McCain Apparently Calculates He Can Win Without Conservatives

May 11, 2008 | pinochet

[pinochet]

McCain has recently been making efforts to reach out to all sorts of people not traditionally associated with the GOP. He appeared on the View, the Daily Show, before black civil rights activists in Alabama, etc.

When is he going to make a serious effort to reach out to conservatives? How about promising to appoint strict constructionist judges? How about re-assurances on gun ownership rights? What about reducing the out-of-control spending of this administation? Does he take conservative support for granted? Does he even want them?

Maybe he sees that Obama and his kooky spiritual advisor have totally freaked most Americans. Apparently, he thinks he can build a coalition of RINOS, Independents, and Hillary Clinton Democrats. Those voters, combined with some sullen conservatives who will vote out of party loyalty and "stand by their man" like abused housewives, will be enough to assure him victory.

The media has long praised McCain for repudiating the "wingnuts", as they describe his party's base. If McCain can win without any effort to reach out to conservatives, then he will ignore them completely while in office. The conservative movement of Reagan of 1980-1988, and Gingrich of 1994-1998, is either dead or on life-support.

[Eva]

I doubt that you will see any response from the person who posted this ridiculous article.

[stockpirate]

Our country is strong it will survive these three morons.

Soros funded the group McCain used to push McCain/Feingold.

So that makes McCain a prostitute IMHO, but that gives prostitutes a bad name.

[goodnesswins]

ACU Ratings:

Lifetime Rating / 2005 Rating
John McCain 83 / 80
Hillary Clinton 9 / 12
Barack Obama 8 / 8

[Polybius]

When is he going to make a serious effort to reach out to conservatives?

What do you mean by "a serious effort to reach out to conservatives"?

Oh, wait a minute, you listed a few things.

How about promising to appoint strict constructionist judges?

Ummm ..... O.K.

McCain Vows to Nominate Strict Constructionist Judges

How about re-assurances on gun ownership rights?

Ummm ..... O.K.

McCain stands firm on Second Amendment gun ownership rights after Virginia Tech rampage

What about reducing the out-of-control spending of this administation?

Ummm ..... O.K.

McCain: Congress spending money 'like a drunken sailor' ..... November 30, 2003

McCain: Spending out of control ...... February 19, 2008

Does he take conservative support for granted? Does he even want them?

No and yes.

Do you ever bother to do any research before you ask if somebody has stopped beating their wife?

Do you really want to know or really care where McCain stands on the issues or do you just want to have fun waving around your membership card in the McCain Hater's Club?

[Bull Market]

“The ‘true conservatives’ won’t vote for anyone who doesn’t fit their definition of a conservative.”

Yawn.

I would happily vote for the following who don’t fit the criteria, over John McCain:

Rudy Giuliani
Mike Huckabee
Hillary Clinton
Ron Paul, arguably

It’s not about perfection, it’s about integrity and competence. John McCain has neither.

[exhaustguy]

McCain's position on ANWR 13 years ago is enough to disqualify him now. Now that is some chickens coming home to roost.

Libertarian in 2008, whoever the candidate will be. I will not vote for McCain. He does not have a substantive conservative proposal in his head to deal with our most pressing problems.

[Squeako]

Even sharia law?

Or McCain's Amnesty?

[stockpirate]

It’s not that he’s a maverick.

His position on immigration will destroy our country and conservatism.

I do not think he will appoint conservative judges, at the first sign of resistence he will reach across the aisle.

[norge]

The only candidate who could possibly be voted for in this election, by conservatives, is John McCain, as painful as that would be to many of us (I personally hate many of his stands...but on the other hand, I respect his service, his sacrifice, his stance against abortion, his stance for gun owners rights and, in many cases, his stance against wasteful spending and for retention of tax cuts. I can’t even go into the issues with which I have a disagreement with him, because they are many...but they pale in comparison to Barack and Hillary).

I have a living reminder of the folly of voting for your doggone principles...my grandson’s name is Ross, named by his conservative father, my son, who didn’t like Bush the First and felt he needed to vote on principle. Ross, to me, equals Clinton.

Don’t give me that “he’s supported by George Soros” stuff. That’s bogus, and anyone who has an ounce of intelligence knows it, as has been pointed out in this thread.

And as has also been pointed out in this thread, his 82% conservative rating is better than 60% of his Senate colleaques, and in this election, you aren’t going to get any better than that.

[WHBates]

Oh, I certainly understand but it's sad none the less that people don't really even understand our form of government. I didn't back or even like McCain but it's a choice between him and now Obama. With both Chambers of the congress likely to remain in Democrat hands it's vitally important for the White House to be from a different party.

While I didn't support McCain I do believe he can be trusted with the security of the nation and Obama can't. It would be nice to have other choices but we don't and as far as I'm concerned not voting for President is a vote for Obama.

[Polybius]

Hispanic Senator from Florida would be a good pick for VP?

Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) is Cuban-born and a naturalized American citizen and is therefore not eligible to be either President or Vice President.

[DoughtyOne]

We seem to have lost focus.

I believe it was in your post 13 that you said “If elected Clinton or Obama would not be the head of the Conservative movement. If elected, John McCain would be.”

I took issue with your statement regarding John McCain and you have not given me reason to change my mind and believe that, in your words, “John McCain would be”.

I have attempted to explain where I was coming from, but either I'm not making myself clear or you are not understanding what I am trying to say.

Is there a viable party out there that fronts for Conservatism other than the Republican party?  Don't you agree that there isn't?

It is for this reason, that the sitting President that is a Republican, is the acting voice of Conservatism.  If you wish to deny this premise, then explain what other viable alternative we have that can promote Conservatism outside the party.  Is there a national figure that you think picks up the slack when the Republican President refuses to push Conservative policy?  I don't know of a viable one.

I say there aren't more than three true Conservatives in the Senate.  I say there aren't more than twenty true Conservatives in Congress.  If McCain wins, he will have 97 Senators behind any liberal legislation he proposes.  He will also have over 400 Congressional votes behind anything he proposes.

I recognize that he will not be a true Conservative, or anything even remotely close to it.  That doesn't mitigate the reality that John will hold the seat that sets policy, for the party that Conservatives have called home.  Therefore, there will be no nationwide Conservative leadership under a John McCain Presidency.  For all intents and purposes, John McCain will be the figurehead of Conservatism, and unwilling to lead out for that cause.  Instead he will lead out for leftist causes.

Let's say there was another figure head that should be more appropriately refered to as the head of the Conservative movement.  Number one, who would that be?  Number two, what body of Congressmen would he be able to persuaded to vote against McCain, since McCain will be seated in the White House, and he will be the one Republican Congresscritters will want access to and quid pro quo from?

You are rebelling at my labeling of McCain as the head of the Conservative Movement.  I understand some reasons for you taking that stance.  Number one, he is not a Conservative.  Number two, the Republican Party and the Conservative movement clearly have different goals.  You still can't deny that the Republican Party has been our conduit to power.  And if that conduit is denied by a John McCain Presidency, then his position will affect the movement negatively.

Think of it in any terms that you think are more compelling, but the outcome will be the same.  The head of the party that has been our conduit to power, will refuse to allow it to continue to be in many instances over the next four years.

[Burkean]

Picking Huckabee will at least leave Romney pristine for a run next time around.

[Bull Market]

Well played!

[Antonio C]

McCain’s willingness to reach out to Hispanics by reforming immigration laws will bring the majority over to GOP. That will set us up for victory for several decades.

[packrat35]

I know he’ll have to do without my vote.

[yorkie01]

Thanks for bringing up martinez’s foreign born non-qualifier. Nonetheless, for people living in Florida, I’d like to suggest http://www.recallmel.com/ to get rid of this comprehensive immigration reform nutcase along with Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart (former nephews of Castro) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

[null and void]

I applauded President Clinton for signing the Welfare Reform Act. And I’d pick up a hammer and help build a house with that failure Jimmy Carter.

Wow. just wow.

[Squeako]

Well, at least one person has finally understood what I was tryin got say. I appreciate your note of agreement.

Unfortunately, it's worse than just agreeing.

At a retirement dinner in 2000, I spoke with a Republican Congressman and asked him why McCain didn't get the support of the RNC over George W. He said, "McCain would treat the Presidency as a dictatorship. He wouldn't work with Congress."

Now, eight years later, I heard an interview of this same Congressman, and he has changed 180 degrees and now "looks forward to working with John McCain as President".

This is the stuff of nightmares.

[Bull Market]

McCain is not a different party from congress, no matter how much you wish he was.