Conservatives: Sitting Out 2008 Is the Height of Idiocy by Ben Shapiro

Family Security Matters ^ | 14 February 2008 | Ben Shapiro

[K-oneTexas]

Published: February 14, 2008

Conservatives: Sitting Out 2008 Is the Height of Idiocy

Ben Shapiro

 

The conservative base isn't fond of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. They disagree with him on a wide variety of issues, and they feel insulted by McCain's ardent desire to please those across the political aisle.

           

But conservatives are fools if they stay home in November.

           

There's plenty to question about John McCain, but there's one thing conservatives can't question: McCain is better than Hillary Clinton. He's better than Barack Obama. And it's not close.

           

McCain is a hard-line proponent of victory in Iraq. He has pledged to lower taxes. He has always fought governmental corruption, even if that has led him to absurd extremes like campaign finance reform. He is a strong pro-life voter. He says he will veto any bill that has any earmarks. In 2006, McCain received a 65% rating from the American Conservative Union, which measures whether members of Congress are in line with conservatives on major issues. In 2005, his score was 80%.

           

Here are Hillary Clinton's scores in those same two years: 8% and 12%. Obama scored 8% both years.

           

It's simply unthinkable to equate McCain's record with either Clinton's or Obama's. McCain is a left-leaning Republican, which means he ranks in the upper half of the Senate in terms of political conservatism. National Journal, by contrast, ranked Clinton the 16th most liberal senator in the Senate in 2007. Obama was No. 1.

           

Despite the vast difference between McCain and his Democratic opponents, many conservatives are threatening to boycott the 2008 election. They argue that the Republican Party has abandoned conservatism, and that in order to reclaim the Party, the GOP may have to go through the purifying ritual of cataclysmic electoral defeat.

           

This is historically ignorant. Intraparty squabbles are constant with regard to choosing presidential candidates. Parties do not move toward a particular ideological group because of electoral defeat – they move toward a particular ideological group because that group is most motivated to back a single candidate. Ronald Reagan was a rising force in the Republican Party before Gerald Ford lost to Jimmy Carter -- he almost wrested the nomination from Ford in 1976. The Democratic Party's recent move to the left has not been a reaction to their electoral defeats in 2000 and 2004 – after all, Al Gore and John Kerry were certainly quite liberal. The problem with the conservative movement in 2008 wasn't the movement -- it was the lack of a candidate. And sending the GOP to ringing defeat in 2008 won't push the Party back to the right unless there's a candidate to rally around.

           

If conservatives think they can rally around a challenger in 2012 and oust an incumbent Democrat, they should think again. Conceding the White House in 2008 could easily mean an eight-year term for either Hillary or Obama – and such an eight-year term would wreak havoc on a country already overburdened by taxes and under assault from Islamic terrorism.

           

The proposed conservative boycott of the GOP in 2008 also demonstrates a massive misunderstanding of the GOP's role. The GOP isn't constructed to nominate conservative candidates. It is constructed to win. It's the conservative base's responsibility to nominate conservative candidates. In 2008, the conservative base failed. That isn't the GOP's fault. Punishing the GOP fruitlessly punishes an organization that isn't to blame.

           

Conservatives must recognize that the choice in 2008 is between John McCain and Clinton or Obama. It isn't about McCain vs. Romney or McCain vs. Huckabee anymore. And if McCain wins, that doesn't preclude conservatives from rallying around a more conservative candidate next time. Dooming the country to at least four years of Democratic incompetence and appeasement won't solve conservatives' problem.

# #

FamilySecurityMatters.org contributing editor Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School. He is also the author of the recently published "Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future" as well as the national best seller "Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth." He practices law in Los Angeles.

[Lurker]

There is blood on the ground in both, real blood...

The blood of our POW's in Viet Nam is real, too. And McCain betrayed them and their families.

He also betrayed the 1st Amendment, the 4th and 5th Amendments, and his oath to 'support and defend the Constitution'.

He isn't worth a warm bucket of spit much less something as precious as your vote my friend.

L

[wita]

as precious as your vote my friend.

Listen to yourself, you even sound like the one we are talking about.

Until McCain’s brotherhood comes out against him as the Swift Boaters came out against John Kerry, I will forgive any alleged betrayal of POW’s. I was there. McCain regardless of an alleged betrayal has payed the price.

This emotional need to betray our troops on todays battlefield because you think you owe McCain and the Republican Party a slap in the face, is really a slap in the face of every one of todays fighters living and dead.

I say get over it my friend, (I can sound like him too) and join the fight to save the country, it needs you. See Uncle Sam pointing his finger at you. What is he saying, It is a long way to November, it is not fitting that anyone should, at this early hour, have their mind so made up.

To everyone entitled to your opinion, I say indeed, but time can heal wounds and your opinion is based on what the media has told you about McCain, you do not know him.

Now with that said, If he is elected, and if he betrays the conservative branch of the Party, which may be 15 to 20 percent of the voting class, then maybe we have a reason to consider our vote, as we have done with W, who in many ways was not conservative and not going in our direction, but I say, who is to say that the Presidents chosen direction is wrong. He is the President. I know, trust but verify, that was the Russians not the President.

I have to return to the scripture and remind myself continually, that with what judgment we mete, so will we be judged, so judge righteously. Consider yourself the ultimate judge and give the man a chance and in so doing you don’t place someone in the Presidency whom you know is going to betray the American Fighting man out of principle, party platform and an insane desire to please the 30 percent of voters who want us out of Iraq yesterday.

JMHO, expressed I hope, in a way not to demean, or disrespect your own. We are all in this fight together, and hopefully on the winning side of things.

[NittanyLion]

And by allowing your political disappointments to deliberately place our fighting men and women in the hands of Clinton/Obama is an insult to THEM.

And what's an insult to this nation is to vote for a man that will advance liberalism. Neither McCain nor Clinton nr Obama will receive my vote.

[wita]

Amen, and Amen! Americans who believe everything they have been told about McCain still do not know the man, he deserves at the very least forgiveness of any alleged previous mistakes, and the opportunity to make some more. Would we want anything less if we were in his shoes?

[wita]

Liberalism is one thing, this is something else entirely.

you don’t place someone in the Presidency whom you know is going to betray the American Fighting man out of principle, party platform and an insane desire to please the 30 percent of voters who want us out of Iraq yesterday.

The above is potentially any of the democrat candidates not Senator McCain.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

For a long time, conservatives have blindly believed that the GOP shares conservative values. The GOP does not. One only needs to look at what the GOP actually does to know that. Actions speak louder than words.

It doesn't make a dimes worth of difference which party occupies the White House.

In fact, it would be best for the country if the Rats and the Pubs took turns every four years. That way neither could do too much damage.

[whd23]

It’s called “mavericking”.

Conservatives have learned from the best!

LOL! Touche!

[NittanyLion]

Sorry, but McCain is so bad on the other issues that I just can’t vote for him.

[Designer]

"Now we have crap and have to make the best decision."

Agreed. I could see this comming.

[Designer]

"In fact, it would be best for the country if the Rats and the Pubs took turns every four years. That way neither could do too much damage."

Please tell me that was written with tongue-in-cheek.

Believe me, we really don't want that to happen. As it is, the controlling political elite is essentially non-partisan, and they have remained in power for many years. Changing "parties" every four or eight years makes no difference to them, nor to U.S. policy, whether domestic, foreign, monetary, or what-have-you.

The only real differences between the parties are strictly superficial. Walking over the cliff, or running over the cliff, we still end up going off the cliff in the end.

[Rum Tum Tugger]

I believe that your point is the same as mine.

[Designer]

"..it is not fitting that anyone should, at this early hour, have their mind so made up."

Huh?

Do you think that is a reasonable position?

As for me, I have no trouble at all in knowing exactly who is my friend and who is my enemy.

It did not take any time at all for me to decide on who to support.

[John Robie]

Treachery not idiocy

[Designer]

"..you don’t place someone in the Presidency.."

McCain is such a long shot for election that the dems will have to perform some very monumental acts of stupidity to lose this one.

They are capable of it, but I am not counting on it.

[John Robie]

McCain will win if conservatives support him. The center will not vote for Obama.

[verity]

You are the voice of sanity.

[Designer]

"I believe that your point is the same as mine."

I'm not sure you caught my meaning.

I meant that it makes no difference whatsoever which party is in the WH, the real power is not in any party, and it is in both parties at the same time.

We need to get over this idea of drawing distinction between two halves of the same whole.

[wita]

It did not take any time at all for me to decide on who to support.

Exactly my point, thanks. Make up your mind early then you don’t have to ponder the possibilities, or the potential.

[Jim Noble]

For a long time, conservatives have blindly believed that the GOP shares conservative values. The GOP does not. One only needs to look at what the GOP actually does to know that. Actions speak louder than words. It doesn't make a dimes worth of difference which party occupies the White House.

Bookmarked.

Get back to us on July 4, 2009 on that one, will you?

[wita]

McCain is such a long shot for election that the dems will have to perform some very monumental acts of stupidity to lose this one.

On this, I believe you to be right on, but as we have seen, the American people, and the dems are certainly capable of exactly those monumental acts, so never give up, and never make up your mind too early.