Posted on 05/28/2005 1:32:29 PM PDT by echoBoomer
Craig Crawford's 1600: The Lone Arranger.
Democrats are wrong to think that John McCain is their favorite Republican. The Arizona senator could be their worst nightmare in 2008. By leading his colleagues from the brink of disaster in the Senate filibuster debate, McCain proved to be at the top of his game — and, for now, he’s standing almost alone as a nationally known leader with the instinct and skill for commanding the politically profitable middle ground.
Rather than pander to his party’s activist ideologues in the bid to silence minority voices on judicial nominees, McCain helped forge a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to muzzle, at least momentarily, the left and right wings of both parties.
“This is what John McCain has always done,” said Paul Alexander, author of “Man of the People,” a 2003 biography of McCain. “He genuinely believes in finding the political center on any issue. That’s why he is so popular with so many Americans.”
The social conservatives who dominate pivotal Republican presidential primaries now despise McCain more than ever, thanks to his high-profile thwarting of their drive to shut off debate on President Bush’s judicial picks. Conservative firebrand Pat Buchanan called McCain a “sellout.”
But to broaden its base and entrench its power further, the Republican Party can no longer remain addicted to the extremist agenda of social conservatives, whose growing influence threatens to repel general election voters. McCain could be the political Houdini his party needs to make this difficult transition.
McCain’s appeal to independents and to moderates in both parties poses as much of a danger to Democrats as it does to his own party’s right wing. It will be no easy task for him to change the dynamic of GOP primaries and win the nomination. But he is clearly aiming to try and, if he succeeds, Democrats could be on the losing end of yet another presidential election. If they nominate someone perceived as too liberal, such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, social conservatives would have no one to vote for. Sure, they might stay home on Election Day, but McCain has the potential to make up the difference with his almost unparalleled appeal to centrist voters.
Will McCain run? “I think I can wait a couple of years and then decide,” McCain told radio host Don Imus on May 26. “There’s no reason to make that decision for a couple of years.”
That means “yes” according to the Washington art of non-denial denials. Indeed, a recent New Yorker magazine profile concluded that McCain is running.
While McCain is heralded as the big winner among 2008 GOP possibles in the filibuster showdown, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is widely viewed as the big loser. The Tennessean hoped to lay claim to the conservative mantle by delighting evangelical Christians with a maneuver that smoothed the way for “pro-life” jurists. Instead, he got neutered by the “gang of 14” that cut their deal in McCain’s office. Conservative Hits
Frist’s debacle probably ended his play for the hearts of social conservatives, seriously hampering his White House aspirations even at this early, but critical, stage of the next race — when consultants, junkies and pundits of all stripes are already handicapping the field and, in some cases, quietly making commitments to a candidate.
How odd that the driving force of GOP presidential politics, the social conservatives, have no obvious horse to ride. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania would like to be their choice, but he let Frist take the lead — and the hit — in pursuing a filibuster ban.
Amazingly, only Republican moderates such as McCain and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani are fueling the Republican buzz machine. Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is angling to join the field of moderate hopefuls, but for reasons that aren’t yet clear, he did not seize the opportunity in the filibuster debate to move out of McCain’s shadow as a leading GOP maverick.
The conservative leadership vacuum allows McCain to dominate this beginning phase of the race. (While Giuliani earned credentials as a national hero after Sept. 11, he lacks the high-profile platform that McCain enjoys in the Senate.) Democrats should not be too gleeful about the disarray among conservatives, however. If moderates such as McCain rise, the GOP could move much further down the road toward the permanent majority that Bush’s political architect, Karl Rove, has so often predicted. So it might even have been better politically for Democrats had Frist been able to push his filibuster gambit and win it. Letting Bush pack the courts with arch-conservatives would play well into the Democratic 2008 strategy of portraying the GOP as under the thumbs of wackos.
But how can Democrats pursue that labeling if no one like Frist can emerge as the poster child for right wingers? Let McCain become the national face of the Republican Party and the Democrats’ extremist attack has no punch at all.
Contributing Editor Craig Crawford is a news analyst for MSNBC, CNBC and “The Early Show” on CBS. He can be reached at ccrawford@cq.com.
Amen! Where was the MEGA BARF ALERT!!?
Are you saying that keeping the filibuster option will make a Democrat president and senate appoint nice centrist justices like Ruth Bader-Ginzburg who reached the SC with a 98-2 vote and no filibuster from the minority Republicans? In case you have not realized it, let me clue you in to what will happen WHEN there is next a Democrat president and senate (probably 2008 the way things are moving): The VERY FIRST THING the senate Democrats will do on Day # 1 is change the rules so that judicial nominees CANNOT be filibustered. IF they can find anybody to the left of Bader-Ginzburg short of digging up Stalin, they will install that person with a lifetime appointment. Maybe George Soros would like to be on the SC - who knows?
Welcome. :-)
True, Laz, true. :-)
I agree and while I find it necessary to critisize McCain I find it as important to write these Bozos and let them know we are here and what we stand for. For what it's worth In want to drop the following email on this jerk: I am open to suggestion for change of content
Dear Craig,
Your perspective would be amusing if weren't so dangerous. I am not sure what you mean by right wing activist but the reality is that we have arrived at this point through Leftist unconstitutional Judicial activism. But lets get something straight right now, God has been mentioned in political speech since the inception of our Constitution as has freedom of religion, there is no such "wall of separation" that prohibits God in public or private sectors. In fact Craig if you look throughout our history the exact opposite has been true, you just have to read a book. It has only been through buffoon's like you that postmodernism's idea that there is no truth and only the will to power does your Activist argument appeal to anyone. You just happen to be able to convince some of the sheep to follow. Now Craig we could get into a discussion about the benefits of an external reference point for truth verses the create your own definition postmodern philosophy that has done such wonderful things over the past 40 years, higher crime, dismantling of the family unit, feelings of despair, less educated general population just to name a few, but I suspect I would get the same drivel as in your article. So if you want continue to believe it's all about "abortion" then you clearly don't have any grasp of the reality of the battle we fight. You know, it's your side that chose abortion as a means to it's ends, not us. It wasn't through Constitutional legislation that it became de facto law, but then again what does someone who couldn't care less about our Constitution really care about sticking to rule's as long as your extreme(ly) progressive agenda is fulfilled.
AOE
PS: As with our American Revolution we are not fighting for something new, just the rights as they were guaranteed to us. By the way, We are not all "evangelicals" either it just makes your world easier to explain if you believe that, you know narrow the hate rhetoric to a single group and simplify the issue.
If Senator Straight-Jacket Express, through some bizarre twist of fate, were to actually get the nomination, it would almost be worth it to see his reaction at having all his media 'friends' turn on him like starving wolves.
(almost)
Not too bad for a newbie, huh? ;*)
Good grief, what a multi-bag puke-o-rama this thing is.
How about a little advance warning next time, okay?
What a hot steaming load of horse pucky this article is, from top to bottom. McJudas will NEVER get the Republican nomination.
ROTFLOL
Besides, I thought that Chaffee is the RATS fav 'Pubbie!
You are incorrect. As soon as the Dems get back into power they will abolish the filibuster anyway, with the media cheering them on.
Preserving the filibuster now is irrelevant, because the Dems aren't spineless like the Repubs - they'd never let the Repubs block a judicial nominee.
But to broaden its base and entrench its power further, the Republican Party can no longer remain addicted to the extremist agenda of social conservatives, whose growing influence threatens to repel general election voters"
This is idiotic, the reason they have a growing influence
is because general election voters are repelled by the
liberal/democrat party line.
This article makes him out to be some sort of a hero.
If it's Hiliary versus John McCain in 2008, I will give serious consideratio to Hiliary Clinton. But most likely, I'll probably sit out the election.
Good for you...writing is a great way to let the idiots know that we are on to them. :-)
A somewhat belated WELCOME TO FR; you're a most welcome addition. :-)
John McCombover looks like walking death. He is no more electable than Dick Cheney. I think VP Cheney would do fine, but the press would make his heart condition the only issue. If McCombover tried to run and won the Republican nomination, the press would turn on him and his cancer history and general health and age would take over as making him unqualified. But he is a RINO and serves his liberal masters well right where he is. I don't think he has a chance to even be taken seriously by most Republicans, especially after his little stunt this past week. He looks like he is 80 years old. He looks very ill.
Yes, this is what McCain has always done -- stab a knife in the back of those foolish enough to vote for him.
If McCain runs in the Republican primary, this lap dog is going to find out just how despised McCain is.
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