McCain and the Bitter Conservatives

American Thinker ^ | June 15, 2008 | Andrew Sumereau

[neverdem]

John McCain is clearly the preferable option for conservative voters come November. Although liberal in his views toward immigration, government intrusion in free speech, environmental issues, campaign finance reform, health care, education mandates, and a host of other issues that run contrary to conservative orthodoxy, McCain is solid on two (alas, two) vital issues that make the difference; spending and judges. From the frustration of eight years of a Republican Administration that began with so much hope and promise it pains one to say it, but there it is.

Against the prospects of a President Obama, McCain wins.

A victim of circumstances and timing in many ways, Senator McCain carries the sins of Bush and the free-spending Republicans into the 2008 election minus any counter balancing virtues. The coming election has an eerie deja-vu feeling. The Democrat nominee is young, glib, dare one say it, slick; beloved by a media most happy to shield him from criticism. He is facing a cranky old Republican Senator with visible war wounds, famous for his temper, and viewed with apprehension by the religious right.

In addition, John McCain is detested, and deservedly so, by many Republicans of all types. Beyond issue and policy differences, and they are legion, his personality grates. His conceit of "straight-talk" and "maverick"-like independence so superficially applauded (up until now) by the mainstream media is almost Clintonesque in its narcissism. If only other politicians had his courage, he implies, things would be fixed straightaway. The big special interests have all the other elected officials in their pockets. Only Maverick-John tells it like it is! Yet the truth is that McCain could serve well as poster boy of the arrogant elitist beltway insider, friend of Hillary and Ted, foe of the unwashed. The party habit of selecting the next in line (e.g. Dole) has rarely produced such an unappealing candidate at such a critical time. In many ways he reminds one of Adlai Stevenson, who famously frustrated his supporters with his holier-than-thou ways during two failed contests against the popular broad-smiling Ike.

Despite what will surely be the focus of McCain's campaign, foreign policy and experience will not decide this election for conservative voters. One may point to the war in Iraq as the defining issue come November and see a big advantage for McCain. Not necessarily so. History will decide the wisdom of our foreign policy over the last seven years, whether the Iraq and Afghanistan invasions were a legitimate response to the threat of organized terror, or the overreaction of predisposed warriors intent on using the events of 9/11 to democratize the Middle East.

It is clear, in the short term that a McCain administration will cling to the ongoing military effort. He is a very sure bet on a continuation of aggressive and largely unilateral foreign policy. But unlike domestic issues, Presidents, as Truman said, "ride the Tiger" in foreign affairs.  They are controlled by events and often forced into moves at odds with their original intentions. Bush came into office as a critic of nation building and yet leaves committed to the rebuilding of Iraq. Johnson's Great Society fell victim to his own escalation of the Vietnam War. Clinton sent troops to Haiti. As Chief Executive of the federal branch they must protect our borders and command the military by constitutional decree. Democrats, even Carter, have found that once in office the requirements and prerogatives of military power seldom are resisted.

On domestic issues it is no better. He is with Kennedy on education and immigration, with Fiengold on campaign finance, with Gore on the environment. For the committed conservative, he speaks and acts as Bush-lite without the few rhetorical bones thrown in for appearance's sake. Each day, it seems, he appears to make a pronouncement, or suggest a policy, or chastise an enthusiastic supporter, in order to please the main-stream media and send conservatives off wailing and gnashing their teeth.   

So the question of the day is how can a candidate that turns off a large portion of his base, who will most certainly be put on the defensive by a biased media, who appears old and uncool to the great unlettered new generation of voters, succeed?

"Front Porch" campaigns put several Republicans in the White House starting with Abraham Lincoln. In the good old days Presidential candidates found it undignified and unbecoming to campaign for votes all over the country. They let their surrogates and followers go through the unending exercises so necessary yet so unseemly in the election process. Incessant bragging, boasting, and cajoling, voicing hypocritical platitudes, and bribing voters with empty promises and spending sprees in search of Utopia was not the stuff of our Founding Fathers. McCain would benefit from a restoration of this practice but in the age of 24/7 cable news and Internet blogs this is not practical.

McCain must recognize that he has some substantial advantages, chiefly his opponent's weaknesses. Also, conservatives, though unhappy, will do the right thing for the country if only through a sense of duty. Further, experience and genuine heroism are good to have on your resume.

But McCain also must recognize the depth of conservative despondency. He will not win by giving his base a reason to stay home. Unlike liberals, conservatives have lives and interests outside politics that serve as outlets for the impulse to do good and improve the world. And they are angry and demoralized, make no mistake.

For many voters and activists, thirty years of hard work in the conservative fields has produced a bitter harvest of uncontrolled spending, judicial legislation, preposterous congressional pork barrel earmarks, uncontrolled borders, and arrogance.

McCain is in a fight against the manufactured illusions of "hope" and history.  He needs every vote he can manage. Before he once again decides to berate conservatives, propose liberal policies, befriend the political opposition and (why?) laud the Clintons, he should perhaps better find a nice photogenic porch. Sit on the porch. Do this and conservatives on November 5^th will surely hold their noses and pull the lever for what is best for the country.

[neverdem]

Thin gruel, but I'll be holding my nose. God help us, please?

[Dick Vomer]

who gives a sh#t?

3 a.m. and I just got off of work.

I'm one of the "rich" people that just don't deserve a tax break.

I'm so glad the democrats and the republicans know how to spend my money.

I can't make up my mind whether to vote for McCain or just sit at home and laugh my tail off for 3-4 years.

[marsh2]

This country is being destroyed by over-regulation. I see no hope that McCain and his environmental band wagon will give us any relief on that score.

[Prole]

By refusing to drill ANWR or construct new energy production facilities, McPain is ensuring that Americans will pay upwards of 10 bucks for a gallon of gas.

Guaranteed.

[DieHard the Hunter]

On the comforting side, Sir Winston L S Churchill moved in that hazy middle-section between Labor and Conservative for much of his elected life, changed parties from Labor to Conservative, and then led a Conservative-Labor Coalition Government thru the Second World War.

He was the UK’s greatest Prime Minister ever (followed by Wellington and Marlborough IMO), and is usually held up as a fantastic Conservative model.

Just possibly McCain will do something similar. Nothing says that he has to stay the same as he already is. Churchill didn’t.

[Luke21]

I don't know how you can mention Churchill and that drek McCain in the same thousand paragraphs.

[Cindy]

If I may offer a small opinion, DieHard The Hunter; I do believe that history shows Sir Winston Churchill was opened minded enough to seek answers and solutions to whatever problem, situation he was working on.

On the other hand, history shows us that McCain is quite content with his agenda, his values, and his associates. There is very little hope that he will change at this stage of his life; nor will he leave his comfort zone.

America needs a leader for President.
It’s not McCain.
It’s not Obama.

That’s the gritty reality right now — and it’s not pretty.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> I don’t know how you can mention Churchill and that drek McCain in the same thousand paragraphs.

And yet I did... deliberately.

Churchill wasn’t always the brilliant Prime Minister he is remembered for: he had a long political career that was mostly nondescript. And some of his work was truly bad.

The six years he was PM during WW-II tho’ — that was magic.

[Ingtar]

McCain is solid on two (alas, two) vital issues that make the difference; spending and judges.

Sadly, Gorebull Warming negates one of those vital issues, The Gangrene of 14 and McCain-Feingold negate the other.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> If I may offer a small opinion, DieHard The Hunter; I do believe that history shows Sir Winston Churchill was opened minded enough to seek answers and solutions to whatever problem, situation he was working on.

Sometimes, yes. But the Dardanelles campaign in WW-I was largely his doing, and it was a disaster, and he would not be persuaded that Turkey wasn’t “the soft underbelly of Europe” like he thought.

Gallipoli was the result — which is a tragic subject near and dear to the heart of every Kiwi and Ocker.

> America needs a leader for President.
> It’s not McCain.
> It’s not Obama.
>
> That’s the gritty reality right now — and it’s not pretty.

I humbly submit Ollie North / Curtis Sliwa as the *DieHard the Hunter* GOP Candidates of Choice, for President and Vice President, respectively. Before these two men, who could stand?

[Bushwacker777]

Look, if you want a reality check go visit the presidential forum of DU and see what the goals of those crazies are and how devoted they are to Obama — the man they feel will totally negate everything accomplished by conservatives since Reagan.

Voting for Obama, or not voting at all if you are a patriotic conservative ameks as much sense as putting a tatoo of Elton John on your rear end and dropping the soap in a prison shower. Some people would enjoy the results but most would not.

[Nathan Zachary]

"By refusing to drill ANWR or construct new energy production facilities, McPain is ensuring that Americans will pay upwards of 10 bucks for a gallon of gas. Guaranteed.

Then we'll just pay more for everything else as well.

Gas goes up, everything that it fuels goes up, wages as well. Oil is one of those things that the entire economy is built on. All increasing oil prices does is drive up inflation. Sooner or later, the price of everything will catch up, adjusting to the increased costs of oil/gas.

The profits made by sudden sharp oil price increases are only temporary, which just goes to prove we are being gouged by inside trading.

These oil caused inflationary cycles will only end when less and less of our economic output depends on oil. But no matter what energy sources industry switches to, smaller inflationary cycles will continue to be triggered by sudden increases of those energy supplies.

[wireplay]

It is a shame that Bush, who had the opportunity to be like Churchill, failed so miserably. Great start and then went down like an anchor. Churchill is the greatest man of the 20th century IMO.

We will see if McCain is up to the task. I doubt it sincerely but he will have his opportunity.

It won’t be due to my vote: I refuse to vote for him under any circumstance. However, I think he will defeat Obama and become the next CINC.

[goldstategop]

Obama lite? No thanks.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[roamer_1]

So the question of the day is how can a candidate that turns off a large portion of his base, who will most certainly be put on the defensive by a biased media, who appears old and uncool to the great unlettered new generation of voters, succeed?

He cannot, and will not.

Also, conservatives, though unhappy, will do the right thing for the country if only through a sense of duty.

Whistling past the graveyard.

[wireplay]

The beauty of oil price increases is that there is now a massive pressure to find alternatives. Go alternative energy, go!

[Luke21]

Churchill was a great man, but he was already demonstrating his greatness in the years leading up to the war, warning against Hitler while serving as First Lord of the Admiralty.

McCain is a betrayer. He has no principles. Churchill wouldn’t have let England be swarmed under a flood of illegal immigrants. Again, terrible analogy.

[roamer_1]

Go alternative energy, go!

A waste of time and money. There is no alternative for the foreseeable future.

[xzins]

John McCain seems to enjoy saying things that set my conservative teeth on edge. As they suggest, these things demoralize. That which demoralizes also causes hesitation, procrastination, reconsideration.

That’s exactly what John McCain doesn’t want, but he seems hell-bent on getting it.

I think he wants to prove he can win without the conservatives by forming a coalition of lib/mod republicans + mod Democrats + mod independents.

He doesn’t want to be beholden to conservatives in any way shape or form. In terms of judgeships, that is scarey. John McCain will appoint what his experience in the Senate says will get through without much difficulty; i.e., “moderates.”

[singfreedom]

Same here.

Normally, by this time, I'm spending a regular work day, every day, working on my Presidential candidate's campaign. Making calls, going house-to-house, and anything else I can do to help. I'm doing for Senator Istook, but no Presidential work. I'll vote for McCain, but I can't, in honestly, work for a candidate I can't believe in.

I grew up in the country. A maverick is a heifer, steer, bull, or cow, that is too stupid to follow the rest of the herd. Somebody needs to inform the McCain campaign. I've already tried.