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.
Aww, then I guess he’s gotta dance with the ones that brung him.
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!
The title is an understatement.
Agreed.
Juan McCain is a demonstrable serial liar.
Yes.
Too bad so many folks apparently find absolutely delicious the taste of gnawing off their own toes.
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.
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.
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.
Further left then Obamao?
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.
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.
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...
McCain is counting on the reliable cowardice of wishy washy conservatives to help him usher in more liberalism.
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.
Ditto.
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