The 3.6 Percent Republicans (this is depressing)

The Weekly Standard ^ | 02/11/2008 | John J. DiIulio Jr.

[pwatson]

Most leading conservative writers, radio hosts, and activists would probably concur that their liberal counterparts have never really connected with average Americans. Personalities on the right sell more books and get higher radio and television ratings. And until recently, conservatives seemed to be on an electoral politics roll begun in 1994 when the GOP retook the House. Within Republican ranks, for all the talk about crack-ups and implosions, the Reagan legacy still bridges divides between libertarians, social and religious conservatives, and national security conservatives.

By comparison, the left often draws flies. Win, lose, or draw, Democrats are prone to eat their own. Post-FDR, the last time that staunch liberals saw their favorite candidate elected president was never. In fact, the only time Democrats actually nominated a candidate who toed the liberal intelli-gentsia's line was 1972. George McGovern, who recently called for President Bush's impeachment (cue applause in Cambridge, Mass.), got 38 percent of the national vote.

But what is true for the liberal goose is true for the conservative gander. As Daniel Patrick Moynihan liked to quip, people are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts. John McCain is more conservative on more issues than average Americans are. By every standard measure (voting record and ratings, positions on major issues), McCain is conservative. Unlike his critics on the right, however, he is no ideological purist; he is conservative, but he is not what the pollsters call "very conservative." That is one obvious reason why he has such wide appeal. For even in our decidedly right-leaning mass electorate, few Americans, including few Republicans, answer to "very conservative."

[syriacus]

Nice selection of descriptions!

[eclecticEel]

“If we’re a mere 3.6% of the voting block then why is McCain going to CPAC to make peace? Why make such a fuss about such a small minority?”

Of course, his counting is wrong, that’s 3.6% of the country who are “very conservative”, which equates to a much larger percentage of those who actually vote. Those in the “very” category are also naturally most inclined to donate their time and money - but not for a McCain candidacy.

And of course, he’s ignoring the much larger group of self-identified “conservatives,” and instead only talking about the “very conservatives” - why? Because it fits in with his narrative better. The article is a thoroughly typical bit of liberal spin, with the usual cherry-picked facts.

[bmwcyle]

It was McCain's own mother that said we would have to hold our noses to vote for her son. When your mother says this it is time to:

STOP MCCAIN BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

[Ptaz]

Hopefully not that bad.

I really fear for our country with the caliber of candidate we have to pick from. But what makes me more nervous than that is that the conservative message isn’t out there enough to generate the caliber of candidate that would make us all feel better when we elect a President.

[Ptaz]

Hopefully not that bad.

I really fear for our country with the caliber of candidate we have to pick from. But what makes me more nervous than that is that the conservative message isn’t out there enough to generate the caliber of candidate that would make us all feel better when we elect a President.

[Quix]

Amen!

MUCH agree.

[bmwcyle]

I always wondered how American could be lead into the New World Order. Now I can’t believe how easy it happened.

[Quix]

Thanks thanks.

I love spelling books. Not that I use them often enough for SPELLING; but anyway.

[Uri’el-2012]

John McCain is more conservative on more issues than average Americans are.

Horse Pucky !

[The Hound Passer]

"ACU ratings don't count for much if you have a habit of voting on key issues as a liberal and consort with them to erode Constitutional rights behind closed doors. You want to vote based on an ACU rating? Knock yourself out. If McCain is elected (highly doubtful), don't start whining that he acts like a liberal in office."

1) ACU ratings are based on a voting record so they have to count for something. Obviously McCain went the wrong was on some big ones, which is why it's not higher, but don't discount 82%. That is still WAY higher than Hillary or Obama

2) I have no illusion that McCain is going to be a stellar conservative. He won't be. That is a done deal. Based on his voting record though, he will be more conservative than Hillary or Obama. I know this because is voting record shows this. No, he isn't with us many times. He even torpedos us. That 20% of the time is more apparent than the 80% of the time he is with us.

3) We conservatives could sit this one out. Maybe Hillary or Obama would win and go so far left as to knock the country to their senses and 1994 could happen all over again. Short term pain for long term gain. Maybe it would work out that way. But what if in the intervening years President Obama or Clinton has some Supreme Court picks to make. We know how that will work out. After that it won't really matter who is in congress because it will all end up being judicially legislated by a bunch of left wing justices that probably have pictures of Lenin and Che on the their office walls. FYI: Scalia is 71.

Yes, I will go into the voting booth holding my nose and breath, but I will vote for McCain. The troops welfare depends on it, the countries well being depends on it. I'll put my differences aside for the time being.

[Quix]

INDEED.

though, to be fair, they’ve been working on it AT LEAST 50-200 years or so.

[Quix]

The old frog in the bucket method really works.

[The Hound Passer]

"What assurance do we have that a President McCain would appoint strict constructionists to the Supreme Court when he opined that Justice Alito was too conservative."

McCain never said that Alito was too conservative. He said that he wouldn't appoint someone who labeled themselves as conservative because they'd be too hard to get through a Democratic Senate. He did say he would appoint someone like Chief Justice Roberts, who I think has shown to be a fairly strict constructionist.

Now of course there are no guarantees, But the odds are great that Hillary or Obama would appoint far left judges than McCain not appoint strict constructionists. We also have a little history to see what happens when a Republican president attempts to appoint someone seen as a moderate AKA Harriet Myers. That nomination went down in smoke because everyone in the GOP except the Specter wing of the party made a lot of noise and objected. The result was the Alito nomination.

[allmendream]

Was it the Republican party that made McCain the front-runner; or was it primary voters?

[Edit35]

... they're willing to DEFEAT McCain to save the nation!!!

I won't work to defeat McCain.

Neither will I lift a finger to help or support him.

I've already called my local Republican headquarters and told them to cancel my volunteer status for this summer and fall.

OH, I will help my local state Representative candidate, who is a very conservative proLife guy with intelligence and passion.

But that's about it.

No money. No distributing GOP brochures.

Nadda.

[bmwcyle]

When our churches focus on the teaching of the Gospels and leave out the fire and brimstone, they have done no one any service. It has made too many liberal Christians or Sheeple which ever you prefer.

[Quix]

I agree entirely.

However,

God has a major plan to . . . correct this lack of . . .

REVERENTIAL AWE AND FEAR OF GOD ALMIGHTY . . . not just in our beloved Republic, but globally . . .

and not just globally . . .

in ALL CREATION.

[Edit35]

it’s a sobering reality..

This is a sick thought....

But the only chance Romney supporters have now if if McCain selects Romney as VP, and then McCain suffers a stroke between now and the Republican Convention.

One of the reasons McCain is so wrong for the GOP in 2008 is because he looks tired and worn out.

He hunches over like my 86-year-old GrandPa did, and he speaks in a monotone what would put a freakin' crack addict to sleep.

When Obama is onstage alongside McCain, the difference will be stark.

McCain is uninspiring and sounds like a high-pitched puppet.

Obama has a deep resonating voice, and is totally inspiring.... even though he speaks in platitudes.

[Wallace T.]

One significant difference between President George W. Bush and McCain is that the former courted conservatives, especially the Christian Right, even though he was not one himself, in several domestic areas, such as in the expansion of Medicare, No Child Left Behind, illegal immigration, and deficit spending. McCain, in contrast, has butted heads with conservatives over the years. If he gets into office by running a centrist campaign like Nixon did in 1968 and 1972, conservatives will have no leverage over him. With the probability of a Senate with a larger Democrat margin in 2009 and 2010, a President McCain would be unable to nominate a strict Constitutionalist to the Supreme Court even if he were so inclined.

[bmwcyle]

And all this is right under their noses or within their reach.