Posted on 03/21/2008 3:33:26 AM PDT by Kaslin
Making the Case for McCain By Burt Prelutsky Friday, March 21, 2008
A while back, I admitted that John McCain was not among my three favorite candidates for the Republican nomination. But I went on to say that if he emerged as the standard bearer for the GOP, he would get my vote. And to tell you the truth, I don’t feel I’ll have to bite the bullet in November so much as maybe gum it a little bit.
Needless to say, I have been hearing from a great many conservative hardliners. Among the things they’ve called me are sell-out, traitor, closet liberal and a mole for the Democrats. When a few of them settled for calling me a fool or an idiot, it almost felt like a compliment.
When you write what you honestly believe, you have to expect to raise occasional hackles. After all, I know very well that when I write about the sad fact that 80% of my fellow Jews can be counted on to vote for any cretin so long as he or she has a (D) after their name on the ballot, I can count on receiving a fair number of e-mails questioning my legitimacy and several more condemning me as a self-hating Jew. I also know that if I write a piece in which I defend Israel’s right to defend itself against Arab terrorists, I fully expect to be called a (expletive deleted) Zionist.
The thing that surprised me about the responses from those who hate McCain and who therefore hate me for insisting that there are meaningful differences between him and Obama/Clinton is how little sense they make. For instance, many people have taken me to task for not recognizing that McCain won all those primaries because Democrats crossed over to vote for him. In case they didn’t notice, the Democrats were a great deal more interested in their own hotly contested primaries than they were in ours. How many liberals did they really think were less concerned with the fight between the white woman and the black man than they were in whether McCain or Huckabee was our standard bearer? Frankly, I haven’t met one such person.
Then there were those Neanderthals who insisted they’d stay home in November or even vote for the Democrat in order to send a message to the GOP. These galoots seem to be stuck in a time warp. I tried my best to point out that it’s been a long time since a few big city bosses went into a smoke-filled room and emerged with a presidential candidate. In one primary after another, McCain took on and defeated all the Republican contenders. It was like watching Joe Louis in the old days, dispatching the likes of Tony Galento and Tami Mauriello on a regular basis, while barely breaking a sweat.
Worse yet, these disenchanted Republicans have to pray that the Democrat’s administration will be as awful as Jimmy Carter’s was, and that, come 2012, a Reagan clone will ride his white steed straight into the White House. How silly can you be? First, you have to hope that, with a sagging economy, gas at $3.40 a gallon, and the constant threat of Islamic terrorism, things will get even worse for America. Next, you have to hope that there is another Reagan out there. If there is, I’d like to know where he’s been hiding.
I say it pays to remember that the first, best thing that Ronald Reagan did before turning his attention to inflation and unemployment, even before pounding the final nail into the Soviet coffin, was defeating the smarmy disaster known as Jimmy Carter.
So, first things first. If the single greatest accomplishment John McCain performs is to keep Mr. Obama, the slogan-spouting radical, and Mrs. Clinton, the woman who never met a tax she didn’t want to raise, out of the White House, we’ll all owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.
To sum up my position in the form of a bumper-sticker: Better an Imperfect Republican Than a Perfect Socialist.
W. Burt Prelutsky is an accomplished, well-rounded writer and author of "The Secret of Their Success: Interviews with Legends and Luminaries."
Be the first to read Burt Prelutsky's column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com delivered each morning to your inbox. Making the Case for McCain By Burt Prelutsky Friday, March 21, 2008 Send an email to Burt Prelutsky Email It Print It Take Action Read Article & Comments (38) Trackbacks Post Your Comments
A while back, I admitted that John McCain was not among my three favorite candidates for the Republican nomination. But I went on to say that if he emerged as the standard bearer for the GOP, he would get my vote. And to tell you the truth, I don’t feel I’ll have to bite the bullet in November so much as maybe gum it a little bit.
Needless to say, I have been hearing from a great many conservative hardliners. Among the things they’ve called me are sell-out, traitor, closet liberal and a mole for the Democrats. When a few of them settled for calling me a fool or an idiot, it almost felt like a compliment.
When you write what you honestly believe, you have to expect to raise occasional hackles. After all, I know very well that when I write about the sad fact that 80% of my fellow Jews can be counted on to vote for any cretin so long as he or she has a (D) after their name on the ballot, I can count on receiving a fair number of e-mails questioning my legitimacy and several more condemning me as a self-hating Jew. I also know that if I write a piece in which I defend Israel’s right to defend itself against Arab terrorists, I fully expect to be called a (expletive deleted) Zionist.
The thing that surprised me about the responses from those who hate McCain and who therefore hate me for insisting that there are meaningful differences between him and Obama/Clinton is how little sense they make. For instance, many people have taken me to task for not recognizing that McCain won all those primaries because Democrats crossed over to vote for him. In case they didn’t notice, the Democrats were a great deal more interested in their own hotly contested primaries than they were in ours. How many liberals did they really think were less concerned with the fight between the white woman and the black man than they were in whether McCain or Huckabee was our standard bearer? Frankly, I haven’t met one such person.
Then there were those Neanderthals who insisted they’d stay home in November or even vote for the Democrat in order to send a message to the GOP. These galoots seem to be stuck in a time warp. I tried my best to point out that it’s been a long time since a few big city bosses went into a smoke-filled room and emerged with a presidential candidate. In one primary after another, McCain took on and defeated all the Republican contenders. It was like watching Joe Louis in the old days, dispatching the likes of Tony Galento and Tami Mauriello on a regular basis, while barely breaking a sweat.
Worse yet, these disenchanted Republicans have to pray that the Democrat’s administration will be as awful as Jimmy Carter’s was, and that, come 2012, a Reagan clone will ride his white steed straight into the White House. How silly can you be? First, you have to hope that, with a sagging economy, gas at $3.40 a gallon, and the constant threat of Islamic terrorism, things will get even worse for America. Next, you have to hope that there is another Reagan out there. If there is, I’d like to know where he’s been hiding.
I say it pays to remember that the first, best thing that Ronald Reagan did before turning his attention to inflation and unemployment, even before pounding the final nail into the Soviet coffin, was defeating the smarmy disaster known as Jimmy Carter.
So, first things first. If the single greatest accomplishment John McCain performs is to keep Mr. Obama, the slogan-spouting radical, and Mrs. Clinton, the woman who never met a tax she didn’t want to raise, out of the White House, we’ll all owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.
To sum up my position in the form of a bumper-sticker: Better an Imperfect Republican Than a Perfect Socialist.
Any true conservative will support Mccain without condition.
Are U on drugs??
What does Hillary-Obama and John McCain have in Common?
George Soros Funds them all!
Have fun changing seats on the TITANIC!!
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=56177
Wake up and smell the coffee Baby.
USA as we know it will be a thing of the past.
George Soros lives and breaths to destroy the United States of America.
Thanks for the comedy! The Republican party has been destroyed because of RINOS like you.
Have fun going down with the Titanic.
How about you tell us who we should support??
You should support:
First - any possible challenge to McCain at the GOP convention. We have delegates rather than a direct vote for a reason, and McCain is the virtual personification of that reason.
Second - anyone on the ballot who is credibly pro-America and pro-freedom (which definitely rules out McCain).
The very last thing you should even begin to consider is to support an anti-conservative like McCain. The guy’s whole career is a big middle finger pointed right at you - if you are actually a conservative.
Or do you mean what life raft should we get in?
Again, We are all on the Titanic, Enjoy this Easter, Remember that today is Good Friday.
Life as we know it will change. But to support someone Just because they are a Republican??
Thats hogwash. Wake up, you are smarter than that.
Start considering changes that you can make to somehow deal with the changes. Thats reality.
Choose your poison, Hillary, Obama, John Mc Cain. It really does not matter.
“Have fun going down with the Titanic.”
If the ship is indeed sinking, I’d prefer to jump on a lifeboat. Since there is no lifeboat available, grab a lifesaver— or would you rather hold on to the anchor?
Is McCain the least of three evils?
In terms of policy, possibly, though it's close - his policies don't differ much from Clinton's.
In terms of practice, absolutely not. His GOP affiliation will enable him to pass his Democrat agenda where an actual Democrat would not be able to do so. Instead of being able to rally a fight against a Democrat, we will be fighting each other, those who support conservative principles on one side, and those who support the party above all on the other.
The lifeboat is Mccain...the only one that is left.
I agree, at least McCain served his country, suffered horrifically at the hands of the vicious North Vietnamese commies, and unlike battleaxe Hillary and Islamic sleeper Obama, McCain's not a fanatical pro-abortionist, plus McCain saw 'KGB' when he looked into Putin eyes :)
Sitting at home and not voting is the easy way out.
downing=drowning
Not exactly true.
There is, afterall, a convention. Though it may be a long shot, McCain (Democrat Lite) may get challenged. I know, very doubtful
As far as a McLame being a "lifeboat" goes, that one is full of vipers. But hey, If you feel better being snake bit, by all means climb on board.
I'll swim for it.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE
>> Any true conservative will support Mccain without condition.
Depends on what the meaning of “support” is.
Oh and by the way: regardless of how highly you value your own opinion, YOU are NOT the arbiter of true conservatism. And voting for John McCain is NOT the litmus test.
I would rather hold on to the anchor, Thank you.
The Anchor is my faith in Christ!
All other ground is sinking sand!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.