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The Electability Myth: Why McCain is neither inevitable nor electable (Must Read)
McCain's Straight Talk ^ | February 1, 2008

Posted on 02/01/2008 9:06:28 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

John McCain is neither the inevitable Republican Nominee nor as electable as current polling data suggests for three reasons 1) the mainstream media will turn their backs on McCain as soon as he is the nominee, 2) so-called independents and moderates will not show up as strongly for McCain in the general election as in the primary, 3) McCain cannot unify the party because many important conservatives will not rally around him, and 4) McCain-Feingold will literally seal his fate because conservatives will not outlay cash in the general election for McCain.

The mainstream media will turn against Senator McCain as soon as he selected as the Republican nominee. Evidence of this is already mounting. For example, as soon as it started to seem inevitable that McCain was going to be the nominee the internationally syndicated Associated Press ran a story about John McCain’s flip-flopping on his tax stance. Before all the pundits were suggesting inevitability, this story was unable to gain any traction in the mainstream media and was only brought up slightly in the debates. In fact, no moderator during the debate even asked McCain any tough follow up’s on his lame excuse as to why his position changed.

Although the AP was the first to turn their back, it is only a matter of time before they start giving free air time to pieces like this, and this suggesting the surge is not working, and like this (scroll for video). This clip is a piece created by the far left portraying McCain as a warmonger who is even more blood-thirsty than President Bush towards starting wars. While McCain will have to pay millions of dollars that he will not have to get air time for his ads, the mainstream media will be presenting these attack ads as if they were objectively reporting the news.The mainstream media knows that Republicans and conservatives do not like McCain. That is why the far-left liberal New York Times endorsed him as the best candidate for the Republican party.

It is no secret that the New York times is anti-war, why would they endorse an apparent war-monger like McCain. The Times was so against the war and came out even stronger against the surge. It is ironic that they were so willing to give their stamp of approval. The Times will likely be among the first to be printing anti-McCain articles against him once he becomes the nominee. Let’s not forget that the Times is nationally syndicated and although its subscriptions have dropped substantially, it still reaches audiences of moderates and independents across the nation.

So-called independents and moderates will not back McCain as strongly in the general election as in the primary. McCain has not beat any candidate in the categories of self-identified republicans or conservatives, yet he has had great backing for independents. New Hampshire came out strong for Senator McCain. One has to wonder what their intentions were. Exit polls are meaningless. The New Hampshire primary proved that. If I were voting in an opposition party’s primary as an “Independent” I would tell them everything that I thought a true Republican or Conservative would want to hear to skew the numbers in a way that makes that candidate to appear to have the best stance on all issues important to the party’s members. I would even vote in the opposition primary if I was satisfied with either candidate for my party and knew a vote for McCain would be like a vote for Hillary or Obama.

Perhaps the reason why the pollsters were so wrong about Barrack Obama’s inevitable victory in New Hampshire was because many moderates that will vote either Obama or Hillary in the general election switched over to vote for McCain knowing that true conservatives and core Republicans would support him, thus splintering the party and greatly increasing the chances of a Democratic victory this Fall.

Senator McCain is like Howard Dean in the 2004 election against Bush. The opposition was backing him so strongly that he became the presumptive nominee. Everyone knew that he represented such a small fraction of the party and did not stand a chance in the general election. It took a while then for the core of the Democratic party to realize this and eventually they rejected him outright.In Florida, McCain barely won, but pulled in many votes from Independents that registered as Republicans and technically could not vote in the primary. Why should we think that these “independents” will come out just as strongly in the general election? They likely won’t.

A non-scientific poll conducted by Michelle Malkin revealed that if Obama was the candidate, even conservatives would likely prefer him over McCain. This suggests that moderates are even more likely to toss their votes towards a Democrat than Senator McCain. Not only will these so called “independents” and “moderates” likely not turn out for McCain in the general election, but many prominent conservatives will not either.

McCain cannot unify the Republican party because many prominent conservatives will not throw him their support. Most of McCain’s “big” Republican endorsements came from moderate Republicans, who probably like Coulter said on Fox were looking for some government positions and believed in the inevitability and electability myths about McCain. However, prominent conservative after not so prominent conservative has come out swinging hard against McCain.

Protein Wisdom was among the first to combat accusations of McCain derangement syndrome leveled at conservatives. Next, syndicated columnist and O’Reilly Factor stand-in Michelle Malkin revealed to Glenn Beck that she wouldn’t vote for McCain over Hillary just yet. Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich, and Tom Tancredo has some harsh words for McCain, before Sean Hannity, Rick Santorum and Laura Ingraham recently endorsed Govenor Mitt Romney.

Furthermore, Ann Coulter said that she campaign for Hillary over McCain. Joe Scarborough also ripped into McCain’s unauthentic conservatism. Mark Levin also contribued to the firestorm surrounding McCain while endorsing Mitt Romney. Comedian turned political pundit Jackie Mason even called McCain a disgusting low-life. Thomas Sowell also said McCain was engaging in Crooked Talk. Right Wing News, providing additional support for these premises published “The Conservative Case Against John McCain in 2008” Although he has not officially endorsed Romney, Rush Limbaugh for the first time said that he could imagine not supporting a Republican candidate and then later made this parody against McCain.

The list of conservatives and Republicans against McCain keeps growing daily. However, the Mainstream Media and other moderate Republicans, Neo-cons, and compassionate conservatives would have us believe that McCain is inevitable, electable, and that we are all going to have hold our noses and accept it. Why should we, the core of the Republican party cede to this madness and not stand up for our principles? Even if we do hold our noses and not go as far as Coulter in campainging for the Democratic candidate, McCain will still have some problems because many conservatives will sit out and the ones who do ultimately vote for McCain have vowed to refuse to donate money to him.

Thus, McCain-Feingold, McCain’s own anti-free speech legislation may become McCain’s biggest barrier to electability by eliminating the soft-money that he could have raised through his friends Arnold and Rudy and other like minded moderates. As noted in McConnell v. FEC, a United States Supreme Court ruling on the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, the Act was designed to address two issues, but the one that will hurt McCain most is one targeting the increased role of soft money in campaign financing, by prohibiting national political party committees from raising or spending any funds not subject to federal limits.

This pretty much leaves McCain’s wealth supporters like Arnold and Rudy unable to donate specifically to McCain’s campaign any more than the national limit which is less than $5000. Of course, there are other more creative ways that wealth individuals like these can contribute to McCain’s campaign. However, losing the financial support from the millions of conservatives will not be able to help McCain realistically compete with either Hillary’s or Obama’s political war chests, let alone the free campaigning that they will be receiving from ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and maybe even Fox News.

Thus, sadly, if McCain is the inevitable nominee like the New York Times yearns for and many moderate Republican’s are suggesting, he is going to have a real tough time getting elected because 1) the mainstream media will turn their backs on McCain as soon as he is the nominee, 2) so-called independents and moderates will not show up as strongly for McCain in the general election as in the primary, and 3) McCain cannot unify the party because many important conservatives will not rally around him, and 4) McCain-Feingold will literally seal his fate because conservatives will not outlay cash in the general election for McCain.

Republicans should seriously start to ask themsevles whether a candidate who has not been able to garner the majority of either the Republican or conservative vote in any election and whose campaign was once nearly destroyed by the media who seems to be temporarily rooting for him, will be able to maintain his air of inevitability during the general election.


TOPICS: Arizona; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; South Carolina; Campaign News; Issues; Parties; Polls
KEYWORDS: 2008; anyonebutmccain; barackhusseinobama; barackobama; democrats; drivebymedia; electability; election; electionpresident; elections; gop; immigration; independents; iraq; johnmccain; juanmcaztlan; mccain; mccaintruthfile; mccainunfit; media; moderates; msm; nowaymccain; obama; presidency; republicans; rinomccain; romney; romneytruthfile; surge; warmonger; whitehouse
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That says it all.
1 posted on 02/01/2008 9:06:33 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Bumped for Truth.


2 posted on 02/01/2008 9:07:50 PM PST by Shadow44
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

3 posted on 02/01/2008 9:10:50 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

This is round 3 in the electability/inevitability myth for this election season. Round 1: TootyFruityRudy. Round 2: Fred. Round 3: McCainiack. Just insert the latest “inevitable” candidate into the argument. We’ve all heard it before.


4 posted on 02/01/2008 9:22:37 PM PST by Kevmo (We need to get rid of the Kennedy Wing of the Republican Party. ~Duncan Hunter)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I suppose the article makes a good case that McCain may be unelectable in the General but what about the Primaries?


5 posted on 02/01/2008 9:24:36 PM PST by Doofer (Carl Cameron Is A Weasel)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Put me in the camp as one of those who takes what the polls are saying about November with a grain of salt. A lot can happen in 9 months. If McCain keeps sounding the way he did Wednesday, he’ll be convincing people he should be retiring, not running for president.


6 posted on 02/01/2008 9:26:29 PM PST by psjones (u)
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To: TigersEye

read this..


7 posted on 02/01/2008 9:32:25 PM PST by pandoraou812 (Don't taunt the animal's at the zoo or they may bite YOU!)
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To: Doofer

The media wants him to be the GOP candidate. That is obvious. It is a sure win for Osama Obama...or Hillary.


8 posted on 02/01/2008 9:50:20 PM PST by JaneNC (I)
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To: JaneNC

Agreed. He’s the one easiest to take down when the field is cleared.


9 posted on 02/01/2008 10:01:50 PM PST by Blogger (Propheteuon.com)
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To: Blogger
Obama even admitted he'd much rather face McCain.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1963610/posts?page=1

10 posted on 02/01/2008 10:16:49 PM PST by redgirlinabluestate (Unite 4 Mitt --- Stop McCain)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Right on the money!!! Fantastic assessment of the McCain situation. The best case scenario for McCain is the following:

Even if we do hold our noses and not go as far as Coulter in [campaigning] for the Democratic candidate, McCain will still have some problems because many conservatives will sit out and the ones who do ultimately vote for McCain have vowed to refuse to donate money to him.

This is the absolute best McCain will get from many of us and that is if he is lucky. McCain has never been the man for the presidency and absolutely has never been the man to be the nominee for said position for the Republican party. I will not vote for him in the general. No convincing otherwise will be persuasive and absolutely no money and no support to getting him elected will be forthcoming.

My vote will be for Mitt Romney on Tuesday as I believe and always have that he is the man for the job and directly up against Hillary or Obama this will become apparent as we go into November to the American people.

McCain is a dangerous joke and I am not laughing.

11 posted on 02/01/2008 10:28:35 PM PST by GOP Poet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

-—It is no secret that the New York times is anti-war, why would they endorse an apparent war-monger like McCain. The Times was so against the war and came out even stronger against the surge. It is ironic that they were so willing to give their stamp of approval.-—

Odd indeed.

Mark my words. The Dims can hardly wait to “swiftboat” John McCain. This will be their favorite part of the election.


12 posted on 02/01/2008 10:35:08 PM PST by claudiustg (Sic Semper Tyrannus)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I wish there were more candidates to choose from. In a country of 300,000,000 we should have a 10 or 20 that can led us better thant the current crop! They all want to give us up to the globalists and open borders crowd.


13 posted on 02/01/2008 10:35:25 PM PST by CalifChris
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To: Shadow44; All

We have three days to stop McCain and if you want to help us you don’t even have to leave your house.

The calls you make that connect you to voters could put Mitt over the top, they could mean the difference in determining our next president. Please join us during all or some of the times we have set aside by emailing “I want to win” to CallatHome@MittRomney.com.

Pass this info on to as many people as possible.

McCain must be stopped! bttt


14 posted on 02/02/2008 6:14:09 AM PST by Matchett-PI (Hispanics for amnesty , old folks, Libs, were key to McCain's victory in Florida)
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To: pandoraou812

I’ve been saying this for months. There is more negative baggage on McCain, with substance, than any other candidate and the MSM will magically find it after he’s the nominee.


15 posted on 02/02/2008 8:27:04 AM PST by TigersEye (McCain is unfit for office. See my profile page.)
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To: TigersEye

I know you have been saying it & I think you are right.


16 posted on 02/02/2008 8:31:43 AM PST by pandoraou812 (Don't taunt the animal's at the zoo or they may bite YOU!)
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To: TigersEye

True...they wanted him to be the candidate because he is easiest to take down.


17 posted on 02/02/2008 8:48:41 AM PST by JaneNC (I)
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To: PhilDragoo

McCain is unhealthy is mind and body. He had to be helped off the plane by his wife.


18 posted on 02/02/2008 8:52:22 AM PST by Jane Austen
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Let us look at McCain’s conservative credentials:

-IMMIGRATION: he wrote the bill granting amnesty to illegal immigrants (co-sponsored by Ted Kennedy)
-SOCIAL SECURITY: he voted to give your social security money to illegal immigrants
-TAXES: he voted against the Bush tax cuts multiple times (he has since flip-flopped and has campaigned as a lifelong tax-cutter)
-RHETORIC: he routinely engages in Democratic class warfare against big companies in America, particularly the “evil” drug companies who research cures to debilitating diseases for a profit
-ECONOMY: as recently as December 2007 he admitted “he does not know the economy very well” and needed to get better at it
-1ST AMENDMENT: he wrote the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill that was declared to be an unconstitutional infringement of the 1st Amendment (co-sponsored by ultra-liberal Democrat Russ Feingold)
-2ND AMENDMENT: he was called the “worst 2nd amendment candidate” by the president of the NRA
-ENERGY TAX: wrote a bill (co-sponsored by his buddy Lieberman) imposing a massive tax on energy which, according to the Department of Energy, would drastically raise the price of gasoline and put 300,000 Americans out of work
-GLOBAL WARMING: supports radical global warming legislation which involved him voting with every Democrat; think only America is responsible to take action, not other superpowers
-JUDGES: he joined forces with Democrats (Gang of 14) to block the Senate Republican’s attempt to confirm conservative, strict constructionist judges; also said Alito was too conservative for his liking
-WAR ON TERROR: fought with Hillary Clinton to demand that terrorists be given a full American trial
-GAY MARRIAGE: he joined liberals to fight against a federal marriage amendment supporting the institution of traditional marriage
-CHRISTIANS: campaigning in 2000, he famously described Christian leaders as “agents of intolerance”
-PRO-LIFE: he filed an amicus brief against pro-life advocates in Wisconsin
-BI-PARTISANSHIP: he met with leading Democrats in 2004 to discuss the possibility of being John Kerry’s Vice-President; publicly considered leaving the Republican Party in 2001 after he lost the primary
-PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: ringleader of the infamous Keating 5 ethical scandal which cost US tax payers $160 billion (Google it)
-PERSONAL ETHICS: McCain cheated on his first wife after she had a severe accident that left her partially disabled. He then divorced her and married his multi-millionaire mistress, whose daddy bought McCain a spot in the Congress


19 posted on 02/02/2008 9:20:32 AM PST by Conservative Dan
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To: GOP Poet
No convincing otherwise will be persuasive and absolutely no money and no support to getting him elected will be forthcoming.

I would crawl across broken glass to vote for Mitt Romney in the general.

I would rather crawl across broken glass than vote for McCain in the general.

20 posted on 02/02/2008 9:53:00 AM PST by supercat (Sony delenda est.)
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