point!
Too bad W can't run again :(
Hitlery doesn't stand a chance. Ain't gonna' happen.
Time will tell, obviously, but I don't see McCain doing well in 2008, if he decides to run at all.
Gipper08 suggested a Mike Pence
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=2896
hhttp://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=5751
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041223-122159-6084r.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-12-19-conservatives-new-day_x.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-12-19-conservatives-bush_x.htm
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1210/p03s01-uspo.html
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20041102-074508-6180r.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Undoing-Bushs-Agenda.html?oref=login&oref=regi
ttp://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=27400
http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=6091
hhttp://www.reason.com/links/links110804.shtml
I also like Condi Rice and am a conservative older white guy. I'd vote for her in a heartbeat and campaign for her or Pence or Tancredo.
But I share your concerns for 2008.
I doubt if any REAL conservative southerner would NOT vote for Rice merely because she is black. Philosophy trumps race in America today among most intelligent people, thank God. And where it doesn't she would pick up women's votes and black votes. Even a seductive jerk like Jessie Jackson would have a hard time trying to tell black Americans not to vote for the first Black President in American history. I think she would be a perfect choice - if she wants it and doesn't drop the ball as Secretary of State.
As for Jeb, well, I've had it with Bushes. George II was a total jerk and George III gave me too much aggrevation with his close wins. I couldn't survive another experience like that again.
But NEVER, under ANY circumstances would I vote for a Rino like McCain, Giuliani, etc. I would go out and vote for Hillery first.
By helping put RINOs in power we are undercutting the only alternative we have to the leftists in American politics.
Well, for what it's worth, most people around here probably regard McCain as certifiably insane, as well as a kind of Manchurian stealth candidate. Certainly I do. He is widely loved by the leftist media, and for good reason.
If it was a choice of hillary or McCain, I might vote for McCain, but I'd really have to think very hard about it. Needless to say, that's not because I love hillary. But McCain is about the worst candidate for president I can think of. We might actually be better off with hillary.
I'm not sure I agree with your estimate of the situation, although I certainly worry about who would be a credible alternative. McCain would have the instant and eager support of all the media, as he did in 2000. But he would also face the instant and passionate opposition of most true conservatives. I suspect, too, that some equivalent of the Swift Boat group might finally stand up and say what military people really think about him after his betrayal of the POW/MIAs, not to speak of other problems.
McCain deeply offended the religious right with that stupid Bob Jones business he tried to work in complicity with the media. Fortunately it backfired. If he runs, millions of Evangelicals are pretty certain to stay home in November.
John McCain makes Howard Dean look sane and sensible. If it were a choice between the two of them I'd have to think hard. Probably I would just stay home, as would several millions of other voters and most of the volunteers who worked so effectively last November.
She has a very good chance of winning the demo nomination.
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