Posted on 05/14/2008 5:19:40 AM PDT by Jack Black
For many conservatives, John McCain is not their favorite Republican. They think he's built a career at their expense, painting them as fools and bigots. They resent his holier-than-thou attitude. And they're not inclined to trust anyone who has been so fawned over by the national media.
Curiously, a lot of liberal Democrats feel the same way about McCain. He isn't their favorite Republican either - but it's because they know he'll be tough to beat in November. They would have preferred to run against someone more extreme and easier to demonize. That's not John McCain.
I first met McCain 10 years ago when I was a working at the Arizona Republic. What I remember is that, in a political climate where so many elected officials - Republican and Democrat alike - were wearing themselves out pandering to racists who demanded action on illegal immigration, McCain was one of the few who didn't play that game. In 1998, while Texas Gov. George W. Bush made headlines for earning an impressive 49 percent of the Latino vote in his re-election, McCain walked off with an unheard-of 65 percent in his Senate re-election bid. Six years later, he did even better, earning around 70 percent of the Latino vote.
Most political observers don't expect McCain to match those numbers in a national election, but half of that - 35 percent - is a definite possibility. With that kind of support among Latinos, McCain could win the White House.
And so Democrats are doing everything they can to distort McCain's record. Some are actually accusing McCain of not doing enough for immigration reform. In fact, they might even try to compare McCain to nativists such as Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who competed with the Arizona senator for the GOP nomination.
Good luck. The two men seem to detest one another. They even tangled last summer when McCain dismissed Tancredo's views on what makes someone an American as "beyond my realm of thinking."
Latinos in Arizona who have known McCain for years weren't surprised by that exchange. When I ask them to explain what draws Latinos to McCain, I hear the same things: his independence, his convictions, his courage and his moderate stance on issues. Then, of course, there is his military service and his heroic suffering as a prisoner of war.
"If you look at Latino families, we've all got someone who has been in the military," said Ruben Alvarez, a McCain supporter and principal at the Molera Alvarez Group, a public affairs firm in Phoenix. "The fact that McCain is so patriotic is a draw for many Latinos."
Another Latino Republican called McCain the original compassionate conservative, someone who wore that label before there ever was a label. And, she said, as someone who has faced his share of challenges in life, McCain's compassion bleeds over to anyone picked on or preyed upon. At the moment, Latinos are under fire thanks to an immigration debate that doesn't bother to distinguish between recent immigrants and U.S. citizens - as long as they have Spanish surnames.
But there's another factor that helps explain McCain's appeal to Latinos - he's spent 20 years quietly recruiting them into his campaigns and building up personal relationships in that Arizona community.
Bettina Nava met McCain more than 15 years ago, and served as state director for his Senate office in Arizona for three years. Now based at a consulting firm in Phoenix, Nava was recently named one of 11 campaign managers for McCain. She's in charge of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
"What initially drew me to McCain was that I have never met anyone who loved his country more," Nava told me. "He honors his commitments. For Latinos, I don't know that we've always viewed government that way. There is always a lot of lip service. But at least with this guy, we get a straight shooter."
McCain marked Cinco de Mayo by launching his Latino outreach effort, which includes a Spanish-language Web site. Those gimmicks don't hurt. But what is really going to help McCain win Latino support in November is the same thing that has earned him so much of it up to now.
It's called character, and Latinos - like many other Americans - may not always be able to define it. But they know it when they see it.
You need to read my post before you post. I did not mention Latino or Hispanic. The only reference in my post is to “ILLEGAL ALIENS”. Your post is the problem in that you are doing what the Dims and McCain do which is to accuse any one who speaks of illegals as really meaning all Hispanic’s. Which is patently false. I stand by what I posted! Illegal means illegal.
Yep, and meanwhile McCain risks losing average American votes by pandering to the invader advocates, who will never vote for him. President Bush got better numbers among hispanics than McCain’s getting.
As a thinking woman, I simply prefer reasons rather than common name-calling. Trust me, I understand the frustration about this election and the general dissatisfaction with all the candidates. However, I think we do ourselves NO favor by not voting.
“” (And I highly doubt the *millions* count. I think most conservatives are far more sensible.)”
Something you and McCain are counting on.
Don’t be too sure.”
Any concrete evidence?
What you say is true.
I am not a party loyalist. I generally vote GOP because they come closest to reflecting my views on the issues. No candidate that I have ever voted for reflected my position on ALL of the issues, but I consider the alternatives and cast my vote for the one whom I believe will do the best at enacting, supporting, enforcing or communicating my positions on most of the issues. I do not vote (or refuse to vote) as some sort of statement about the party or to try and influence how the party may act in the future. I have seen no evidence that such voting practices have any effect on what positions the party may take in the future.
I would not have chosen McCain as the GOP candidate had I had my choice, but I didn’t have that choice. Apparently the people have spoken, for good or ill. We are now faced with a choice of either Obama (or an outside chance Hillary) or McCain. I discount the Bob Barr candidacy as too late in coming and not serious (except for its possibility of knocking off McCain). As between McCain and Obama/Hillary the choice is clear. Unfortunate, perhaps, but clear. I will vote for McCain if only because an Obama/Hillary presidency would harm the country far more than McCain could or would.
All of that said, I don’t believe that our country will be trashed even if Obama gets in as President. After all, we survived Carter and Clinton I. That which does not kill us makes us stronger— see Reagan, e.g.
Your sharing is sensible and I agree with most of it. I DO want to point out that Obama is far too much of an unknown at this point.
I don’t know how to include this directly in my post, but I’ll leave you with the url:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y23/drsanity/denialandconfusion.jpg
Understatement of the year.
Of course I don't know anything for certain. I must rely on the past to try to predict the future just like everyone else. I do know this much:
Conservatives have been voting for a conservative court for over thirty years. Republicans have held the office for twenty of the last twenty eight years. Again, seven of the current justices are Republican appointees. Yet, we still do not have a conservative court.
History and logic says that basing your support for McCain on court appointments is unfounded.
Its alright to vote against the Marxist Obama, but let's not delude ourselves into believing the alternative will result in a friend in the Whitehouse. It Won't
No more than that smell in the air.
I'm sure there are as many millions who will hold their nose (again) and vote for the lesser of evils.
I shant be one of them.
For many conservatives, John McCain is not their favorite Republican. They think he’s built a career at their expense, painting them as fools and bigots. They resent his holier-than-thou attitude. And they’re not inclined to trust anyone who has been so fawned over by the national media.
That’s about the size of it.
“were wearing themselves out pandering to racists who demanded action on illegal immigration”
I’d like to know what race is involved in the illegal alien issue. Personally I wouldn’t care if they were Swedes sneaking in, illegal is illegal.
“History and logic says that basing your support for McCain on court appointments is unfounded.”
Logic says that the possibilities are better with McCain than with a Democrat.
Why? Recent statements by McCain strengthen the possibility that he WILL appoint justices who are NOT liberal activists and recent statements also demonstrate that he understands that we need to have the borders secured FIRST.
Regarding the Supreme Court, McCain has stated that Alito “wears conservatism on his sleeve.” Much more indicative is his orchestration of the “Gang of Fourteen” which protected the leftist filibuster of Conservative judiciary nominees and left two nominees high and dry. McCain, through his cabana boy, Lindsay Graham, also delayed action on a nominee to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. And, if that isn't enough, consider that one of McCain's closed advisers is Warren Rudman, who is responsible for David Souter, that rock ribbed conservative on the Court now.
Regarding the War on Terror, McCain has accused our nation of engaging in torture in Iraq. He was also against waterboarding (who knows where the waffler is now), wanted to close Gitmo, and he wanted to give terrorists ACLU trials right here in America. There isn't a dime's worth of difference between the three leftists on these issues and certainly not worth giving McCain control of the GOP and the ability to crush conservatism within the party.
“Supreme Court
Gang of 14
“War on Terror”
It is absolutely ludicrous to say we are fighting a war on terror half way around the world when we refuse to secure our borders and ports.
Love your tagline!
Sorry, I am way too sophisticated to believe empty campaign rhetoric, especially when it is contradicted by the candidate's actions in the past.
McCain has sponsored and help enact more unconstitutional legislation than most Democrats. He is unlikely to change.
Bullsh*t!
"La Raza" made the attempt to make this a "racial" issue (the name, "the Race", says it all).
I don't care where the illegals are coming from, send them home--to Mexico, Dominican Republic, Belgium, to what ever country they came from.
It just so happens that the majority are coming through the Southern border, so secure the d@mned thing and send them home.
Good article and good assessment of his work with Latino citizens. I have no problem with McCain wanting the votes of these hard working citizens.
This is not about illegals,...it’s about voters in his base. If you object ...then you are reacting like a “racisit” would.
If the shoe fits......
I disagree....and the comment about Alito has been superceeded by his recent statements on the issue.
I stand by my statement regarding the war on terror. If you think Obama would be better.....or even the same....I will simply ask God to grant wisdom.
(My husband personally experienced waterboarding as part of his military survival training and does not consider this to be torture in the conventional, historical sense. I can only surmise that McCain’s own history of torture in Vietnam has clouded his judgment on this issue.....particularly in view of the facts about how seldom this method is used.)
I STILL say that McCain is better than any Democrat alternative.
This may interest you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
