Posted on 02/06/2008 1:59:59 PM PST by TSchmereL
After seven years of watching and fighting against Americans who wish to see the country suffer so that they can get at George Bush, the last thing I wanted or expected to see was conservatives saying they would rather see the country suffer than support John McCain over Clinton or Obama, so that they can "get the blame."
A retreat before victory is assured in Iraq cannot be undone in 2012. And mandatory, single-payer, universal health care, once established, will not EVER go away either.
I am not impuning anyone's motives. I believe I have a reasonable understanding of principled behavior. But if your goal is to see the country punished because---
You can stop right there. If your goal is to see America punished, and her people open to attack and/or ruined financially in order to prove a point for any reason, then you do not deserve politial power nor are you likely to achieve it. A party is a compact. It is, essentially, a pleage of mutual support. As a matter of fact, it's nothing more or less than a promise.
A political party is a series of personal compromises in order to achieve a goal unattainable by the perfect political party: one's own self. If McCain is the legal and lawfully selected nominee, and Republicans decide to walk away from their party in droves, what makes them think they will be able to count on those who, you know, actually went out and voted Republican either joyfully or through clenched teeth, in order to prevent The Deluge?
If your idea of any political party is one that means unlimited support for your personal values if your candidate is ascendant, while you in turn owe none to those you dislike or even disdain, you might be in for a surprise in future elections.
Speaking as a FredHead myself, I am bitterly disappointed that I did not even have the chance to vote for a man I admired, and am more distraught still to find myself in the position I now occupy. I see many, many worrisome things about John McCain, but being tough on terror and spending are not among them. We could do worse. Two names come to mind immediately.
Much is said about principles, and since I am not able elect anyone BY MYSELF I have entered into this pact with the group of people who I feel most comfortable with in terms of values. If they, as a body, choose a candidate who is not my first, second, third or fourth choice, then I can look to the Democrats. There I find views so antithetical to everything I believe that I realize there is indeed something to this idea of party loyalty.
And I cannot help but think that such a kind and practical man as Ronald Reagan would be amazed that his name was being invoked so frequently in order to insure that the most liberal, socialist, power-hungry statist in my living memory is elected. I'm glad he's not here to see this because if he knew the consequences of what was being done in his name, I believe it would kill the man.
The only difference is that McCain will nominate liberals like Stevens and Souter and Clinton or Obama will nominate ultra-liberals like Ginsburg and Breyer. There are enough RINOs in the Senate to approve any liberal or ultra-liberal that gets nominated.
It probably will not affect the current status quo on the Court (unless, like you said, one of the conservatives unexpectedly croaks in the next 4 years), but whoever gets in will likely be there for the next 30 years.
“I will vote for McCain in November if he is the Republican nominee because I am convinced Ronald Reagan would do the same thing.”
I see you’re getting a lot of heat from the ‘really, really, truely, principled conservatives’ on this forum for your post. I think you’re absolutely right and they’re absolutely wrong.
I think any one who thinks that their vote is so ‘valuable’ that it can’t be ‘wasted’ on some one like McCain are nothing but a bunch of selfish spoiled brats.
Well said.
Second that.
A true liberal would demand box seats in the toe tapping section.
I am a Conservative first and a Republican second, so I will NOT abandon my principles just to put a non-conservative Republican in the White House. I'm already looking for a party of genuine conservatives.
I don't believe that NOT voting will send a message to the Republican party, but I think if conservatives voted en mass for a third party, the Republican leadership just might notice. If not, the third party certainly would!
The only real concerns I have is what she can get done in two years without any stops via a Republican majority (I suppose I should say a conservative majority). I see a National/Universal/Free Health Care system that will be a nightmare, I see an amnesty for 20,000,000+ illegals guaranteed to vote the Donkey ticket. I see SCHIP expanded. This is two years. And I see Iran going nuclear and our military numbers dwindle when commissions are resigned and enlistments go down because they will not serve under the Hildebeest. They will remember the way she called General Petreaus a liar even if the MSM and the Republicans won’t ever mention it again.
That is a real concern. Personally, I see no substantive reason to believe she can accomplish in two years, what her husband couldn’t accomplish in 8.
No, I think what we are saying is that McCain would be the greater “punishment”.
I would emphasize that you don’t get to define conservatism. I would say any man or women who chooses to help bring in the more liberal Government solely out of spite and sour grapes has identified themselves incorrectly. Your not conservative, your a political anarchist. Conservatives don’t back bite, they don’t whine and they understand that compromise is part of governing. Conservatives don’t hide for 4 years while the left makes all policy, tax and regulation decisions. Conservatives don’t slit their own throats and punish the rest of the country because they didn’t get their way. They fight and continue to work hard to bring more voters to the same opinion. They don’t change minds by screaming obscenities or calling people names. They make rational arguments, they use facts. There is a delusional segment here calling themselves conservative and acting just like liberals. I’ll take the 80% conservative John McCain any day of the week over the 90% liberal alternative. I hear a whole lot of “I wont compromise my principals” thrown around, you tell that to troops still in Iraq, putting their lives on the line for every one of you. Tell them that out of pure principle you are going to endanger their well being. We all know what false prophets are, well I think we are beginning to see false conservatism. Bluntly there is a whole lot more to being conservative than immigration and pure tax cuts. McCain was dead wrong on immigration, he was dead right about the tax cuts without spending offsets. There use to be a time when conservatives screamed at the top of their lungs for a balanced budget, not anymore its just give me back my money. Every one wants tax cuts and understands the principle behind limiting the government from spending our money. Well guess what, you just transfered the burden to your kids, McCain understood that.
Keep her? That’s why I married her! /sarc
That theory is the refuge of uninformed minds.
Staying home would mean not voting for your house rep, possibly a state rep, and state and local offices.
Don’t punish any conservatives who happen to be running for office in your district just because the national party is running a turd.
There are a whole lot of crybaby losers on FR, a bit of a surprise really.
Those who did not vote in the primaries or do not plan to vote in the general election because they don't like any of the candidates are worthless.
exactly right. We wouldn’t have a 3.5 trillion dollar budget if a dem where in the white house because republicans would have been fighting every day for the last 8 years. But we have a R in the white house, so they go along because he is “OUR” president.
No thanks, when I get shot, I want it to be in the chest while I’m fighting, not in the back while having a beer with a “Friend”....
Very well put. Thank you.
I will not vote for a Democrat, so I will not vote for McCrazy.
I will work to elect Republican Senators and Congressman, but perhaps for the last time.
Something is seriously broken in the GOP, and I refuse to grab my ankles any longer and hope for it to be painless this time.
The stunning Dem turnout yesterday is a harbinger of things to come. The people, including McCrazy’s beloved Independents and moderates, will not vote for him over Hillary or Obama. McLame won in NE states that will fall in the Dem column in November, so it is a victory without meaning.
People say, but he is good on national security and judges, so forgive him everything else. I say, if you want to give defacto citizenship to over 20 millions Mexicans, you aren’t for national security. And if you were a part of the Gang of 14, I can’t trust you to pick good judges anyway. Besides , soemone who needs Ted Kennedy’s approval on anything if no Republican.
So Hillary or Obama become President. With enough true Republicans in Congress we can stave off disaster for the Republic until 2012.
People get the government they deserve.
And they are about to get it in spades.
>> and Republicans decide to walk away from their party in droves, what makes them think ...
Hey Whittle, crap is being forced down our throats and we’re gagging. Don’t tell us to take it and enjoy it.
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