Posted on 03/03/2010 10:44:15 AM PST by rabscuttle385
My brother and I have a running conversation about whether it is a good thing that John McCain didn't become president. We both voted for him, but I decided early on, as much as I oppose every Marx-tinged thing President Obama stands for, I was glad Obama had won and McCain had lost. At least, I was glad McCain had lost.
That's because only out of ashes may the phoenix be reborn. The liberal-lite frustrations of a McCain administration would have smoldered on the Right but lit few fires, dampening the possibility of real post-Bush regeneration. From Bush's "compassionate conservatism" (read: liberalism) to McCain's compassionate bipartisanship (read: more liberalism), the nation would have continued to drift in the wrong direction. The "good" thing about the economy-crashing, military-breaking, ideologically mind-blowing Obama administration is that it puts us on a collision course that just might force Americans to bail and start over in a better way -- metaphorically speaking.
But also, McCain didn't deserve to be president, at least not under the false flag of "conservative." McCain is no conservative, a fact that stands out as he faces a serious Senate primary challenge from J.D. Hayworth, a genuinely conservative former U.S. Representative.
After all, John McCain co-wrote the bill providing, in effect, U.S. citizenship to some 20 million illegal aliens (that's why they called it McCain-Kennedy). He co-wrote the bill restricting political speech (McCain-Feingold). J.D. Hayworth opposed both. As for global-warming legislation -- sorry, "climate change" -- McCain used to lead the floor fight for cap-and-trade (initially known as McCain-Lieberman), but now even the New York Times has noticed McCain has gone mum on the issue and "is likely to keep his distance even more over the next six months due to a primary challenge from a conservative former congressman that threatens to end his Senate career after four terms." And yup, Hayworth opposes cap-and-trade. McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts; Hayworth, as he puts it, helped write them. McCain rules out enhanced interrogations and wants to close Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo). Hayworth supports enhanced interrogations, and wants to keep Gitmo open. The list goes on, but there's no need to draw a picture.
Except, maybe, for the benefit of -- how to put this? -- challenged conservative leaders. These include former Sen. Fred Thompson, and former Govs. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, who, contradicting everything they ever got us to think they stood for, sort of have endorsed McCain. This may burnish "the maverick" with their conservative bona fides. But it also makes those bona fides look more than a little cheap.
Or maybe they just aren't who we think they are. But does it matter? Perception does seem to be everything. In November, Hayworth was polling neck-in-neck with McCain. After Sarah Superstar held out her coattails to McCain -- who, let's not forget, personally, and through his staff, publicly savaged her -- a January poll showed McCain leading Hayworth by 22 points.
So why is McCain running scared? Because he is running scared. At least that's one conclusion to draw from an initial Web ad released by the McCain campaign that stoops to smear Hayworth as a conspiracy nut unfit to serve in the U.S. Senate for having the audacity -- I call it common sense and a little grit -- to point out as a radio host that "questions will remain" until our commander in chief releases the paperwork associated with his birth currently under state seal in Hawaii.
Questions will remain, and do remain, and despite Hayworth spokesman Jason Rose's craven dodge: "Questions were raised on the air. They have been answered." No, they haven't been answered. And that's true largely because of John McCain.
Remember when presidential candidate McCain's own natural-born creds came under question because he was born in the Canal Zone? Naturally, he released his paperwork. He should have then called on his opponent, Barack Obama, to do the same -- naturally. Such leadership would have dispelled all corrosive doubts raised and perpetuated not by "conspiracy nuts" but by the unprecedented lockdown on simple Obama identification -- birth certificate, education transcripts and more -- by the Obama machine, fueled and oiled by a compliant media.
But he didn't -- another reason McCain shouldn't have become president. Now, if conservatives could just retire him from the U.S. Senate.
Diana West is the author of "The Death of the Grown-up: How America's Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization," and blogs at dianawest.net. She can be contacted via dianawest@verizon.net.
I did all I could (legally) to prevent 0bama's presidency - I voted for Hillary in the Dem primary and for Palin in the general election. Nothing would have kept me from voting against the marxist - even if that meant voting for a ticket that included a RINO. Sitting on my hands and not voting at all wasn't an option.
No amount of dreaming about an 0bama-backlash was worth the probable and possible damage he can and will do to the United States.
Well put!!
McCain would have been better that Obama. Why did you vote for Obama or McCain last time? Or did you throw it away by staying home or voting third party?
then that be one damn good life - we all should be so blessed
These are McCain apologists.
[snip] Mar. 2004 Surveys earlier this year showed that many of the people who supported Howard Dean’s insurgent candidacy for the Democratic nomination were the same “McCainiacs” who helped McCain win the 2000 Republican primary in New Hampshire against Bush.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2461204/posts?page=6#6
How soon we forget:
McCain defends Kerry on defense Arizona senator says GOP rhetoric ‘not helpful’
March. 18, 2004
WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday he did not believe Democratic candidate John Kerry, a friend and Senate colleague, was weak on defense or would compromise national security if elected president.
“This kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice,” McCain said on “The Early Show” on CBS. “You know, it’s the most bitter and partisan campaign that I’ve ever observed. I think it’s because both parties are going to their bases rather than going to the middle. I regret it.”[snip]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4555261/
Perhaps three. There's a decent chance that both Stevens (who's a lock for retirement) and Ginsburg will retire this summer. That will allow Obama to appoint three very young and orthodox liberal judges to the Supreme Court. Obama will be gone, but his judicial appoints will continue to hear cases for the better part of the next 30 years. Everyone always forgets that.
“McCain would have been better that Obama. Why did you vote for Obama or McCain last time? Or did you throw it away by staying home or voting third party?”
No, thanks to people like you who refused to support a conservative candidate in the primary, I voted for McCain.
Happy now??? I’d give anything to take back that vote.
Why are you content if someone with an R by their name takes down this country instead of a democrat??
McCain also voted to confirm Bork, to say nothing of Scalia, Thomas, Roberts and Alito.
Well unfortunately Sarah was brought to the spotlight by someone we need to purge from the party, and from public office for that matter.
If Palin does not support Mccain she would appear to be a back stabber so she really has no choice.
Record deficits and expanded federal controls are minor in comparison to the damage his Supreme Court appointees will do!
0bama has already appointed one liberal justice. There is a real possibility that he will appoint another, and possibly two, to the Supreme Court in the next three years. To avoid this long-term travesty, I would have voted for any RINO the GOP put on the ticket.
How do you know McCain would not have nominated another Souter? Hard to predict, but McCain did vote to approve Ginsberg. And, he orchestrated the Gang of Fourteen to eliminate the nuclear option on judicial nominees.
It’s a shame that it has to happen but that is the only way to wake up the moderates. One would think Carter would have taught them better. Then we had eight + years of republican majority’s in the house senate and the white house and they created a whole new benefit program. No more, I vote for conservatives.
You didn’t vote and you want to complain. That’s a laugh. Vote third party if you want to express displeasure with the GOP nominee on election day.
When you stay home you say “it doesn’t matter enough to even go to say NO”.
Those who would crawl over broken glass to seat neither at least stood on principle.
What’d you end up doing with your free time that day?
And where would we be after McCain put two huge liberals on the Supreme Court??
Even though I voted for Sarah Palin, I can’t say I’m sorry McCain lost, but I do worry that the damage being done by Obamao might kill any phoenix could rise from the ashes. I still love the old America, the apotheosis brought by our founders and the Revolution, the phoenix of liberty, property and equality under the law. Even if a new phoenix manages to rise from the left’s destruction, what will it be? The Enlightenment of the past was motivated by a passion for freedom and individualism. The giant rising up from the heap of humanity was man, clawing his way out for something better. This generation claws its way towards entitlements.
The problem is, Health Care Reform is going to pass next week. And even if the GOP retakes the Senate and House, it cannot be repealed without the Kenyan’s signature. HRF + Amnesty = the End of America.
But she had no choice. She owed McCain for the VP nod. Had she politely declined she would have been savaged as ungrateful etc. It was lose, lose so better to just take your lumps, pay the debt, and hope that Hayworth beats him in the primary.
Of the four liberals two of them were nominated by Republicans
John Paul Stevens....Ford
David Souter...Bush 41
I hate McCain. BUT i hate Obongo more. McCain is just a sorry POS, he’s not an America hating Marxist thug. I voted for Palin.
McCain has done everything he can to help libs and ‘rats.
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.