“It doesn’t make any sense to me that McCain would choose a conservative to be his VP. He has made it crystally, painfully UBER clear that he is banking on winning this election by gaining independent & moderate votes. It won’t help him much with those voters if he picks a real conservative. He has as much as SAID that he is not trying to win over conservative voters.”
This is the ONLY way that the election can possibly be won by a Republican candidate this year, particularly in light of the opposition.
2008 is a “war for the middle”. The “right” is less relevant this time around, like it or not.
I did not vote for McCain in the primaries. Nor was he my first, second, third, or fourth choice. But I fully comprehend why he is the only one of the candidates that would have a shot this election at winning against Obama.
A “hard-conservative” candidate like Thompson or Tancredo would have left the “mushy middle” of the electorate cold, and driven them to the Obama side. In that case, the only tactics that might be usable to defeat the ‘rats would be a “race card” campaign directly targeting “white fears”.
I’ll go a bit further and say that the American electoral demographics have changed so much in the past 25 years, that it may have become impossible for any “hard/conservative” type of candidate to win. Yes, he might win the red states easily, but the fact is that we are in danger of _losing_ “formerly red” states to the blue side. If you don’t believe me, look at how New Hampshire has changed in the last twenty years.
The America that elected Ronald Reagan simply doesn’t exist any more. It ain’t coming back. Like you, I wish this weren’t so. But one of the core principles of conservatism is to “see reality as it is” - and to accept that truth, and then act accordingly. America’s “face” is literally changing colors before us. That is a truth that only fools will deny. And the new faces don’t particularly seem interested in the old Euro-American style of “conservatism”.
Regarding Bob Jindal in particular, he is far, FAR too inexperienced yet to be seriously considered for the top spot. YES, the “top spot”, because McCain’s age and health force us to consider that whomever he chooses may have a truly possible chance at ascending to the presidency. For that reason, we must choose wisely.
Whomever is picked must be an experienced and seasoned officeholder who has demonstrated through past word and deed that he is capable of stepping right into the office of a wartime presidency.
Jindal ain’t that guy.
Nor is Sarah Palin, perhaps the most ridiculous choice ever proffered in this forum as a possible vice-presidential nominee.
Nor are J.C. Watts or Michael Steele. We base our choice on the criteria I mentioned above, not on skin color or the need to be “in style”.
Next?
- John
Well, I AM a conservative & when I espouse conservative ideals (smaller government & people being responsible for their actions), most middle class working people completely agree with me. It is those people that made this country great. Liberals are always about, “what can my country do for me?”
Conservative ideals aren’t the type of thing that just dies and goes away - they embody the very core of what humankind longs for in his heart and soul. Right now, there just aren’t any leaders that can articulate what it is all about. There will be another Ronald Reagan again someday, because this country is headed in a very bad direction & people will be ready to hear the message at that time.
We just need to regroup & build our strength, be patient & bide our time. The liberals will bring us to that point again - John McCain included. He still doesn’t get my vote.