Posted on 02/07/2008 3:51:23 AM PST by Kaslin
Today is the most important day for Senator McCain. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. That maxim must guide Senator McCain’s speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference today. If it does, he could win the presidency.
CPAC is the largest annual gathering of conservatives in America, with thousands attending from across the nation. Put on by the American Conservative Union and sponsored by organizations such as the National Rifle Association, Americans for Tax Reform, and Townhall.com, every element of the Republican base is represented.
Mr. McCain is going into as skeptical of a crowd as possible. All the elements of the conservative Republican base the senator has had issues with at one point or another will be represented in force. These are the people Mr. McCain needs to win over if he is to have any hope of truly mobilizing the Republican Party behind him. He needs to reach out to them.
It’s a superficial analysis to say that conservative angst with Mr. McCain is due to policy disagreements. It’s not; policy disagreements happen every day. What conservatives need to see is that Mr. McCain cares about the principles from which those policies are derived. And, they need to see that he cares about them, welcoming them to the table and taking up their concerns.
There are deal-breaker issues for conservatives, but they are few and far between. Mr. McCain will not lose the Republican base by talking about global warming or re-importing drugs from Canada. And he cannot secure the base by talking about free trade and school choice. While each of those is an issue to be sure, they will neither win nor lose the race for him.
But deal-breakers are just that, deal-breakers. If a candidate is not right on a deal-breaker, then there is nothing he can say to get that person’s vote.
Mr. McCain has basically been there on the social issues and many of the economic issues, though he’s never come across as enthusiastic about them.
So what Mr. McCain needs to do is simple. He needs to stick to four basic themes. If he manages to convince GOP voters he means what he says, he could unify the Republican Party.
For Mr. McCain, the four themes he needs to beat constantly to unite and energize the GOP are: Cut government. Secure our borders. Win the war. Redeem our culture.
The key for each of those themes is not the policy. Each is rather a policy goal that reflects a principle at the heart of the Republican philosophy. Embracing those principles will win over a critical mass of conservative Republican base voters.
Cut government. Conservatives want lower taxes, less regulation, and a president who will balance the budget by cutting spending. Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution to our problems. Government is the problem.” Limited government and economic opportunity are core conservative principles.
Secure our borders. Ronald Reagan again said, “A nation that cannot secure its borders is not a nation.” Conservatives want the crime and social costs from health care and education resource drains from illegal immigrants to end. The principle here is the rule of law. Millions broke the law getting here and continue to break it every day, sapping resources. Conservatives will not consider how to deal with those already here until America’s borders are secure and the rule of American law is upheld.
Win the war. Ronald Reagan’s plan for the Cold War was “We win, they lose.” Americans do not want to lose in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else against terrorists. Conservatives want a strong and seasoned commander-in-chief who can lead us to victory. The principle here is a foreign policy predicated on strength, knowing when and how to use force to protect America’s safety and interests in a dangerous world.
Redeem our culture. Whether abortion, marriage, religious liberty, or the Second Amendment, conservatives want America’s moral and social heritage protected and preserved. That can only be done through the courts. If Mr. McCain wants to win conservatives, there is nothing he could change more right now than to make the Supreme Court a stump speech issue, and talk about the sort of judges he would appoint and fight for relentlessly.
Mr. McCain needs to embrace his own party. He must tell conservatives that he cares about their concerns and that he will fight for these principles. If Mr. McCain does, he may find that there is another value conservatives hold dear: Redemption. If he does not, millions will stay home, even if the Democratic nominee is Hillary Clinton. Disdain for Mrs. Clinton can carry the GOP base only so far.
CPAC could not come at a better time for John McCain. He needs to make the most of it.
I’m not sure McLame could say anything that would sway me back to support him.
Daddy used to tell us the measure of a man is his deeds, not his words. That axiom has served me well for over 50 years. I don’t see a need to change, now.
If McLame hits the stage at CPAC spouting the conservative line, I’d have another bit of evidence of his duplicity, his willingness to pander, his lack of integrity.
Sorry, Ken. It’ll take more than a speech, and he doesn’t have enough time to prove his bona fides by deeds.
Redemption my arse.And your little black cat too mcnutts.
I see it the same way and have been saying this for some time.These are all smart people yet they get run over by the left all the time.It is by design.
He should, but he likely won't, get an empty room.
CPAC says he is speaking at 3pm.
McCain's campaign website is saying he is speaking at 2:30pm.
That half-hour time difference is for the campaign to get enough McCainiacs into the room before the conservatives arrive.
They will try and pack the room with RINOs.
Men.... who love Bill Clinton and his wild ways, men who are in a paralyzing fear of Hillary.... their ex-wife. Its a 'macho' gender thing....
If he takes questions, he’ll blow his cork or walk out.
Will this be televised?
I do believe he dissed CPAC attendees more than one year... more like several years in a row.
It will never happen! His actions are so very loud that conservatives can't hear what he is saying. He's screwed the conservative wing too many times.
I don't know why his website would be telling folks that he is speaking a half-hour earlier than CPAC is saying.
It wouldn't be so that his Liberal RINO supporters will be there early enough to pack the room, would it?
“McCain doesn’t believe that he is 70 plus, nor the fact that he has had magliant melanoma twice ,should even be a factor in his quest for power.”
Something in the Constitution about cancer survivors not eligible for the presidency?
I love men! I just can’t believe that they are voting so stupid.
Good post.
That is why;
Yes, I will be voting...
NO, I will not be voting for McAmnesty, Myth or the Huckster.
This election is no longer about issues even though it gets purported to be... this is now a gender/race/religion election. Most men will not vote for Hillary.... even liberal men. IF McCain gets portrayed as being Bill Clinton like the majority of women are not going to vote for him... So Hillary 'stood by her man' .... Did McCain stand by his women???? that will influence the women's vote and the religious vote.... The race vote is going to play on everyones minds
He told us yesterday to “calm down”. He is incapable of talking to conservatives without insulting them. Well, at least he didn’t tell us to take a deep breath.
He told us yesterday to “calm down”. He is incapable of talking to conservatives without insulting them. Well, at least he didn’t tell us to take a deep breath.
“Mr. McCain will not lose the Republican base by talking about global warming ...”
Can I therefore imply that the author would also vote for a candidate who believes in sprites, fairies and unicorns??
Can one still be considered “conservative” if they buy into the Global Warming Swindle??
I know. It is like being patted on the head and being told “Shhh, the grown ups are talking”!
No deals, no amnesty.
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