Crazy and Crazy-er
Posted on 02/02/2008 7:29:44 AM PST by 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.
There are so many reasons to not vote for McCain. I think the straw was his blatant attempt at sick humor, when he publically sang, “Bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran.” That showed me his lack of class and his unstable happy trigger finger. He must not be elected, nor Hillary Clinton.
Agreed. They both would be equally rotten for this country...and that's saying something.
There. Better.
My Darling Daughter has been able to find jobs, and I expect Ratboy to have similar luck when he's old enough for our masters to graciously allow him to work.
No, McCain is not to the right on Islamic terrorism, he was only right on Iraq troop build up and the surge. McCain opposed wire tapping the Al Qaeda calls, he opposed strong methods of interrogation and supported Geneva treaty rights for terrorists. Iraq is only one front of the war on terror, sooner or later the terrorism is going to hit our shores again, and if McCain is commander in chief, we will not be prepared.
We may as well have Hillary.
And God Bless you too, and God Bless America.
Answer: Because McCain is a sick scumbag who is not only an open borders loon, but is also stupid enough to be duped by the "global warming" alarmists. Anybody that stupid is wholly unfit to be Commander-in-Chief. I would rather ride out four years of a scumbag Democrat in the White House than reward the back-stabbing McCain for his duplicity, sleaze, and arrogance.
You’ll get no arguments from me.
Romney is not to the right of anyone, that’s his main problem, and what electorate are you speaking of? The total electorate,or the Republican electorate? It should be up to the Republicans to pick their own candidate. Independents should have no say, at all. If a person doesn’t care enough to get involved with one of the two parties, they shouldn’t have any say who the parties pick.
McCain has been acting as a fifth column within the Republican party ever since he lost the 2000 election. His actions have been both vindictive and self-aggrandizing.
As Thomas Sowell said, Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.
Total Primary Votes: Romney McCain Huckabee
Iowa 29,494 15,559 40,841
New Hampshire 75,202 88,447 26,760
Michigan 337,847 257,251 139,699
Nevada 22,649 5,651 3,521
S. Carolina 64,970 143,224 128,908
Florida 598,152 693,425 259,703
Total 1,128,314 1,203,557 621,579
Total Delegates: 74 97 29
That’s good...I am glad you have counter-protested against liberals...we can agree on that. And I mean that, as someone who has spent time outside Walter Reed and at the GOE last March, I understand.
I was speaking about becoming directly involved in the election of a candidate.
I have seen what a third party candidacy does, and as bad as GHWB was at certain aspects of his presidency, he was a world better than what Bill Clinton was as President. A vote for Ross Perot was essentially a vote for Bill Clinton. I did that once. I am not doing it again.
Conservatives need to wake up and realize, like Boston Celtics fans, that McHale, Bird and Parish are not going to walk through the door. Likewise, Ronald Reagan is dead and buried, and we were lucky to get him in our lives, but he isn’t coming back.
I was pulling for Duncan Hunter and contributed to his campaign, but that was a pipe dream. And there was no way Fred Thompson was EVER going to become President, as good a guy as he seemed to be. McCain would be a lousy president, but liberals would love him. THEY love McCain because they think their candidate can beat him handily in the general election, which I believe.
I am throwing my weight behind Romney. He’s not perfect either, but he doesn’t have his name on McCain-Feingold. And he understands commerce.
We need to deal in the politics of what is possible, not what we want it to be.
By the way, on a personal note: I saw your Freep Page...you talked about a bunch of liberals on bicycles who take over the road and harangue people in cars. I saw a guy who ran over one of their bikes and the liberals looked like they were going to try to lynch the guy. Same kind of people?
Huh? Why vote for someone commentators have called "Hillary in drag?" If it quack's like a duck and walks like a duck, it's a duck. McCain is a Clinton/Kerry liberal with a nasty attitude and contempt for conservative values.
“Why are so many Republicans freaking out about John McCain’s primary success?”
Because we hate his stinkin’ guts!
Good list — I agree with your reasons for why McCain for POTUS would be a disaster for America.
I will hold my nose on Tuesday and vote for Romney.
This is the key point to remember. SOMEONE is going to be elected President in November. Half the country didn’t want Bush in the first place and that number has grown significantly since 2004. Anyone who things a candidate that’s even further to the Right can get elected in this climate is dreaming. McCain isn’t a conservatives ideal, but would you REALLY rather see Hillary or Obama in the White House for 4, or most likely 8 years? C’mon!!!
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YES, If this country is going to hell for 4 years, then let the Rats and liberal policies be blamed, not another shot at Republicans. Besides John McKerry cannot beat either rat running no matter who his running mate is. How is he going to debate Hillary/Obama on economic issues when his answer is, ‘Well I’m a leader, in Vietnam I was a leader. I will just go to my trusted advisers Jack Kemp and Phil Graham, and they will solve it. By the way did I say I was in Vietnam?’ Kerry tried this approach in 04...didn’t work then won’t work now.
Answer: because any “Republican” so beloved by the NY Times, LA Times, and all of the MSM is a Trojan Horse candidate designed to wreck the party and marginalize conservatism.
McCain never could have had such national stature on his own ideas and record.... the MSM loves him because he sticks it to his own party as often as possible, plays the “good RINO” for the press and generally just makes a mess of things for conservatives. I give him much credit for his military service and for his support of the USA in the War on Terror, but it takes a lot more to be a good President.
...and with the Maine caucus results tonight those delegate numbers should be a bit tighter, although I believe as a caucus state Maine does not choose actual delegates for awhile longer..... but McCain got trounced today.
Me too.
We need to deal in the politics of what is possible, not what we want it to be.
Agreed. Where we disagree is on what is possible, and perhaps more importantly the time scale available to acheive the 'impossible'.
I saw a guy who ran over one of their bikes and the liberals looked like they were going to try to lynch the guy. Same kind of people?
Maybe even some of the very same people.
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