Posted on 03/28/2010 6:05:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
One of my very favorite bloggers on the Right - Powerline's John Hinderaker - wrote a post earlier today entitled 'Biker Girl Campaigns for McCain'. By Hinderaker's own admission, his sole motivation for writing it was to show a perfectly gratuitous photograph of Palin looking great in a black leather biker jacket on the campaign trail.
No complaints there.
However, I have a bone to pick with the rest of John's comments:
Sarah Palin was in Arizona yesterday, campaigning for John McCain in his primary contest against former Congressman J.D. Hayworth. This was an appropriate demonstration of loyalty toward the man who opened the door to fame and fortune for her. Beyond that, Palin's support McCain is right on the merits and displays her almost unerring judgment in political matters.
Like most conservatives, I sometimes disagree with John McCain, and on those occasions he can be an infuriating opponent. But he describes himself as a "proud conservative," and that's how he votes a large majority of the time. Moreover, while he is an imperfect Republican, McCain is a great man. He is a warrior, one of the staunchest characters ever to participate in politics, a modern-day Andrew Jackson. We need him. If the Republican tent ever grows too small to contain the likes of John McCain, we are in deep trouble.
Moreover, McCain was the party's Presidential nominee just two years ago. The last thing Republicans need to do is to start eating our own, like the Democrats when they drummed Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman out of their party.
Now, Sarah Palin endorsing John McCain per se is understandable. I still don't like it one bit, but I'll cut her some slack. Remember, she threw in with McCain before conservative J.D. Hayworth entered the race. And with McCain expecting only token opposition from the Democrats in the general election, he was for a time the most conservative man in Arizona's U.S. Senate race - if only technically and by default.
BUT...J.D. Hayworth is in the race now. He is a far preferable choice than McCain for conservatives on many issues, particularly immigration. Meanwhile, Palin has transitioned from merely supporting McCain (presumably out of a sense of loyalty) to actively stumping for the guy.
I thought Palin was supposed to be helping elect conservatives - not campaigning against them.
Furthermore, in this instance Palin is supporting the very man who deserves unique (though not exclusive) blame for putting Barack Obama in the White House, for the following three reasons (at least):
1. McCain-Feingold. The effect of this now officially unconstitutional campaign finance 'reform' legislation was to allow 'non-partisan' (read: radical left) outfits like MoveOn.org to thrive and to bestow massive political influence upon filthy rich liberal donors like George Soros. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?
2. Comprehensive Immigration Reform (aka Amnesty for Illegal Aliens). Read this and you'll get a sense of how McCain's convoluted stance on illegal immigration lost him the conservative vote in droves in 2008. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?
3. The Bank Bailouts of September 2008. McCain went out of his way to put himself on basically the same page as Barack Obama when it came to bailing out big banks. In an election year that favored any warm body the Democrats ended up nominating, this gave voters one less reason to not vote for Barack Obama. Think that played a role in Obama's victory?
Don't get me wrong - I'd probably still support John McCain vs. 'unopposed' or 'garden variety Democrat.' Probably. But J.D. Hayworth is a no-brainer for conservatives vis-a-vis John McCain, and one has to assume Palin would be in Hayworth's corner were it not for the fact that she was McCain's hand-picked running mate in 2008.
So I'll ask the question: Does personal loyalty trump conservative principles for Sarah Palin?
I will vote for Sarah if she runs... Reagan disappointed me at times too... and he was the greatest!
LLS
Logically, Palin should be the GOP nominee. She’s already been vetted so there won’t be any surprises. Did you know that she gets daily briefings on the issues? Come 2012 she’ll be more than ready to run for President. Clowns like Barbour, Pawlenty, and Romney don’t have a chance and they don’t appeal to the conservative base.
Yes, besides her own reading and research,as you say, she has a staff both in DC and elsewhere who give her daily briefings,
She is serious
Ridiculous.
Sarah did what she was obligated to do. That simple. Personal promises mean something — even when you make them to a scoundrel. She acted with character and integrity, and her Conservative credentials should NOT be called into question. Doing so only hurts the whole of the Conservative movement...
“Again, they want an Obama 2nd term”
Know what? I’m sick of that lie. Because of the same kind of BS, MOST of us swallowed the bile and voted for McCain to stop Obama. Most of us worked our butts off doing it.
So stop it. We did your ‘benefit of the doubt’ nonsense already. Stop lying about freepers. We voted for McCain!
You’re not going to insult us in to defending McCain. You’ve got Palin for that. Live with it.
One of these days you’ll be patting the same people on the back when they agree with you on something else. It’s no wonder the GOP is such dysfunctional trash. You, like McCain, are perfectly willing to stab us instead of Obama or McCain.
It is the same lies and BS about Palin those on FR
vomit out because they are either ignorant, ObamaBots or PaulBots or all of the above.
John McCain together with John F'n Kerry worked like hell to knock down any attempts to rescue them or even further investigation. Reports were delayed at crucial times, the families were stalled and discouraged, papers were sealed and investigators stymied. Hard to believe for a former POW!
Not to mention the nasty fits of his temper toward the families and the insults. Screaming and cursing, shoving old Sen Strom Thurmond...
But the investigation after years ended, not to be reopened. And the US signed trade agreements with Communist Vietnam.
It is a proud motto of the Marines: A Marine never leaves dead and wounded on the battlefield. It is the same for the other branches. Every effort should have been made to find out if any POWs remained there.
He was a prisoner for 6 yrs. an eternity--and long enough for the Communists to use their sophisticated indoctrination to impress the necessity for worldwide Communism on him.
My only question is, who is his control, the one who uses the queen of diamonds?
Do what I did and go to JD Hayworth’s site and donate if you can afford something.
McCain and Graham-nesty are evil and as bad as liberal democrats.
How is following the rules of law for a path to citizenship associated with amnesty?
Amnesty forgives law violations. I see no connection.
I understand dancing with the one who brought you to the party. It’s time to get sore feet. Forget the dance. Go J.D..
Care to rethink that?
*yawn*
There is no conservative principle that says “Don’t campaign for your former running mate who is running on a conservative platform, if his opponent is more conservative during the off-season.”
Palin’s conservative record is unblemished.
Sometimes I think she is a populist, then I look at her records and I know she is.
Pimping for John juast show what she thinks of COnservatives.... not much.
We don't defend McCain, we defend Sarah Palin. She is under attack on FR but the rest of the nation sees her differently.
Tens of thousands..young and old...show up in the middle of the desert (and I do mean middle of the desert) to see her.
Her detractors on FR look silly and side with the libs.
There are many conservatives who have supported RINOs and are currently doing so.
I want to see your list of who you are withdrawing support for. Rubio, Hunter, Tancredo, DeMint, Ann Coulter, Bachmann, Hayworth, Arpaio?
As you see, this argument against Palin doesn’t work.
There are many conservatives who have supported RINOs and are currently doing so.
I would ask you to provide a list of all conservatives you used to think were conservative, but now you sometimes can’t make up your mind because they supported RINOs.
“Personal promises mean something — even when you make them to a scoundrel.”
Care to rethink that?
_________________________
Nope. The fact that someone else does not have integrity does not mean you have the right not to display good character yourself.
You’ve never kept your promise to a person who disappointed you? Who let you down? Sarah is living out her Christian character. I think she is wise in this case (not that I like Juan!). It will, however, redound to her benefit. If nothing else, God will see from heaven and pour out His blessings on her. :-)
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