Posted on 08/29/2008 8:51:20 AM PDT by Señor Zorro
August is rolling over into September and, before we know it, election day will be upon us. Perhaps it is merely my impression, but most here on FR seem to have settled down with the idea of John McCain both as the Republican nominee (which he is certain to be, regardless) and, even, as President of the United States. The initial candidate debate has all but faded and virtually all here have gelled back into the Republican camp instead of the "Republicans for Romney", "Republicans for Giuliani", "Republicans for Hunter", etc. ad nauseum, ad infinitum. No doubt, this is precisely what the party dons are happy to see: lively debate during the primaries and then the base falls lockstep in line with the leadership in their infinite wisdom.
And it makes me feel like I am in the Twilight Zone. Compare the tenor of the threads, between McCain's maverick moments during Bush's presidency, especially the "Gang of 14" incident, and now. Does anyone remember the hate for "The Maverick"? The "Traitor"? Two years ago, how many here would have voted for McCain. The reason for the change, most would say, is political pragmatism. We gotta stop Obama. How many here would pick Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan today? Not many, I should think. Yet, when Carter won the general election, we, as a nation, got Reagan after Carter managed to spend four years highlighting everything that is wrong with liberalism. It is easy to say that we will take McCain so that we will not have Obama. It is giving up the long term good to maybe (I stress maybe; the winner of this contest will be far from certain) prevent a present evil. A lesser evil. That is precious little consolation.
As soon as that line is crossed, there will be no chance left of the Republican party going back. They know that the faithful will plod along, voting Republican though the Republican party has long since turned its back on their principles.
I will vote third party--not because I think that the candidate will win (numerically, I think it is all but impossible, though God works miracles in his own time). Nor because I think the candidate is ideal (if that were the standard, not a single human being could be elected to any office), but because I will not cross this line in the sand.
My thoughts, exactly. Although, I doubt that any Hillary supporters will back McCain now with a pro-life veep pick.
I refuse to allow Obama to force me to vote for McCain - the latter backstabber will never have my explicit support.
Few of the contenders for veep were suitable to placate me. Perhaps only Sanford, aside from Palin, could get me to associate myself in any direct way with McCain. I truly loathe that man, and loathing Obama more makes McCain no more palatable (regardless of his recent election posturing) - I gotta get that off my chest before affirming my intention to support the GOP in November.
With Palin (who is not close to perfect either, but she at least represents a shift in the correct direction), I will support the GOP ticket IN SPITE of McCain's presence on it. Palin puts 2012 into play for conservatism. It is something to consider - but I do not blame you for your stance on McCain and the modern GOP. Not voting for McCain is not the same as voting for Obama (if it was, not voting for Obama would be the same as voting for McCain, lol). Just keep 2012 in mind, in particular the clowns lining up behind McCain to seek the Republican nomination if Obama wins.
There are different levels of conservative. To belong to a political "party" is to embrace a group of people with similar beliefs. To expect your "party" to believe exactly as you do right down to shoe color is intolerant and destructive to the "party" and significantly different than the initial intent of our founding fathers. Not only do you not support your "party", those with the most similar belief to yours, but you indirectly support the OTHER "party", or the morons who sing Sheryl Crow songs and chant "yes we can" like kindergarteners learning to tie their shoes.
Throwing your arm against your forehead like Greta Garbo and flapping your cape like Christopher Lee whilst lamenting the Rino we are forced to acknowledge and refusing to support your "party" this year does little more than give Nobambipambi another vote, which, frankly, we can't spare. Bumping antlers with the rest of the "Top Conservative" contestants really is not productive. Ego stroking, perhaps. Sometimes it feels good to stand on a mountain top with your flag. However, right now, the mountain top is a bit crowded, it's not productive and not helpful to the issue at hand. The significant danger of our country falling under the most idiotic and leftist liberal presidency ever conceived since neandrathal knuckles stroked the dirt looms over us like a mantling eagle.
If you truly wish to heal this "party" and stand behind the beliefs you hold dear, if you do not wish to see these beliefs flushed down the sewer with every single word Nobooboo makes, you and the rest of the Top Conservative Contestants (starring Heidi Klum and coming to a theater near you!)will come down off that damn mountain top and give the rest of us with the shovels a HAND with the WORK instead of posturing and pouting about not getting your way.
And there you have MY rant in return.
Don't write in anyone. That vote won't be counted or publicized. If you can't stomach the greater and the lesser evil, vote for a minor party candidate who is on the ballot. That way your protest vote will be counted and publicized.
I still don’t like John “Juan McQueeg” McCain.
But O/Biden scares me. At least with Hillary! we only had an unpleasant, unpopular, ambitious crook. With O/Biden you have some sort of movement full of idiots who “mean you good even it kills you” led by evil people.
This makes it rather important to vote the lesser evil even if it IS Juan McQueeg.
After the V.P. choice was announced, I checked the filings at the FEC. I didn’t see anyone else running that hasn’t dropped out.
I will check our local ELEC site before I do a write in though. Thanks.
Brilliant!
Help elect Obama if you like paying $5 a gallon for gas.
Actually, the ‘Pubbie part is doomed (at least as a conservative party). Remember, McCain is NOT a conservative (even less so than George W. Bush) and will be the head of the Republican Party. When he’s done with the party, its a pretty good bet that conservatives will be sent to back of the bus and told to sit down and shut up (if we’re not actually booted off the bus or thrown under it...).
The only thing going for McQueeg is that he’s not evil.
I posted, argued, debated, and preached your exact points about the line in the sand, short term pain for long term gain, etc. I vowed never to vote for McCain. And I think you could be right about this sounding the death knell for a conservative GOP.
That said, I have changed my mind and will vote for McCain. This would not have happened with Hillary as his opponent. While she is a vile and evil creature, one thing she is not, is weak. And I believe the four years ahead could finish us as a world power if we have weak leadership. Obama is the epitome of weakness, and in my opinion represents a staggering threat to our survival as a powerful country.
My previous sentence is not hyperbole, but what I believe to be the literal truth. Between Putin and Ahmadinejad, I believe the possibility of nuclear weapons being used against us is all too real in the near future.
In the end, if I totally set aside the Marxist havoc he could wreak in four years, I think to contribute in any way to an Obama presidency is to gamble on far more than an unpleasant four years. I believe with him there is a very real possibility that we would not survive four years.
MM
Being saved from overt Socialism only to fall captive to stealth Socialism is not a particularly impressive accomplishment.
...lively debate during the primaries and then the base falls lockstep in line with the leadership in their infinite wisdom.
Not all of us have sampled the Kool-Aid.
Of course, it helps when you show up (fashionably) late to the party.
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I feel your pain and I don’t begrudge your decision to vote 3rd party or not at all. This afternoon I decided I will be voting FOR someone this November. I will be voting for Sarah Palin 2012.
Great post!
FWIW, Ford believed in all that “Detente” crap.
Reagan did not.
It is called living in reality. Reality is, either Obama or McCain will be the next Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces. Barr, Nader, Baldwin, McKinney, Paul- none of the third party choices are on enough ballots in enough States to get the electoral votes to win, so the reality is they are out.
Most of us where originally willing to hold our nose, however, with the choice of Palin, we now are excited because that represents the future of the GOP- a strong, Conservative future. McCain represents a placeholder.
If I could buy that, I might be able to hold my nose and vote for him, but I can't buy it.
Only with the stealth method, the unwittingly compromising conservative voter block won't know that they did it to themselves until it overtakes them, degree by degree. Frog, pot, water, fire....
As for the Republican party, the Party is not moving in the conservative direction. Things change. We also don't toss virgins into volcanos anymore. That's the reality at this moment. Does that mean we should sacrafice our country and allow obooblettes to flush the country's future down the drain by abstaining or voting for a non-candidate? uh, no.
If you want to fall on your sword, go ahead. That's your right. Me, like the other poster on this thread, I will vote Palin for 2012 by voting McCain now. My dad had a story about the Queen Mary. It's sitting there in Long Beach, one of the biggest boats in the world, sunk in cement. Did you know that if you, just you, push that boat, constant pressure, physics state that you WILL move the boat. It will move. Might take a long time, might not move much, but it'll move. And if you ain't in there pushing, you have no one but yourself to blame if it moves in the wrong direction.
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