Posted on 02/17/2008 2:56:50 PM PST by KMAJ2
I read most of the responses to the original 'The McCain Conundrum' thread and am not surprised by the disbursement of opinion. A few saw it as an attack upon their beliefs, which is sad. It was an exercise in freedom, the expression of an opinion, the very same freedom I defended for those who have an opinion contrary to mine.
It was not a post in defense of McCain, there are ‘many’ things this man has done that I have serious disagreements with. It WAS and anti-Hitlery and Obama post, because, undeniably, Hitlery and Obama are ten times worse. One does not help their argument if they portray exaggeration as their argument to paint McCain, who is clearly a moderate, as a leftist liberal. He has done many things that are objectionable, but his lifetime ACU rating is 83%, it was 80% in 2005 and just 65% in 2006. Compared to Obama's 8 lifetime rating and Hitlery's 9, both had 8 ratings in 2006, there is no comparison nor can the amount of damage the two Marxist democrats can do to our country.
Second, where is the concern for our troops and the War on Terror being subjected to Hitlery or Obama as commander-in-chief? Are you willing to let our country lose the WOT simply because you value ideology over country?
Third, he is pro-life, but supports exceptions for rape and incest. Though much has been made of one 1999 statement, not wanting women to be forced into illegal operations, one must consider the consistency of the majority of his statements on this issue.
Fourth, positions and ratings: - Firmly pro-second amendment. - Pro-school choice - Tough on Crime 85% rating by NJCA - States Rights position on same sex marriage - Against pork barrel spending - ACLU gives him a 0 rating - NAACP gives him a 7 rating - Pro-free trade (the true conservative position) - Healthcare belongs in the private sector, pro-health savings account, against mandated universal system or mandated insurance coverage - Anti-union - Anti-ethanol (anyone who knows the economics of ethanol knows this is the correct position) - Pro-personal savings accounts to save Social Security - Vows will not raise taxes - Supports welfare to work http://www.ontheissues.org/John_McCain.htm
Fifth, and probably most important, selection of judges for the Supreme Court. While one may be legitimately concerned how conserative the judges will be that McCain would nominate, there can be no doubt they would not be as far left as those whom Obama and Hitlery would nominate. This issue, alone, obviates the need to defeat the democrats. We cannot subject this country long term tenure of left wing justices that Hitlery and Obama would nominate. Do not underestimate the democrats willingness to use the 'nuclear option'.
The obvious major reasons to dislike McCain are, in no particular order, CFR (McCain-Feingold), climate change (McCain-Lieberman), MIAs in Vietnam (McCain-Kerry), 'illegal' immigration (he claims a conversion to secure border first position), close Guantanamo, anti-waterboarding, etc. But none of these issues measure up, even minutely, to the multitude of issues of the left that we dislike, as well as allowing democrats, with control of the White House, to implement policies and legislation (ie Fairness Doctrine) that will help them remain in power. Even with those issues, if one looks at the majority of positions, McCain has many we can live with and support.
We cannot pin our hopes on 'hopefully winning in the future' so it is ok to lose now. Our troops demand better of us, and so does our country. We must work to minimize democrat gains in Congress, especially the Senate, where republicans have far more seats up for re-election than the democrats do. Odds favor the democrats widening their advantage in the Senate in 2008. The House, on the otherhand, will rely on creating and building a coattail effect. The reality of electoral politics in a Presidential year is that the party that wins the White House almost always does better in the House elections. To succeed, we must USE McCain to help elect conservatives to the House to keep his moderate tendencies in check.
His vice presidential pick will be important because he will probably be a one term president, if elected, due to his advanced age. But it cannot be a pick that appeals to only one segment of the electorate, whomever he picks must appeal to conservatives, but also must have broader appeal to the general electorate. We do not need another Dan Quayle.
Now more opinion on responses to the original string.
One response claimed this country was founded on conservative principles, that is false. This country was founded on classical liberal principles, which is conservative, but the focus is on individual freedom, social and economic. Do not mistake classical liberalism with the bastardization that modern liberalism presents, just a repackaging of Marxism in palatable terms.
Libertarians are classical liberals who take its ideals too far, almost to the point of anarchy.
Some social conservatives can be scary, because they seek to impose their morals under guise of law, just another version of authoritarianism. Morality is something that is determined by the society in which we live, it is enforced not by law, but by the mores and folkways that are prevalent in that society at that time. It is that very consideration of society that is the foundation of states rights, which is where many of these moral / social issues should be decided, at the state level. One only has to look at the diversity of what social beliefs are prevalent in each state.
What makes the left the worst is that they seek to supplant freedom with government control. As Milton Friedman taught us, economic freedom is the foundation for all freedom, without it, social freedom is an illusion, one the government grants you to perceive. The left will destroy economic freedom by making more people reliant on the government, who will then take more money from the people to pay for that government largesse.
It is because of the attempted destruction of our economic freedom that Hitlery and Obama present, and, thus, the possibly irreparable damage to our country, that I cannot sit on my hands and is why I will queasily vote for McCain. We can definitely survive four years of McCain (he’s too old to serve eight) but the spectre of eight years of Hitlery or Obama and their potential to severely damage the country I love is one that I cannot turn my back on. It is a responsibility to try protect my country from those who will do it harm. The only weapon I have in this fight is my vote.
Lastly, those who cannot see the difference between ‘loving their ideology’ (i.e. beliefs, principles) and ‘loving their country’ I find to be a cause for concern. The one response of ‘ideology is country and country is ideology’ brought forth visions of jackbooted brownshirts kicking down doors of those who disagree with them.
There is much to be said for those who stand on principle, it is an admirable trait, as long as it is subject to reason. When that principle crosses the line into unreasoned zealotry, it becomes a serious fault, one that devolves into authoritarian principles.
But that is only an expression of my opinion, freedom requires the acceptance and the right of others to hold contrary opinions and stand up for them. In the end, we reap what we sow. None of us is perfect, we may believe the seed we are planting is healthy and good, but there can be a hidden deformity that will sprout from that seed. Tend that seed carefully, adjust to the changes in cllimate that may effect its growth. Only due diligence will bring forth a plentiful harvest.
Some folks just love to pick scabs. It is their constitutional right.
If this is only an expression of your opinion, why is it in the News section?
LOL, good one!
I like your tagline.
If someone else were to get the GOP nod, I'd vote for them. But, that's not likely to happen. So, I'm voting for McCain. And Coburn does a darn good job of explaining why I should.
But in truth, I only needed one big reason and that is Iraq. No way will I sit on my butt and improve Obama's or Clinton's chances of getting control of our military.
It doesn't take an act of Congress to order a retreat. Just a nod from the Commander-in-chief.
Too tired to go through this a second time.
I know where those libs stand. McMaverick is at best a “conservative” when it’s convient. He’s all over the place.
You’re a real glutton for punishment aren’t you, dude?
Ratings for McCain:
Immigration.........F
Freedom of Speech...F
Health Care.........D
2nd Amendment.......D
Temperament.........D
Overall Rating......RINO
i take very seriously my right to vote, but i'm fed up with self righteous folks acting like:
1. they'd rather let that commie obama win than stain their precious little fingers with a vote for someone less repugnant
2. it's the end, dear GAWD, THE END of the conservative movement...as we know it or otherwise!!!
3. the world is going to go all to hell because the guy we wanted didn't get in.
if you look around the world, every nation swings back and forth between liberal and conservative. it's just the way it goes. sometimes we're in and sometimes we're out. we're not going away, however.
conservatives are in need of firm leaders with vision right now. they will rise, at some point, when we get tired enough of the has beens who were willing to be bought and sold by the same people who buy and sell pelosi and reid now.
a vote for mccain is not the end of the world.
lots can happen between now and the election. LOTS. which is why prayer is a most important process currently.
regardless of what guru dobson says,my kingdom is NOT on this earth, nor is john mccain the ruler.
I love my country.
That’s why I would never vote for an unstable charlatan fake Republican like McCrazy.
You are missing a much wider point.
If Obama and Clinton are such threats to the Republic, and they undoubtedly are, why are we running a no-hope amnesty-loving, global warming whining, First Amendment hating toad like McLame?
There’s a serious disconnect here.
There’s six months until the Dem convention and a little longer ‘til the Republican convention.
The fat lady has not sung yet.
On either side.
[You’re a real glutton for punishment aren’t you, dude?]
Punishment is a perception, real punishment would be submitting to fear that would prevent one from expressing one’s opinion.
That's first, second, and everything else to me. This election offers us a choice of the barely acceptable versus the utterly intolerable. I'll go with door number one.
In this country, people vote. We do not always get the candidate that we, individually, may want. McCain has presumptively won the nomination by attracting more voters/support than the other candidates.
That puts the onus on you to evaluate and cast a vote (or not) on the choice that the voters in the primaries give you. The sad part is the need by some to smear in their attempt to justify their position.
I still notice you presnt no concern for our troops and the War on Terror, are you willing to subject this country to a commander in chief of Obama or Hitlery ?
This is the only window we conservatives have in this ridiculous process to determine who the eventual Republican nominee is, or to even influence the remainder of the ticket.
Not concerned about the War on Terror? Then tell me why McQueeg tried to singlehandedly push through McCain Kennedy without hearings to become the law of the land—not once, but twice!!! It’s 6 plus years since Sept. 11, 2001 and only now he wants to build a fence for our security? How many sleeper cell members do you think are already here in our fair land?
Not concerned about the military? Where was this clown when the 600 POWs we KNOW we left behind in 1973 in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos died one by one desperately hoping that America would come for them, as he and John F. Kerry shut down the POW/MIA Select Committee in 1992-93 and castigated their families for having the temerity to question him? Why did this clown want to send in ground troops into a meatgrinder called Kosovo in 1999?
And why did this dummy castigate the SwiftBoat Vets, when they were the reason for the tide to turn against Kerry in the month after the Dem convention in 2004?
Both the Swiftboat Vets and the POWs—they served WITH McLoser in Vietnam.
You see things how you wish them to be, my friend.
Not how they really are.
McKook’s promises are just that—empty promises—on the border, on judges, on anything. His actions speak louder than words. And the noise is deafening.
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