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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: NormsRevenge

Aww, then I guess he’s gotta dance with the ones that brung him.


41 posted on 05/11/2008 4:46:58 PM PDT by M203M4 (True Universal Suffrage: Pets of dead illegal-immigrant felons voting Democrat (twice))
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To: NormsRevenge

The time is now to dump McCain. He is unable to get cash contributions and he is unable to get grass roots support.

His whole campaign is based on a notion that Democrats will support him.

Got big news for you Juan. Democrat voters are against the war. On that alone they will vote for whoever the piddly assed Democrats nominate. You have dissed the GOP base. We do not trust you, that is based on good reason by your past behavior.

Gee Juan, how much dough have you brought in lately? Uh, moderates and undecided Dems ain’t sending a whole lot are they? Bwhahahahaha!


42 posted on 05/11/2008 4:49:48 PM PDT by dforest (I had almost forgotten that McCain is the nominee. Too bad I was reminded.)
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To: NormsRevenge

The title is an understatement.


43 posted on 05/11/2008 4:50:19 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: JoJo Gunn
No matter what McCain says from now on, he's lying through his teeth.

Agreed.

Juan McCain is a demonstrable serial liar.

44 posted on 05/11/2008 4:53:07 PM PDT by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle (If McCain really CAN "win without conservatives," then why do you care if I vote for him or not?)
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To: Always Right
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.

Yes.

Too bad so many folks apparently find absolutely delicious the taste of gnawing off their own toes.

45 posted on 05/11/2008 4:53:52 PM PDT by Racehorse (Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.)
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To: infantrywhooah
But McCain is the lesser of three evils.

It's that kind of thinking in the GOP that has made a socialist like McCain the presumptive nominee. Stick to that method and each election will see increasing socialist candidates.
46 posted on 05/11/2008 4:54:03 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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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.

Voting for a socialist like McCain is not the action of a conservative. His position to an overwhelming majority of positions is anathema to conservatism.
47 posted on 05/11/2008 4:56:22 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: jrooney
I agree, staying home or third party vote is not in the best interest for my family and I.

It will be impossible to vote for a third party when there is only one big socialist Republicrat party. Another party will restore the two party system.
48 posted on 05/11/2008 4:58:03 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: Corin Stormhands

Not only will I not vote for McCain, I will never, ever vote for a Republican again for any office. Dubya has shown me what the GOP is all about and I want none of it.

Of course, I’ll never, ever vote for a Rat either.


49 posted on 05/11/2008 4:58:22 PM PDT by Rum Tum Tugger
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To: Man50D

I agree, but it’s a moot point at this point. All we can do is keep a democrat out of the White House. Personally I would not have pissed on McCain if he were on fire during the earlier stages of the campaign, pinning my hopes on Fred. But all of that is in the past. All we can do now is keep the libs out of the White House and minimize the damage.


50 posted on 05/11/2008 4:59:14 PM PDT by infantrywhooah
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To: padre35
Compared to Obamao, he is William Buckley.

Compared to conservatives he is far out to the socialist left.
51 posted on 05/11/2008 5:00:28 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: Rum Tum Tugger

Wwll given there are only two parties, I guess you are pretty much SOL. Maybe you should go live in a cabin in Montana or somewhere like that.


52 posted on 05/11/2008 5:01:41 PM PDT by infantrywhooah
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To: Man50D

Further left then Obamao?


53 posted on 05/11/2008 5:05:33 PM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile/ Isaiah 3.3/Cry havoc and let slip the RINOS)
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To: Always Right

Have you fallen asleep at the wheel or what? Do you really think that if McCain wins he is going to get a strict constructionist judge past a Democrat controlled Congress?

Copme on, get into reality. Fat Teddy and McCain’s democrat cohorts will never allow him to get a conservative SCOTUS nominee by them.

Unfortunately, McCain will comply, and you will get another Souter or O’Conner.

This notion of voting for McCain, the liberal, on SCOTUS appointments is a weak and futile attempt to convince yourself that McCain is someone other than who he really is.

McCain needs to cross the aisle to the right side to garner Conservative voters. He just does not care and that is why he will lose.


54 posted on 05/11/2008 5:05:53 PM PDT by dforest (I had almost forgotten that McCain is the nominee. Too bad I was reminded.)
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To: Man50D
>>>>>Voting for a socialist like McCain is not the action of a conservative. His position to an overwhelming majority of positions is anathema to conservatism.

LOL McCain's not a socialist. But like many Republicans who lived through the age of Reagan, its become fashionable to push moderate politics by promoting far too many liberal policies in the hopes of gaining the votes of empty headed independents.

In the end, most conservatives will vote for McCain. The alternatives are even more repugnant.

55 posted on 05/11/2008 5:07:48 PM PDT by Reagan Man (McCain Wants My Conservative Vote --- EARN IT or NO DEAL !!!)
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To: Reagan Man
Drilling in ANWR is part of winning the WOT...

As is securing the border and ousting illegals.

That 's two strikes, as far as I am concerned.

McCain Feingold, and he's outta there!

Only a conservatve (as in clearly, 'very' conservative) veep pick can change my view on this election: pay off debt, bury the favorite arms, keep a couple of bolt-actions handy and a wheel gun or two, and hunker down on a stack of rice and beans.

We're in for a hellofa ride either way.

At this point I'm not even sure how much (little) of that is hyperbole...

56 posted on 05/11/2008 5:08:08 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: indylindy

McCain is counting on the reliable cowardice of wishy washy conservatives to help him usher in more liberalism.


57 posted on 05/11/2008 5:08:12 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: infantrywhooah; Grunthor

Since when does someone sign up to post in 2008 and call out a poster who has been here far longer than you?

You make me laugh, newer newbie.

I am sure you will get kicked out of here. Why? Because you are not a conservative.

Go pound sand.


58 posted on 05/11/2008 5:09:57 PM PDT by dforest (I had almost forgotten that McCain is the nominee. Too bad I was reminded.)
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To: Smokin' Joe
>>>>>Only a conservatve (as in clearly, 'very' conservative) veep pick can change my view on this election:

Ditto.

59 posted on 05/11/2008 5:10:03 PM PDT by Reagan Man (McCain Wants My Conservative Vote --- EARN IT or NO DEAL !!!)
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To: jrooney
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.

We won't win the war on terror by voting for socialist McCain. The WOT is not occurring just in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a global problem including our own borders. It is a fact terrorists have infiltrated the country by posing as illegal aliens. Despite that fact McCain has repeatedly giving his support of amnesty for illegal aliens. Most recently he publicly stated his opposition to stopping municipalities from declaring themselves sanctuary cities for illegals. His stance on the WOT endangers the country by making it easier for terrorists to destroy us from within our borders.
60 posted on 05/11/2008 5:10:23 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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