Posted on 02/11/2008 8:42:59 PM PST by Dane
GOP goon squad can’t rattle McCain DL-Online Published Saturday, February 09, 2008 It’s been a kind of perverse pleasure to watch Sen. John McCain overcome the vitriol of talk radio’s conservative goon squad. Despite vicious daily broadsides from Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham (and their sycophants on regional and local talk radio), McCain emerged Tuesday as the front-runner among Republican candidates for president.
On Thursday, the senator’s only credible competition, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, suspended his campaign, effectively handing the nomination to McCain.
So much for the influence of the talkers with the base of Republican voters.
In responding to questions about the attacks from talk radio’s allegedly conservative voices, the senator was gracious and even extended an olive branch.
But why should he? Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Ingraham and small-fry talkers taking their agenda from the big-time four have been so unflinchingly critical of McCain that the senator owes them nothing. His campaign, which a few months ago seemed ready for last rites, has been a resurrection story for the political history books. After his multi-state win in every part of the nation on Tuesday, he all but secured the Republican nomination.
And he did it without the help of the right-wing talkers. Indeed, he accomplished his comeback while fighting the blowhards’ headwind.
The radio attacks on McCain were not merely disagreements about policy. They went after him personally and politically. They charged that his conservative credentials are phony, although a perusal of his long Senate record reveals McCain is one of the most consistently conservative senators ever to serve. They ripped him up and down because he’s had the courage to stake out his own positions on immigration and campaign finance reform. Because of those apostasies, and the fact that he has refused to kiss their rings, the talkers tried to do him in.
And failed.
Ingraham went so far as to say that if McCain is the Republican nominee, she will vote for the Democrat, even if it’s Hillary Clinton. Well, she apparently made a decision that’s akin to packing up her Barbie dolls and going home because she didn’t get her way.
What seems to be going on here is a serious nationwide repudiation of the far right — at least as it’s represented by talk radio’s bile. The righty bloviators can’t stomach a candidate who is independent of their dogma — who doesn’t dance when they play the tune. They can’t accept that maybe their time as high priests and priestesses of the conservative agenda is coming to an end.
Whether liberal Democrat, conservative Republican or independent thinker, one can admire McCain’s genuine maverick status. The Vietnam War hero has cultivated a streak of contrariness that has served him well in the U.S. Senate and now is serving him admirably as he seeks the presidency. The fact that he won’t be intimidated by the overblown, self-important egos on talk radio makes him all the more attractive to American voters. — The Forum
How true, and the Pontiffs of conservatism are cutting off their noses to spite their bloviating faces.
what? goon squad???? OMG
How stupid.
Conservatives are upset with McCain and rightly so. Shoo
McCain can do it without my vote.
all for selfish vanity !
pisses me off to no end.
It's like trying to talk sense to a liberal
That is exactly why McCain will never become an American president.
It wasn’t Ingrham who said she would vote for Hillary - It was Conservative Britney Spears - Ann Coulter.
One reason McCain is extra hated upon is that these blowhards are feeling helpless. In their little fantasies they think they are Kingmakers and have all this imaginary power. However, reality check is showing that party has its own brain and is not made out of sheeple who follow these gasbags blindly.
They would like McCain to sit with them and apologize and grovel to them. Not gonna happen.
Since they can’t handle defeat graciously, they are resorting to even more hateful attacks.
We need to keep a scorecard here. They haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg yet- and they're going to choke on those words.
Where do I sign up for this “goon squad”?
I’ll vote for McCain in November, but what’s your problem w/ conservatives trying to have a say in the Primary? That’s what primaries are all about. Get over it.
It’s not hard to convince me to vote for McC over Hill or Barack Hussein, but the hostility McCainiacs consistently show conservatives ain’t gonna help him in the general.
Oh, nooooo. I’m not a member of a goon squad. I’m just a maverick ... a maverick who will not vote to further enable the liberal wing of the GOP. Being a maverick is a good thing ... no? That’s what I keep being told.
John McCain, “I hate goons.”
Look who is supporting OPEN BORDERS McCain...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968902/posts
I am not surprised this was posted by “Dane”....
Dane must spend the day peering into the toilet....attempting to snatch the occasional leftist screed scrawled onto the side of a turd floating by...
Isn’t it informative that Leftists are tolerant of ANYTHING and ANYONE - except those who disagree with them...
LOL
I’d heard that the McCaininites were launching a charm offensive. Judging by this, it’s a little short on charm and long on offensive.
Go suck a sombrero.
Sure...they were just his own "positions." That's it--he had the "courage" to stake out positions that were diametrically opposed to everything conservative, and yet WE should not be allowed to criticize the crazy one. Free speech? A minor issue...Merging this country with Mexico? A great idea...
I hope you and McCrazy are very happy together, just leave us alone. Thank you.
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