Why are so many Republicans freaking out about John McCain’s primary success?

Townhall.com ^ | February 1, 2008 | Lorie Byrd

[Bubba_Leroy]

I’ve given quite a bit of thought to that question this week because I happen to be one of those freaking out over the prospect of a McCain nomination.

Some cite McCain’s positions and past votes and say he is on the wrong side of too many issues, but the same can be said of George Bush. Why does McCain seem to ignite such emotion and strong opposition in so many? There are a lot of positions McCain has taken that have angered conservatives, to be sure. Opposition to the Bush tax cuts, McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, Gang of 14, the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill, global warming and drilling in ANWR are just a few.

The strong negative reaction from conservatives is not solely because of his positions on issues, though. The reason so many conservatives are concerned about the prospect of a McCain nomination and a McCain presidency has almost as much to do with the way McCain has taken the positions he has, as the positions themselves.

As I often tell my children when they get in trouble for talking back or giving me attitude, sometimes it is not what you say, but rather how you say it.

I was not happy about McCain’s opposition to the Bush tax cuts. As disappointed as I was with his vote, though, what really angered me was the "tax cuts for the rich" rhetoric he used to explain his opposition. I think it is horrible when Democrats play that class warfare game, but realize that many of them actually believe it and even those who don’t believe it know they need to say it because that is what their base wants to hear. It was hard for me to imagine any reason a true conservative would want to say such things. I still can't.

For many years McCain has displayed what appears to be a need for the love and acceptance of the media and Democrats. He often seemed to go out of his way to find fault with those in his own party in order to further cultivate his maverick persona. Instead of being a representative of the Republican party, or even of conservatism, he often emphasized his differences with others in the party and the movement, or allowed those in the media to do so for him.

I suspect many of those “freaking out” about McCain being the standard bearer for the Republican party have gone through the same progression I have over the past year.

McCain has been working hard for a year or so now to assure conservatives that he is one of them. His strong support for the war effort and the surge went a long way in making that case. He also softened his rhetoric against those in his own party. Over the summer I forgot many of the reasons I had opposed McCain as a presidential candidate. When he was down in the polls and did not appear likely to have a shot at the nomination, it was easy to forgive and forget.

When McCain started winning primaries and took the lead in the national polls, though, some of those reasons for my original opposition starting seeping back into my memory.

One of my earliest recollections of a negative reaction to McCain was in 2000 over what appeared to me to be a meltdown in South Carolina over “dirty tricks.” In 2000, going into the South Carolina primary, McCain ran a television ad accusing George Bush of “twisting the truth like Clinton,” while at the same time complaining about negative campaign tactics. I couldn't help but wonder how he would react to criticism and dirty campaign tactics from Democrats in a general election.

Comparing a fellow Republican to Bill Clinton back in 2000, knowing there was a good possibility that candidate would end up being the nominee and Democrats could use those words to discredit him, did not sit well with me at all. It led me to believe I could not trust McCain to do what was in the best interest of the party.

In 2001, speculation that McCain might change his party affiliation to switch the balance of power in the Senate only fueled that mistrust.

In 2004, McCain made his "dishonest and dishonorable" comment regarding the Swift Boat Vets. He sided with John Kerry, rather than with 250 plus Vietnam vets, including some fellow POWs. He didn't just say that he would have to look into the claims of the Swifties, or that he didn't know the specifics. No. He called the actions of those men "dishonest and dishonorable." Not only did he not apologize for that comment, but he reportedly entertained the idea of running with John Kerry.

I had put much of that out of my mind though. It is now 2008 and my desire to see Republicans retain control of the White House, and particularly to see a Republican commander in chief, seemed most important and polls repeatedly showed McCain the candidate most likely to beat a Democrat in November. The performance of McCain in the most recent debate, characterized by some as angry and sneering, along with what appear to be unfair attacks on Mitt Romney over the issue of a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, brought it all back – the temper I saw in 2000, the repeated high profile breaks with Republicans on big issues and the flirtations with Democrats about switching parties. Unlike some conservatives I am hearing from, I will vote for McCain in November if he is the nominee. Even for all his faults, McCain has many strengths and is vastly superior to Hillary or Obama. He has impressed me on the conference calls he has held frequently with bloggers where he has patiently and candidly answered any question put to him. Foreign policy/defense is one of my top issues, and I think McCain will be strong there.

It will take a lot to convince me that he can be trusted on issues important to conservatives, though, or even that he can be trusted to positively represent the party. He has built his entire political persona on showing how much he differs from Republicans and conservatives. That does not bode well for those wanting a White House that is more conservative than the current one.

[Gondring]

Yes, I've taken some liberties with the meter and rhyme, but please remember the idiosyncracies of Joe Jackson's pacing and delivery...you can add/subtract a few syllables here and there if it you want. Besides, some words were just too good to change!

Wish we could still embed sound...but here's an old video of the original, in case you don't know it..


Are They Really Going to Vote for Him?!?
(by Gondring, with apologies to Joe Jackson)



GOP faithful votin' for the lefties in my state.
In my jammies, I'm FReepin' while my lifeblood runs cold
Look over there! (Where?)
There's that McCain that we all-well know.
He's crazy now, or left-wing, or something, as we all know.



Are they really gonna vote for him?
Are they really gonna go RINO today?
Are they really gonna vote for him?
'Cause if the people believe him,
There's something going wrong around here.



Tonight's the night when I watch all of the returns on my screen.
I pop the corn and I kid myself Ron Paul has a shot.
Look over there! (Where?)
Here comes Giuli with his new boyfriend
Just shows that truth don't count for much--
Too bad he can't get *ZOT!*



Are they really gonna vote for him?
Are they really gonna go RINO today?
Are they really gonna vote for him?
'Cause if the people believe him,
There's something going wrong around here.



But if looks could kill
There's a man there who'd have us all dead.
He really needs to chill...

Better watch out, you'll blow up your head!
You're so uptight, and pickin' fights.



Are they really gonna vote for him?
Are they really gonna go RINO today?
Are they really gonna vote for him?
'Cause if the people believe him,
There's something going wrong around here.

[null and void]

McCain would be a terrible president. A McCain presidency would bring:
1. Massive tax increases
2. Huge government subsidy programs for illegal aliens
3. Huge carbon tax programs to combat supposed global warming
4. An end to the ability to interrogate terrorists.
5. An attack on business and the private sector.(except for corrupt people like Keating)
6. Ted Kennedy and other Democrats controlling the agenda.

And the stench would stick to the party (and be stuck to Conservatives) for a generation or more.

The demon-crats ran against Hoover for 50 years, and against Nixon until the clintons.

How long would they be able to run against McCain?

Just how much long term damage to our freedom are we willing to accept for a temporary illusion of security?

[callisto]

We should never forget our Founding fathers often said it best.

John Adams:
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798

[freeangel]

Well, apparently there is, of late, a difference between those who call themselves Republicans and those who are real conservatives.

[USS Alaska]

If he is the nominee, I would feel compelled to vote for him because of my son’s service in the military.

Hillary might be a better choice, in that case.

My son is also a military man, and he and his pals {the ones that I've met, hate the bitch}.

There is no way a demonRAT is better for the military.

[Owen]

This article is written by yet another of those inside the beltway mindsets that refuses to understand the depth of passion about illegals.

Supporting McCain is spitting on the victory last year that stopped his Amnesty Bill. Nominating McCain not only fails to honor that victory, it defiles it.

There is only one way to stop him and everyone knows it.

[bmwcyle]

AMEN

[Jane Austen]

Unless the Democrat is against somebody who is not of sound mind and smiles and talks to himself as if hearing voices in his head.

[TigersEye]

How could anybody not know?

[Jane Austen]

You are right.

[Rennes Templar]

“I was not happy about McCain’s opposition to the Bush tax cuts.”

I don’t support MCcain, but I will give him this: He didn’t want to go to war with tax cuts, it’she first time it’s ever been done in history. W thought the US would have a quick victory in Iraq and be out in one year. W has had to stick with the tax cuts while at the same time running up the deficits - caught between a rock and hard place. The tax cuts haven’t crewtaed enough gov’t revenue as he predicted.

While I’m on Bush I’ll say this: I wonder what he thinks when all of the GOP candidates talk about deporting the illegals.
As he has said, Americans do not want those jobs. I could see my teenage daughter working the fields with her cell phone: “Hey Pam, I’ll meet you at Bennigans as soon as I finish picking two more acres of tomatoes.” AINT gonna happen.
He also said the economy would take a hit if all these workers were deported.

If I were Pres, I would give amnesty to all illegal agri- workers, after penalties. They are paying their dues by bending over in the fields all day. (In Mexico: ‘Hey Juan I’m going to sneak over the border to achieve my life dream in America.” ‘What are you going to do?’ “Pick cabbage for the rest of my life”) I would only deport illegals who are taking skilled jobs, and penalize their employers, and prohibit lateral movement of agri workers, except back to Mexico.

[Friend_from_the_Frozen_North]

"I’ll do so (vote for McCain)... Obama and Clinton are not options and a Presidential election is too important not to vote..."

I agree with you about a Presidential Election (being) too important not to vote but there is no difference between Obama, Clinton, and McCain! Absolutely None! The differences are illusory and are apparent only if one uses his or her imagination.

John McCain has clearly indicated how he will vote in too many instances and on the issues he hasn't clearly defined his core beliefs, we can still infer from his other position that he is a Liberal. Calling himself a Republican does not make him one (and it most certainly doesn't make him a Conservative)! My grandparents used say that a Leopard does not change it's spots.

I do find some humor in the fact that left and center-left press continue to harp on talk radio 'balking' at McCain's candidacy; I do like Rush, Sean, Laura, and the rest but they have not convinced me to be in opposition to McCain. I managed that chore all my myself. I've listened to him speak and he's angry and abusive and his explanations for why he votes the way he does are Liberal. Here is the secret - I don't believe John McCain can be elected because too many Conservatives (whats left of the Conservative Republicans and the Independents) simply will not support John McCain. We may end up with Hillary or Barrack but, again, I agree with something Rush said, "If a Liberal is going to ruin this country, I'd rather they get the credit for it."

I voted for Bob Dole once as the lessor of two evils knowing he probably wasn't electable and that he wouldn't win. I won't do that again. I will vote in all of the state and local issues and I will look for a third party candidate to support BUT I WILL NOT VOTE FOR McCAIN!

[E. Cartman]

McCain and anyone who supports wide open borders betrays America and the very idea of a SECURE NATION.

Add to that his opposition to waterboarding, his wish to shut down Gitmo and trying to bring the terrorists into the court system. Only supporting military action abroad is NOT supporting the WOT.

[Gondring]

What form of government do you propose for our current population?

[Mr. Brightside]

In order for the Republicans to win the White House with a more conservative person than GWB, we would need the right candidate, with the right message at exactly the right time.

We have none of those things in our favor this time around.

[april15Bendovr]

John McCain A- -For and the left-wing media-

[nicmarlo]

Only supporting military action abroad is NOT supporting the WOT.

Exactly right!

[Tall_Texan]

If the GOP nominates McCain, I am through with the party. You can’t justify supporting a party that is so stupid as to nominate their own Judas. Not one dime and not one vote goes to Republicans from me if John McCain is their standard-bearer.

[NittanyLion]

Some cite McCain’s positions and past votes and say he is on the wrong side of too many issues, but the same can be said of George Bush.

Knowing what I now know, I wouldn't vote a for a Candidate Bush this year either.