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McCain faces doubts among Republican conservatives
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 5/11/08 | Charlotte Raab

Posted on 05/11/2008 4:13:06 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON (AFP) - While John McCain is practically assured the Republican presidential nomination, many party members are having a hard time accepting him -- and showing it with symbolic votes against him in primary contests.

The Republican nomination battle has been all but decided for over two months. Still, some Republicans used the April 22 Pennsylvania primary and last week's votes in Indiana and North Carolina to register their unhappiness with the de facto victor.

Some vote for libertarian Texan Ron Paul, who has refused to quit the race and has racked up more than one million votes, according to his campaign.

Other Republicans keep voting for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas -- both markedly more conservative than McCain -- although both have long since dropped out of the race and endorsed him.

As many as 25 percent of Republican voters want a different candidate to represent their party in the November 4 presidential election. In Pennsylvania, 27 percent opted for Huckabee or Paul; in North Carolina and Indiana on May 6, McCain opponents earned 23 percent of the vote.

The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper, calculated that McCain had garnered no more than 45 percent of the Republican vote since January.

McCain's reputation as a party maverick and a compromising moderate has left the party's most conservative and ideological members disgruntled.

He focused this week on winning their backing, delivering a major speech on legal issues and promising to nominate conservative justices to any possible new Supreme Court vacancies, as President George W. Bush has done.

"I have my own standards of judicial ability, experience, philosophy, and temperament," McCain said.

"And Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito meet those standards in every respect. They would serve as the model for my own nominees if that responsibility falls to me," he said, pointing to Bush appointees.

Even so, McCain carefully avoided mentioning thorny subjects like abortion and homosexual unions, on which he has staked out much more moderate positions than members of the party's religious right.

On Thursday, McCain vigorously denied voting in the 2000 presidential elections against Bush, his main rival during the Republican primaries that year.

Popular liberal pundit and Internet blogger Ariana Huffington had published a report that shortly after the election, McCain revealed during a dinner that he did not vote for his party's nominee.

"I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004," the Republican candidate insisted on Fox News. "And not only that, far more important than a vote, I campaigned everywhere in America for him."

While such defenses might help the Arizona senator woo the most conservative Republicans, it carries great risks.

A Wall Street Journal opinion poll last week showed only 27 percent of Americans approved of Bush's performance. And 43 percent said they worried that McCain "will be too closely aligned with the Bush agenda" -- a worry Democrats are already moving to exploit.

That spells trouble for McCain with the potential swing centrist voters McCain needs to defeat his Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama or Senator Hillary Clinton.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2008; conservatives; conservativevote; doubts; duh; mccain; republican; rino; yathink
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

And before y’all start piling on, I’ve shared my views for overthrowing the Government time and time again.

It’s just not the right time...yet. :)


21 posted on 05/11/2008 4:30:38 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: NormsRevenge
He focused this week on winning their backing, delivering a major speech on legal issues and promising to nominate conservative justices to any possible new Supreme Court vacancies

He did indeed promise that and also...

To Speak to the Nationa La Raza meeting

To NOT stop sanctuary cities

To NEVER drill in ANWAR

Oh yeah he's focused on conservatives. Good Lord.

22 posted on 05/11/2008 4:30:59 PM PDT by Kakaze (Exterminate Islamofacism and apologize for nothing.....except not doing it sooner!)
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To: NormsRevenge
The last conservative nominee was Ronaldus Magnus. I wonder for whom the McCain Deranged voted for these past 28 years.
23 posted on 05/11/2008 4:31:40 PM PDT by Jacquerie (McCain will offer battle to Islam - The Obamabeast will offer our heads.)
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To: NormsRevenge


Eh, no thanks...
24 posted on 05/11/2008 4:32:10 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Who opposes John McCain's leftist agenda? The RNC, Rep Congress members, the Democrats? Good luck!)
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To: Reagan Man
In the end, many conservatives may wind up voting for McCain, but they won’t be shelling out hard cash to his campaign.

I think that is about right. I will drag myself to the polls in November.

25 posted on 05/11/2008 4:34:00 PM PDT by Bahbah (Typical white person)
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To: NormsRevenge

doubt.

hmmmmmm.

that’s what they call it, huh?


26 posted on 05/11/2008 4:34:38 PM PDT by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: jrooney

Same here, Obamao is simply unpalatable, McCain at the very least is a budget hawk, wants to ya know, “win” in Iraq, and is our only shot not to have Ginsburg or Stevens replaced with even more liberal SCOTUS nominees and wants the Bush tax cuts to remain in place.

Compared to Obamao, he is William Buckley.


27 posted on 05/11/2008 4:35:42 PM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile/ Isaiah 3.3/Cry havoc and let slip the RINOS)
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To: NormsRevenge

I have no doubts about McCain and he has no vote from me.


28 posted on 05/11/2008 4:37:12 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Voting CONSERVATIVE in memory of 5 children killed by illegals 2/17/08 and 2/19/ 08)
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To: NormsRevenge

“McCain faces doubts among Republican conservatives”

Understatement of the Decade award nominee.


29 posted on 05/11/2008 4:39:29 PM PDT by Grunthor (Of two evils, choose neither - Charles Spurgeon)
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To: DoughtyOne

Our only hope now is the VP choice.


30 posted on 05/11/2008 4:39:47 PM PDT by rodguy911 (Support The New media, Ticket the Drive-bys, --America-The land of the Free because of the Brave-)
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To: cripplecreek
In 1992, high minded, noble folks like yourself vote for Perot which gave us eight years of clintonism followed The Beast. Congrats.
31 posted on 05/11/2008 4:41:23 PM PDT by Jacquerie (McCain will offer battle to Islam - The Obamabeast will offer our heads.)
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To: infantrywhooah; VRWC For Truth

“He needs all the moderates he can get since no Conservative is voting for him.”

“I plan to vote for him”

Mm-hmm. Several extremely new “conservatives” to FReeperland that are backing McBackstabber.


32 posted on 05/11/2008 4:42:16 PM PDT by Grunthor (Of two evils, choose neither - Charles Spurgeon)
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To: padre35
I agree. McCain has many, many flaws and I have not been a fan of his because of his “Maverick” attitude but the other two choices, especially Obama are more than frightening. I just have to bite the bullet here and vote McCain. Winning the WOT is still my top issue and except for the water boarding fiasco by McCain, he is the best of the three to fight and win it.
33 posted on 05/11/2008 4:42:40 PM PDT by jrooney (Obama's mentor says God Da*n America. That explains Obama's refusal to put his hand over his heart.)
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To: Maceman
Norm, you are spot on. McShamesty does not care about freedom loving people. The anti first amendment law, global warming crap, open borders, against tax cuts, etc. After voting since 1980 for a republican president, I may just vote down ticket and write in someone.
34 posted on 05/11/2008 4:42:44 PM PDT by bronxboy
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To: padre35

“and is our only shot not to have Ginsburg or Stevens replaced with even more liberal SCOTUS nominees”

No matter how liberal those nominees might be, they are but one vote.


35 posted on 05/11/2008 4:43:30 PM PDT by Grunthor (Of two evils, choose neither - Charles Spurgeon)
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To: Grunthor

Well, Mr “experienced” Freeper, who do you plan to vote for? A Democrat? It’s either McCain or a Democrat. What side of the fence are you on?


36 posted on 05/11/2008 4:44:52 PM PDT by infantrywhooah
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To: Jacquerie

Maybe, don’t know don’t care.

If getting a liberal is that important to you vote Obama.


37 posted on 05/11/2008 4:45:21 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Voting CONSERVATIVE in memory of 5 children killed by illegals 2/17/08 and 2/19/ 08)
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To: Maceman

bump


38 posted on 05/11/2008 4:45:24 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Your Free To Vote 4 McCain. I Won't. I Don't Want To Hear Your Gripes Thru His 4 Years of RINO-ism!)
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To: Grunthor
No matter how liberal those nominees might be, they are but one vote.

We are actually at a historic turning point on the court and to let it laspe will be an opportunity missed we won't have again in our lifetime.

39 posted on 05/11/2008 4:46:16 PM PDT by Always Right (Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?)
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To: Jacquerie

This theory has already been shot down.


40 posted on 05/11/2008 4:46:38 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Your Free To Vote 4 McCain. I Won't. I Don't Want To Hear Your Gripes Thru His 4 Years of RINO-ism!)
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