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.

[Bull Market]

I completely agree. Romney needs to stay as far away from McCain as possible. He does NOT need that baggage.

[DoughtyOne]

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...  I understand this view.  None the less I think it is a view that fails to take into consideration other concerns.  I have listed mine below.

...but on the other hand, I respect his service, his sacrifice,...

I respect these as well.  I also respect the 600 to 1000 MIA troops a number of which were known to be alive after capture in Vietnam.  Those who were known to be alive had been seen by fellow POWs.

John McCain sided with those who wished to grant normalized trade status with Vietname prior to getting a full accounting for our MIA troops.  John not only took this stance, but was very disrepsectful to at least the representation of the families of MIA troops.  A full accounting hasn't be achieved to this day.

...his stance against abortion...  Which translates to pro-live and has been challenged...  (I don't know the particulars on this issue, but there are people out there who are not supportive of McCain at all on this issue.


...his stance for gun owners rights...  Once again this is an issue where some disagree with some McCain actions.  (Again, this is an issue I have not studied, but I would urge you to look around before you take this for granted.)


...and, in many cases, his stance against wasteful spending...  I have not seen anything related to this issue, and you may be right here.

...and for retention of tax cuts.  McCain fought against the Bush tax cuts.  He changed his mind when his campaign for President neared.  I can't credit the man for supporting the retention.  I just don't trust him on this matter.

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).  If that were the only thing to consider, I would probably agree with you.  I don't find the prospect of a Hillary or Barack Presidency to be a good thing.  I do think there may be a worse thing, and I address that problem.

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.  Perot was definately working in conjunction with Clinton.  It's clear they had contact before the election that was damning.  Without Ross, Bush would have won handily.

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.  If Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama had been tied to Soros what would your reaction have been?  You know damn well what it would have been.  You would have denied that their working together could be described in any terms other than negative.  For that reason, I ask for people to be judged equally here.  You can't spin a Soros connection in a positive or neutral manner.  That doesn't fly with me.  If it's rotten for our enemies to be associated with him, it cannot be anything but rotten for our side to be associated with him.

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.  On issue after issue after issue, John has shown himself to have very poor judgement.  You can quote his voting record to me until you're blue in the face, it doesn't cover up his deeds that are leftist.  Global warming, Gitmo, Illegal Immigrant, judicial affirmation votes...  I appreciate where you are coming from, but I cannot sign on to your support for McCain.

I appreciate your comments.

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Senator John McCain wants to be the figure-head of Conservatism.  Okay, lets think that out...

John McCain becomes President.  He's still the same old John McCain.

The RNC backs his liberal policies to maintain a position of power
The Republicans in Congress back his polices to maintain access to the White House and quid pro quo
Republican candidates for Congressional seats move to the left, since John McCain proved that moving to the left assures RNC support  and votes
The Republican party leadership at the state level moves left as McCain and the RNC demand it
Republican candidates at the state level move to the left, since John McCain proved that moving to the left assures Republican support and votes
Republican Conservative office holders across the nation will be silenced
Apologists on Conservative forums across this nation defend McCain against the few Conservatives who are left, and attack them there (forums move left)
Last but not least, the Democrats move even farther left to differentiate themselves from McCain

Who writes Conservative bills and rams them through state or federal government after that?

Who talks about Conservatism from a position of power?  Who takes the chance to disagree with McCain on anything?

John McCain will have about three Senators and twenty Congressmen oppose his leftist pipe dreams.  that means that 97 Senators and over 400 Congressmen will support whatever he proposes.

Under a John McCain Presidency, Conservatism ceases to become a movement, and becomes a theory.  It will no longer be practiced by enough politicians to be viable.

Under leftist McCain, there is no functional opposition.  Promoting leftist policy, it all passes with little opposition, nobody objects to the liberal policies
Under leftist Hillary or Barack, there is not only a functional opposition, it grows by leaps and bounds in objection to their policies

We saw what a one party system did to Arkansas under Clinton.  It was terrible.  Now we want to install that in our federal government, leftists one and all.

No thanks.  Color me dumb, but I'm not voting to turn the U.S. into 1980s Arkansas.

LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on the Republican National Committee, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on future candidates, it's being advocated
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on State level Republican party leadership, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on Republican Conservative office holder voices, it's happening
LINK: Welcome to McCain's impact on Conservative forums, it's happening

Folks, you either wake the hell up, or doom conservatism to oblivion.  After November the 4th, it's too late.  You will have silenced Conservatism in our nation for four or eight years, and quite possibly forever.

[Antonio C]

Mel Martinez will not be recalled just like Lindsay Graham, John McCain and all others who supported CIR have not been recalled. Unlike you and the few other anti-immigrant zealots, most Americans are not very interested in illegal immigration.

[Bull Market]

Yeah, that’s the big dream isn’t it. Screw all our principles, we just want to get the mexicans to vote for us.

It’ll never happen.

[Squeako]

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.

So, you think that giving 12-20 million people (and by extension their families) who are in this country illegally, who show no intent or desire to become Americans by following our laws and adopting our culture, is a good thing for America?

Irrespective of whether or not it is "a winner for the GOP", do you think it is good for America?

To Hell with the GOP if destroying America is inconsequential to the desire to be victorious in elections.

[Uncle Miltie]

Atlas Shrugged. I’m throwing in the towel for awhile to wait for more auspicious times to earn money. No need to bust my butt for all these losers and hangers-on who just feed off me.

Buh bye.

[DoughtyOne]

Thank you for you additional comments. Isn’t that something. I was honestly surprised this year when so many rather respected Republicans came out to endorse McCain.

This is a man that they deeply dispised on a number of topics over the last ten years. And now, as you said, it’s 180 degrees about face.

I voice my opinions, but I do think McCain stands a good chance of being elected. Then we can watch as he does it to us.

The sad thing is, folks who supported him will continue to state Hillary and Obama would have been worse, and discount the damage done.

[DBrow]

Novak confirms McCain’s Alito comment

Robert Novak confirms what John Fund said last week: McCain has serious reservations about conservative jurists like Justice Alito. Novak writes:

I found what McCain could not remember: a private, informal chat with conservative Republican lawyers shortly after he announced his candidacy in April 2007. I talked to two lawyers who were present whom I have known for years and who have never misled me. One is neutral in the presidential race, and the other recently endorsed Mitt Romney. Both said they were not Fund’s source, and neither knew I was talking to the other.

As I said last week in response to Fund’s assertion:

As for the judges, this is truly disturbing. Alito is no Ann Coulter, a provacative figure that takes pleasure in deriding McCain’s friends across the aisle. He is a thoughtful and intelligent jurist whose measured approach has been a model of restraint. To say that Alito wears his conservatism on his sleeve is just patently false. If Alito’s conservatism is worn on his sleave, there are few conservatives that do not.

Moreover, this issue gets at the question of McCain’s ability to judge the judicial philosophy of judicial nominees. If Alito’s conservatism is too provacative, principled jurists like Scalia and Thomas would certainly be excluded. We have had many Republican presidents who have been unable to distinguish between conservative and liberal jurists. President Eisenhower nominated two of the most liberal judges (Warren and Brennan) the court has ever had. Gerald Ford nominated Justice Stevens. Bush 41 famously got “Soutered” by one of his picks to the Supreme Court. All of these misteps have further entrenched liberal ideology and seriously hindered true conservative change.

Ed Morrissey over at Captain’s Quarters says this:

This actually makes it slightly worse. The Fund quote implied that McCain wouldn’t appoint an Alito because he thought Alito was too overtly conservative. Novak’s report shows that it wasn’t Alito’s overtness, but his conservatism that McCain found unattractive. That won’t help convince conservatives to trust McCain on judicial nominations.

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http://hotair.com/archives/2008/01/29/audio-john-fund-stands-by-mccainalito-report/

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http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/01/019662.php

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Pugetsoundsoldier, it all depends on who you believe, McCain and his publicists, or the witnesses. We have all seen politicians say something in private that they would never say in public because it would damage the image they wish us to see. That goes along with voting for a judge, then expressing private reservations later, without expecting that those reservations would become public. It’s just as much hearsay that the witnesses did not hear what they heard.

As for his record, the Keating Five and Gang of Fourteen speak to his character directly.

[Antonio C]

What is good for the GOP is good for America.

[null and void]

Antonio C ~ I think the USA can survive anything.

Bull Market ~ Even sharia law?

Even the McCain-Feingold suspension of POLITICAL free speech during the precise time it is most critically needed - right before an election?

[Squeako]

Mel Martinez will not be recalled just like Lindsay Graham, John McCain and all others who supported CIR have not been recalled. Unlike you and the few other anti-immigrant zealots, most Americans are not very interested in illegal immigration.

Buddy, you should try living in America some time.

Besides, you never did answer my question on another thread about "La Raza" meaning "The People" (as opposed to "The Race").

I asked you if "The People" included Anglos, Asians and Africans. You never did answer. Now, here you are characterizing those opposed to illegal immigration as "anti-immigrant zealouts".

I wonder why that is.

[Bull Market]

It’ll be like a constant LALALALALA for the next four years from these people.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“OK—I won’t. “

Then don’t complain.

[Zack Attack]

So while Rush sits there and talks about the success of Operation Chaos, independents and some Dems actually did select the Republican candidate voting in our primaries early on. When will Pubs ever learn?

[KarenMarie]

Marked for later.

[null and void]

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.

Bingo.

The liberals and democrats will give him 100% of their support for his agenda because it is indistinguishable from their agenda.

The republicans and RINOS will give him 100% of their support in the name of 'party unity'.

At least the soon-to-be late Sen Obama, or Sen Clinton could occasionally get some minor opposition in the slightly imaginable event that an occasional republican feels the little nub of a vestigial vertebra.

[DoughtyOne]

I think you've nailed it. LOL Very apropos...

[Antonio C]

The same America in which voters rejected anti-immigrant extremists like Tancredo and Hunter in favor of John McCain? Just because you obsess over this one issue doesn't mean that everyone else does. Try getting out more often.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"The People" refers to the Hispanic people. Hispanic is not a racial term. Anyone who is of Hispanic heritage regardless of their race could be a member.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I have a question. We have John McCain because that’s who the MSM wanted to run against Hillary until Obama screwed up everyones plans. How come neither Rush, Hannity, Savage, Ingraham, Levin, Coulter(well she wanted Hunter) came out and said who we should have as our nominee? The Libs did.

These are conservative commentators whose influence carries great weight across this nation and whose shows reach millions. But they sat on the sidelines and let the libs pick our candidate.

And now they complain and make fun of McCain? They have some nerve. In the end they aren’t Conservative commentators. They are entertainers whose fans happen to be Conservative.

[Squeako]

What is good for the GOP is good for America.

Now, I realize you're new around here, and are under the impression that this is a Republican news forum, but let me ask you another question: If the Republican party embraces the tenets of Socialism, would that be good for America?