Posted on 08/28/2009 7:30:02 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
I didn’t vote for her father, but should Meghan McCain ever run for president, she’ll have my support.
Unfortunately, McCain, 24, wouldn’t be eligible to run until the 2020 election cycle if she chooses to do so. Although she has not garnered much media attention until recently, this member of the almost-presidential family, who has been a registered Republican since 2008, has made it clear that her views depart somewhat from those of her father, John McCain, the senator from Arizona.
She has socially moderate views. While she is pro-life, she supports same-sex marriage. At a recent convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, Meghan declared, “I am concerned about the environment. I love to wear black. I think government is best when it stays out of people’s lives and business as much as possible. I love punk rock. I believe in a strong national defense. I have a tattoo. I believe government should always be efficient and accountable. I have lots of gay friends, and yes, I am a Republican.”
In the immortal words of Hannah Montana, “Cute, blonde Republican chick say what?!” But is she actually a Republican? I’d argue yes. Republicans are about personal responsibility and individual freedoms, and it is the party’s leadership, not McCain, that has diverged from those principles by pandering to the social values of the religious right.
McCain, who runs McCainBlogette.com, has the advantage of being a strong, sassy, attractive young woman who is not afraid to speak her mind.
Recent media coverage has focused largely on her public spats with conservative commentators who have lambasted her for her views and even her appearance. When Laura Ingraham, a radio host, took a shot at Meghan’s weight in March, she didn’t shut herself in her room with a box of Godiva chocolates left over from Valentine’s Day — she used the experience as a teachable moment to start a dialogue about appearance and gender bias. On “The View,” McCain’s response to Ingraham went beyond just saying, “It’s terrible. It infuriates me. I’m a political writer on a blog and all of a sudden I’m too fat to write? There’s no place for weight criticism of women in 2009.” She notably added, “When Tyra Banks went on her show in her bathing suit and said, ‘kiss my fat ass,’ that’s what I feel like right now. I’m like, ‘kiss my fat ass!’ ”
While some may have had their delicate sensibilities offended by this remark, I applauded McCain from behind my computer screen when I saw the YouTube clip. After that comment, McCain was more interested in moving on with her life than further engaging in discourse that would end up in tabloids. Still this helped to put her on the national radar.
Meghan McCain has a bachelor’s in art history from Columbia University. Does that make her qualified to be a political commentator or expert? Maybe not. But it’s hard to follow your dad on the campaign trail and still be clueless by November 4.
McCain has said there is a war brewing in the Republican Party between Republicans like herself and the old guard, and that the status quo Republicans are “scared shitless” because her generation is going to revolutionize the party.
McCain has even said, “[Karl Rove,] twittering is not going to make [young people] come to the Republican Party.” Further, she advised Rove and Dick Cheney, “You had your eight years, go away.”
In 2006, the Democrats already had a 12 percent advantage over the Republicans among voters aged 18 to 29. McCain’s advice should be heeded by the GOP, which lost nearly one million registrants since 2004 while the Democrats gained 700,000. Call me a “Republican in name only” if you want, but being a true conservative is about limiting government interference in people’s lives. These social issues aren’t about party; they are generally about separation of church and state, which is arguably a strict constructionist conservative value.
Whether Meghan McCain and others like her can actually revolutionize the party remains to be seen, but I’ll be rooting for them.
Sammy Dweck is a columnist. E-mail him at opinion@nyunews.com.
Okay, I belong to Meghan's generation. Who's not concerned about the environment? I also like to wear black. I know government is best when it stays out of people's lives and business. I hate punk rock. I do not have a tattoo. I've never known government to be either efficient or accountable. I have gay acquaintances, but I have yet to swear allegiance to the GOP, although I voted for Sarah and Meghan's father.
McCain has said there is a war brewing in the Republican Party between Republicans like herself and the old guard, and that the status quo Republicans are “scared shitless” because her generation is going to revolutionize the party.
LOL. That's funny because I consider her father part of the "old guard." He and the other old dogs on both sides of the aisle have long passed retirement age. I like conservative Republicans and find the moderates not only annoying, but also a large part of the problems within the Republican party.
Aside from Sarah Palin, my favorite conservatives are largely House members: Michelle Bachman, Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, Thaddeus McCotter, Marsha Blackburn and Eric Cantor for managing to hold the House together on most votes.
And, unlike Meghan, I really like Karl Rove! So there.
She doesn’t have breast implants.
How do you know that?
They look fake and out of proportion to me.
I’ve met her several times. She’s overweight and large busted. They jiggle when she walks.
“I’ve met her several times. She’s overweight and large busted. They jiggle when she walks.”
I’ll take your word for it under one condition,
will you please ask her to join the Demoncrats?
Please ecplain to her that she’d be more comofrtable with them. Tell her that over at FR, she is despised and bringing down the GOP.
;)
LOL. It’s doubtful I’ll see her again. I don’t anticipate she will ever again hit the campaign trail like she did with daddy.
The McCains are like the Bushes. I hope all of them stay far, far away; their damage has already been too great. But, they seem to be what the party wants now. I mean, Guilliani and Romney - two northeast liberals that had a last minute conversion to conservatism - had a chance, as did George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, and Jorge W. Small-government conservatives were left with no love from the party as a whole. It’s sad to witness what has become of the party of Reagan.
“LOL. It’s doubtful I’ll see her again. I don’t anticipate she will ever again hit the campaign trail like she did with daddy.”
Just in case you do - keep me in mind!!!!
;)
She’s dumb enough to run for something and like her father have the media support her.
:)
Thanks, I really appreciate that.
;)
RINOs love using this line. They want to choose the GOP candidate to make sure it's not a conservative, then they vote for a liberal or a socialist anyways. No thank you.
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