Posted on 11/20/2006 9:30:29 AM PST by presidio9
. John McCain, casting himself as the embodiment of the Republican Party's future in the vein of Ronald Reagan, said Thursday the GOP has lost its way and must return to "common-sense conservatism."
"Though we suffered a tough defeat last week, we will recover if we learn our lesson well and once again offer Americans enlightened, effective and principled leadership," the Arizona Republican said in a speech that laid out his vision for the party's path forward — and could set the tone for a potential presidential campaign.
The same day he launched a committee to explore whether to run in 2008, McCain invoked the legacy of Reagan, who won the presidency four years after leading the rebirth of a dispirited GOP following the Republican defeat in the 1976 presidential election.
"We can do it again if we lead and inspire as he did," the four-term senator told party loyalists. His remarks came a week after a sobering election in which Republicans lost control of Congress and suffered losses at all levels of government.
A maverick who has sought to mend a rocky relationship with the GOP base, McCain delivered his take on the current and future state of the party in a hotel conference room before more than 100 members of GOPAC, a conservative organization that helps elect Republicans. Earlier, McCain touched on some of the same themes before another conservative cornerstone — the Federalist Society. He received standing ovations and hearty applause.
Fifteen months before the first 2008 presidential nominating contests, McCain is positioning himself as the GOP standard-bearer while President Bush takes on lame-duck status and dispirited Republicans search for a road to recovery.
Although the president was not mentioned, McCain's speech amounted to a criticism of the party under the leadership of Bush, whose popularity is at a low point amid chaos in Iraq and increasing federal spending at home.
"We lost our principles and our majority. And there is no way to recover our majority without recovering our principles first," McCain told both audiences as he reflected on the 2006 election.
No doubt mindful that the next GOP presidential nominee could end up carrying the burden of a Bush legacy, McCain contrasted the current state of the party with what he called common-sense conservatism. In doing so, he laid out a choice for Republicans: more of the same or a return to Reagan's ideals.
"Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us," he said in a speech in which he cited Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. "We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest."
After a dozen years of GOP rule on Capitol Hill, McCain said voters felt Republicans cared more about protecting their incumbency than they did about staying true to core conservative principles such as limited government, fiscal discipline, a strong defense, low taxes, free trade and family values. He urged a return to those tenets.
"Do the right thing, and the politics will take care of itself," McCain said.
McCain filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission that will allow him to raise money and travel the country while weighing a bid. The committee's Web site — www.exploremccain.com — went online a day earlier.
Still, McCain says he will wait until after the Christmas holiday to decide whether to make a second bid for the White House. He lost to Bush in a contentious race in 2000, when the senator was the underdog. This time, McCain is widely considered the one to beat in a crowded field of potential candidates.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has filed paperwork to test the waters for the GOP nomination, and Rep. Duncan Hunter of California has launched a long-shot bid.
McCain's other would-be rivals include Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and New York Gov. George Pataki.
I would rather have a Democrat as President than John McCain. At least with a Democrat the lines would be clear, and we could fight back.
Even if we ignore his potentially unstable temperment, with McCain as President it would be our own party betraying us (I know, I know...). There would be nowhere for those in opposition to go.
I will never vote for John McCain.
It's time for a new party, The Conservatives, since the Republican party has lost its way.
'we', John? You're one of us? You suffered from the defeat? LOL! LOL! OMG, LOL!
"he said in a speech in which he cited Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt."
Check out realrepublicanmajority.com. They use the same three presidents in their ad. They call for the party to move back to the center and reject the divisive social issues.
Coincidence?
He's gonna get waxed in the primaries anyway, but you would rather have a second President Clinton than John McCain?
Casting himself is right, it's all an act. McCain is really trying to imitate Clinton's chameleon act, disguising himself to match the color of his various audiences.
John forgot that he lost his way!
Must be a spelling error on both our parts.
["We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest." After a dozen years of GOP rule on Capitol Hill, McCain said voters felt Republicans cared more about protecting their incumbency than they did about staying true to core conservative principles such as limited government, fiscal discipline, a strong defense, low taxes, free trade and family values. He urged a return to those tenets. "Do the right thing, and the politics will take care of itself," McCain said.]
Such a large, steaming pile of hypocrisy as this is worthy of anything the Democrats can spew out. And as far as I'm concerned the Democrats can have him.
Screw John McCain.
<< McCain, casting himself in vein of Reagan, says GOP has lost its way >>
Darn it, for a minute or two there I hoped it was saying he had cast himself in front of an Amtrack train.
Rather than: McCain, casting himself in vain.
McCain will win the GOP nomination the election cycle after Rudy Noo York wins his turn the cycle after Lincoln Chaffey wins his.
During the Baseball steroid inquiry, McCain promoted the establishment a new governmental agency to force mandatory drugs tests for all professional sports to keep them "pure" for the American people. He is just as dangerous as hitlery.
Alot of people like John McCain....I don't.
I don't like the way he was involved in the Keating Five and found a hole to slime out of the mess he was in, is that why he's the media darling of all times?
And then there is the Campaign Finance Reform with him and Finegold....this opened the hole for Soros to pour money into the rat patrol pockets and increased the power of lobbyists.
McCain is all about McCain, he isn't interested in America, he could care less about the safety of America, he could care less about you and me.
Sure he went out on the campaign trail with President Bush in 04, but didn't you wonder if maybe he was a 'rat in sheep's clothing' to let Kerry know what Bush had planned? After all, it took McCain a week before he gave Kerry an answer as to whether he would be his VP....surely he wasn't concerned about America at that time, he was trying to figure out a way he could present this to the American people so they would swallow it, and when that didn't work, he said no, and that's the only reason....McCain for McCain.
I don't know why the people of Arizona vote him in all the time, guess he's bringing home the 'bacon' is the only reason I can see...I haven't seen him do any good for anything else but McCain.
Vote for him if thats what you want, another RINO, but I won't....there's to many of them in the Republican party and its time we get them out....
Remember who John McCain is, don't fall for his little show.
He wants drug testing for athletes, but not his wife.
Brit Hume put up the FR poll on whether we would support Juan McCainez for POTUS . It was 90% no. McCain has no shot as long as FR is here.
I remember Ronald Reagan.
I voted for Ronald Reagan.
John McCain YOU, Sir
are in no way, shape, or form a Ronald Reagan.
(McCain thinks he can market his incompetent posterior as a savior ala 1976)
Amen! But isn't it sad that McCain seems to be the only Republican in office outside the House Republican Study Committee who recognizes why the Republicans actually lost the election?
We agree. However, I put the odds as better than 50/50 that he will join with the dems either directly or indirectly after he loses. If he were promised the right cabinet selections, I can even see him taking the VP slot on an almost unbeatable "unity" ticket.
..but you would rather have a second President Clinton than John McCain?
The question is simply which one would do the most damage. McCain would destroy the Republican Party, leaving no viable opposition to the dems. Hence I see McCain doing significantly more long term damage than even Hillary would do.
I the R's have lost their way it is because the likes of McCain pointed them down the wrong path.
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