Is a Bush endorsement of McCain enough to sway your opinion?

[cubram]

Some on the morning talk shows suggested that McCain is the natural successor to Bush for his committment to the war, and that Bush will "pass the baton" to him.

My question is: if Bush endorses McCain will you think aboout voting for him? Personally I don't care for McCain for a number of reasons, but if I think he will continue W's legacy, I might reconsider.

What do you think?

[MarkL]

McCain is a moderate. Vote how your heart tells you. But my feelings are VOTE AGAINST the Dems. There IS a lesser of 2 evils here.

I recall a bumper sticker I once saw... "Vote for Satan. Why settle for the lesser of the evils?"

Mark

[FreeReign]

McCain has a lifetime conservative rating in the 80s.

McCain is a lot like Hagel and Lott.

All three are 8 or 9 parts conservative and 1 or 2 parts key-issue, stab-you-in-the-back, betrayal.

[irons_player]

NFW!!

[jamaly]

I don't believe for one second that McCain would carry on Bush's legacy. In fact, I think he would do everything in his power to damage Bush's legacy. INHO, McCain loves himself far more than he loves this country. I wouldn't vote for him under ANY circumstances.

[SmoothTalker]

No. I will never vote for McCain. You could bring back RR, Honest Abe, and George Washington and have all of them endorse McCain and i'd still vote no!

[doug from upland]

True blue? How about Green? Ralph Nader Green.

Had it not been for Ralph Nader voters, Algore would have been elected in 2000. They voted on principle, and good for them. But they live with the consequences. They will have eight years of whining and hatred of the man they feel is destroying the environment. But at least they voted on principle. Gore would have done many of the things they wanted, but he just wasn't quite green enough.

I agree with your shades of grey comment. Apparently, however, we have a real difference about the danger Hillary Rodham Clinton poses to this republic. You are less concerned than am I.

I have had many conversations with Dave Schippers. When Henry Hyde chose him to be lead counsel in the Clinton impeachment, Dave thought he would be there for a few weeks and wrap it up. He told me he was astounded at the amount of criminality he discovered. And the Clintons have never been made to answer for their crimes.

If enough McCain haters sit out or vote for Hillary, it will be a miserable four or eight years. The damage created from the first Clinton administration is incalulable. She is even more dangerous than him. She is the true Marxist.

The Libertarians believe in their principles. They accomplish nothing. If you and others don't get whom you want, you have the right to do what you wish. If it were someone like Zell Miller on the other side, it wouldn't matter so much. But Hillary is unique.

If enough principled conservatives sit out because they didn't get their way, that's fine. But if that helps elect Hillary, they can all STFU. I will not want to hear their complaints about what she is doing to our country. I wonder how many of the Nader greenies regret their votes?

I will fight for a conservative during the primaries. If my choice does not make it, however, I will do everything possible to stop Hillary. Do what you wish, but live with it.

[no dems]

"What do you think?"

I think NOT!!! I wouldn't vote for John McCain if Mother Teresa raised from the dead and endorsed him.

[BillyBoy]

Alrighty, you want all his positions in detail, here you go:

As for this "conservative rating," I challenge you to back it up with solid facts. To that end, answer the following.

What's is McCain's stance on illegal immigration?
McCain sucks on immigration, as does Bush. He is currently proposing a bill with Ted Kennedy to give 'em "earned amnesty". Next.

What's his stance on abortion?
McCain is pro-life and has run as a pro-life candidate and vote accordingly from the start of his career (unlike Zell Miller "discovering" pro-life at the age of 73) According to NARAL, McCain voted their "preferred position" on legislation precisely 0% of the time in 2004, 2003, 2002, etc. Ditto with planned parenthood. He was once again endorsed by Arizona Right to Life in his 2004 re-election campaign.

What's his stance on honoring Second Amendment rights?
McCain is mildly pro-gun and has voted for many pro-gun bills, but also occassionaly voted for some sucky legislation. The most pro-gun organization, Gun Owners of America, gave him a "C" rating. He voted with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence 0% of the time in 1999-2000. He voted with Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 14% of the time 1988-2003 (a failed rating, since it means he's opposed them 86% of the time, again not bad and clearly leans pro-gun)

What's his stance on the War on Terror?
McCain has consistantly supported the War on Terror in his votign records, including Afghanistan and Iraq. He's voted for their liberation, troop funding, combat missions, you name it. He has been a very strong supporter of the White House's foreign policy proposals in general, though he has criticized the Pentagon several times, most notably concerning troop strength in Iraq, and has more recently been calling for a diversification of Iraqi national forces to better represent the multiple ethnic groups contained within the country.

What's his stance on the liberation of Iraq?
McCain has been a strong supporter on the liberation of Iraq and contiually defended Bush's policy. Nutcase "peace" mom talked to Senator McCain and called him a "warmonger", complaining "He tried to tell us what George Bush would have said".

What's his stance on artificial "exit strategies"?
He has consistantly taken the position that we need to stay there until the job is done and that he feels the United States government must do more to keep public support high for the war, stressing that "America, Iraq and the world are better off with Saddam Hussein in prison rather than in power...and we must honor their sacrifice by seeing this mission through to victory."

What's his stance on cutting welfare and other socialist programs?
McCain has urged welfare and other giveawys be taken out of the hands of the federal governemtn and distributed "through religious, community-based or other non-profit organizations". He has pushed for requirements that that unwed teenage mothers live with a parent or guardian and attend school to receive welfare benefitsm and legislation to transfer homeless housing programs to states through block grants. McCain frequently denounces "pork" on C-SPAN, federal buecracy, and out of control spending. He has been known to vote down certain bills just because he doesn't like certain entitlement programs attached to them. On the votes that the Americans for Tax Reform considered to be the most important in 2004, Senator McCain voted their preferred position 90 percent of the time. Simularly, he voted with the interests of Citizens Against Goverment Waste 80% of the time last year.

What is his stance on securing America's borders? ?
I'd say his stance is simular to the Bush adminstration's stance, that is, ignore the problem and say we're good neighbors with Mexico and Vicente Fox is our best amigo.

What is his stance on NAFTA and similar trade agreements?
McCain has been in favor of NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, though more mildly and with less entheusiaism than the Bush adminstration. He opposes "fast-track" trade authority. He has said: "The President gave Chile and other countries in the hemisphere good reason to hope that they would be our next free trade partners. But, in the end, asking Congress for fast track negotiating authority was too high a price to pay to realize this grand vision." He also noted "Risks to the security of our vital interests or egregious offenses to our most cherished political values should disqualify a nation from entering into a free trade agreement with us" Reflecting on NAFTA, McCain said "It is a careful balancing act. NAFTA has had unambiguously positive impact on US While the effects of the NAFTA are being closely monitored by supporters and critics of that pact alike, it has become clear that NAFTA represents an important component of our international economic policy, contributing to the creation of 300,000 new American jobs since its passage. It will likely be several more years before its full impact can be determined." On the votes that the USA Engage considered to be the most important in 2003-2004, Senator McCain voted their preferred position 60 percent of the time.

What is his stance on Unions?
McCain has a distain for most of their agenda votes the preferred position of labor unions around 10-30% of the time. Most unions have denouncing McCain as a "corporate crony" and endorsed his Democrat opponents. At the 2004 Republican National Convention, he referred to corporation-hating Michael Moore as "a disingenuous filmmaker" in the audience. This was met with thunderous applause from the GOP attendees, after which he repeated the phrase. McCain knew Moore was in attendance that evening. After McCain's statement, Moore was caught on camera forming an "L" on his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

What's his stance on tax cuts?
McCain initally opposed the Bush tax cut proposal in 2001, but realized the error of his ways and reversed his stance to support renewing the cuts after Hurricane Katrina struck. At that time, McCain went on national television and told Chris Matthews he realized the Bush tax cuts were helping the economy recover and must be maintained. On cutting taxes overall, McCain has been pretty good. On the votes that the Americans for Tax Reform considered to be the most important in 2004, Senator McCain voted their preferred position 90 percent of the time. He also supported the interests of the National Tax Limitation Committee 80 percent in 2003-2004.

You didn't ask, but I will also note that "RINO" McCain McCain campaign for Bush's re-election, voted to convict Slick Willie on both impeachment counts (making him better than ANY Senate Dem), anounced his support for a strict anti-gay marriage ballot initiative in Arizona in August of this year and recently told the Arizona Daily Star that he supports the inclusion of intelligent design teaching in schools. (this would put him to the right of me on this issue, I'm no creationist) He also has endorsed many conservatives in GOP primaries, such as recently issueing an endorsement to Ken Blackwell in the OH GOP primary for Governor

As I noted, I would vote for McCain in the GENERAL election, NOT the primary. There is NO Democrat candidate alive that would be "with us" on as many issues if they were nominated for President, and that EVEN includes the much overrated Zig Zag Zell Miller (must be nice being ziggy though, being a "conservative Democrat", he got a free pass from freepers when HE voted for campaign finance "reform" and for "hate crimes" legislation)

McCain over Tancredo? Never.

McCain over Hillary? I'd beat down the door to elect him if kept that witch out of the White House!

[BillyBoy]

>> McCain is a lot like Hagel and Lott. All three are 8 or 9 parts conservative and 1 or 2 parts key-issue, stab-you-in-the-back, betrayal. <<

Lott maybe. Lott votes conservative 85-90% of the time but stabs people in the back alot. Hagel has a lukewarm voting record as well, I think about 70% conservative.

As I keep noting, Zell Miller was sort of like that, he was 6 or 7 parts conservative and 2-3 parts "do my fellow RATs bidding when the coast is clear"), like campaigning for liberal twerp Max Cleland's re-election. They don't call him Zig Zag for nothing. He didn't vote consistently "with us" until he announced he was NOT running for re-election and no longer "needed" the RAT party to nominate him again. Oh, how convenient.

I never figured out why freepers worship that guy so much. Had he gotten a "safe" Democrat seat and replaced someone who voted socialist 90% of the time, then he'd certainly be an huge asset. Instead, he was a guy voting "with us" 6 times out of 10, having RELACED someone who had voted "with us" 9.9 times of 10. Freepers wanted to keep the 6 out of 10 guy around and threw a temper tantrum when he retired and was replaced with an 8 out of 10 times guy. It boggles the mind.

I bet the people on this thread claiming they will "never" vote for McCain "because" of his actions on CFR will not say the same about Zell Miller if HE runs for President.

Please, let's hold Senators to the SAME standard, or don't have any standards to begin with.

[Luke21]

I wouldn't care if the ghosts of Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill endorsed him and a dove landed on him in public. No. No, A hundred thousand times, NO.

[Badray]

I am at odds with lots of FReepers lots of the time. I can't explain why they support some of the pols that they do.

McCain Feingold was a deal breaker for me. I don't forgive and forget. I hold grudges against those who would take my liberty.

Too many -- even here -- listen on to pleasing sounding words, but never look at what these pols do or how they vote. Words, especially those at a fund raiser, are mostly meaningless.

People -- even here -- don't realize that the GOP isn't really asking their opinion in order to guide GOP policy when they get those little questionaires. What they are doing is mining for information so that they can send a red meat letter to you that hits on your hot button issues in order to open up your wallet.

Republicans are swayed by emotion too. Sometimes we are just better at finding a rational explanation for our decisions. Sometimes not.

[Badray]

Thanks.

Most people just say that I'm a stubborn bastard. LOL

[Badray]

See #332 please.

[Mustng959]

I would not vote for McCain in a box,
I would not vote for him with a fox.
I would not vote for him in the rain,
Nor would I vote for him on a train.
I would not vote though conservative I am,
I do not like him, Sam I am.

[Badray]

"Congress shall make no law. . . "

What part of that didn't McCain (and the rest of them) understand with his CFR bill?

The First Amendment was to protect political speech, not politicians.

The Federal government has a duty to protect the country and by your own admission, McCain is 'sucky'.

"...shall not be infringed." Any gun grabbing is a red flag for me.

He can be good on a host of issues, but the core issue for me is respect for the Constitution and I just don't see that from him.

[PLMerite]

Negative.

[muir_redwoods]

No. A McCain endorsement of the 2nd amendment might help a bit though.

[Pessimist]

"My landlord is a Yankee liberal & was a strong pro-Kerry supporter in the '04 election, & he said that McCain is the only Republican he would support."

I hear ya'... The same "qualities" that make him "electable" are the very reasons we should question his conservative credential.

Unfortunately there will no doubt be many here who will, at the time, jump on his band wagon in order to achieve political "victory" at any cost.

[HawaiianGecko]

"FRiend are you certain you didn't just endorse Hitlery?"

No, my posts are as clear as crystal. I will vote for the GOP candidate regardless of who it is, which by nature is a vote against the DEM candidate.

I will not increase the possibility of a DEM win by not voting at all as many have stated in this thread. I will vote GOP even if it is John McCain or worse, Hagel. I will not vote for someone I may like more than McCain if he/she forms another party, as it is positively a given that both the GOP and NewParty candidate will lose giving us a Democrat President by default.

Whatever person you are considering for this NewParty, certainly isn't going to be a moderate conservative, hence, they will receive zero percentage of Democratic leaning voters and independents.  That gives the Dems 48% of the vote before election day. You will have to find someone that can get enough votes to allow McCain only 3% of the electorate.

Good Luck!
 

[bmwcyle]

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!