Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why many conservatives can't vote for McCain
The Everett Herald ^ | February 10, 2008 | Mona Charen

Posted on 02/10/2008 2:42:33 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

I posted a squib on the National Review Web site about a robo call I received from John McCain. (Virginia's primary is Tuesday.) The call stressed that he would, if elected, be a down-the-line limited government conservative who would never raise taxes, would defend life, would enforce immigration laws and would win the war on terror. The candidate is trying, I said, to meet conservatives "more than halfway." The response of readers was, shall we say, emphatic.

One lady wrote that she would never vote for him as "He is the most disloyal, ill-tempered man and he brings out the worse in all of us. ..." Several readers made the point that after decades of suffering abuse at McCain's hands, conservatives are not going to fall into line for him now, no matter what blandishments he offers.

I know how they feel. The problem with McCain is not just that he strays. George Bush has strayed from conservatism, too. So has Fred Thompson. Certainly Mitt Romney has as well. But Sen. McCain has a knack for saying things in just the tones and accents that liberals prefer. In 2000, he condemned the late Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as "agents of intolerance." In 2004, when Sen. John Kerry was getting his comeuppance from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, vets who had known him during the war and couldn't remain silent as the Democratic nominee distorted his war record, McCain weighed in by calling the Swift Boaters "dishonorable and dishonest." When the Bush Administration was being vilified as a nest of Torquemadas for using waterboarding on three occasions, McCain came forward to condemn waterboarding as torture.

(Excerpt) Read more at heraldnet.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 110th; 1stamendment; 2008; anyonebutmccain; backstabber; bobdole; campaignfinance; captainmcqueeg; cfr; congress; debates; democratparty; democrats; dramaqueens; election; electionpresident; elections; firstamendment; fredthompson; freespeech; georgebush; gop; johnkerry; johnmccain; juanmcaztlan; juanmccain; mccain; mccainunfit; mcinsane; mclame; mcstain; media; military; mittromney; monacharen; msm; ourmexicanoverlords; presidentbush; primaries; republicans; rino; sbvft; senate; swiftboats; talkradio; thelarazacandidate; themarkofmccain; vietnam; waterboarding; woodstock
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220221-225 next last
To: kittymyrib

“I don’t care if John McKennedy loses this election any more than I cared that Bob Dole lost. “

Gosh, it was a huge blow for us when Dole lost. We had a chance for serious conservative governance and instead we got the Clinton scandals and the beginning of the end of a conservative congress (after newt left).


201 posted on 02/10/2008 6:32:54 PM PST by WOSG (Want to blame someone for McCain being the nominee? Blame the Mormon-bashers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: steve86
Individually, not as a country.

I believe the decline of an effective conservative movement lies directly at the feet of today's Christians, the bode where "conservativism" has its traditional & social moorings. With the modernizing -apostasizing - of modern assembly worship (Rick Warren, entertainment/mega-church movement, etc) and de-emphasizing spiritual growth (verse-by-verse teaching), we are cast adrift without any impact upon our present generation. As goes the "faithful remnant", so goes the nation.

202 posted on 02/10/2008 6:35:32 PM PST by Zechariah11
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
So has Fred Thompson.

Who?

203 posted on 02/10/2008 8:04:15 PM PST by Huck (Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: supercat

That analogy doesn’t work: You’re going to end up being forced to “drink” a president whether you like it or not. I’d rather have the least horrible.


204 posted on 02/10/2008 8:04:59 PM PST by bannie (clintons CHEAT! AAAALLWAYS!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 166 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

thanks for electing a democrap!

treasonous.


205 posted on 02/10/2008 8:07:26 PM PST by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Coldwater Creek
“Has anyone even considered a prayer chain asking God to raise up a conservative candidate for this election cycle.”

What we really need is a powerful lightning strike on stage at the next Republican debate.

206 posted on 02/10/2008 8:10:03 PM PST by RavenATB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: kjo
“Agreed. Nobody likes losing.”

I find it difficult to equate “losing” with John McCain not being elected President.

207 posted on 02/10/2008 8:11:25 PM PST by RavenATB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Coldwater Creek
I think that history will bear out that he has been one of the best CIC’s that this country has ever had.

lol

208 posted on 02/10/2008 8:11:31 PM PST by Huck (Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Ratblaster
“Bob Dole was a true war hero. He doesn’t wear it on his sleeve”

Horrible choice of words...

209 posted on 02/10/2008 8:15:50 PM PST by RavenATB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: All
Photobucket
210 posted on 02/10/2008 8:17:42 PM PST by AllseeingEye33 (ney)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: WOSG
Gosh, it was a huge blow for us when Dole lost. We had a chance for serious conservative governance and instead we got the Clinton scandals and the beginning of the end of a conservative congress (after newt left).

The Republicans were stupid in 1996 and beyond. They could have boosted their majorities in the House and Senate if they'd focused their campaigns on the positive: "Bill Clinton thinks the welfare reform bill he signed was great. We do to--we wrote it. He thinks xxx was great. We wrote that too. Etc." A strengthening majority in Congress would have been better able to keep Bill Clinton under control.

As for impeachment, I found myself longing for some Republican to say "Hey look: do you think we'd rather go into 2000 without a Democrat incumbent, or with a Democrat incumbent who will be eligible for election twice more? We don't want Al Gore to be President. Nonetheless, if Bill Clinton committed impeachable crimes, then we are obligated under the Constitution to give Al Gore the Presidency whether we want to or not." Had the Republicans done that, they could have improved their image. Instead, they made themselves look bad with the impeachment debacle.

211 posted on 02/10/2008 8:20:23 PM PST by supercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 201 | View Replies]

To: arthurus

“The issue for me is Amnesty.”

Exactly! Even if McCain completely shuts the border w/ Mexico the illegals here will stay and continue to populate. If those hear are granted citizenship we will have roughly 110 million “former” illegals and children of illegals in two generations. The will be the largest single voting block in the US...and they’ll all be US voters as the result of criminal activity.


212 posted on 02/10/2008 8:21:53 PM PST by RavenATB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Zechariah11

Jesus Christ Is LORD. That is what I believe.

Now, what about you?

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is LORD, Savior and Messiah?

Yes, or no?


213 posted on 02/10/2008 8:59:04 PM PST by Bald Eagle777 (The US Constitution is the best political document in History. GOD BLESS THE USA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 202 | View Replies]

To: Court Watcher

Court Watcher
Since Nov 19, 2007

nice try lib troll - you can’t bring the shouting and multiple explanation marks that are the signature of D.U. and try to sneak in like a suicide bomber.


214 posted on 02/10/2008 10:51:48 PM PST by muleskinner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Just another supposed vet who’s in love with Psycho McCain, the most dangerous man ever to run for President...I think most conservatives are smart enough to disregard “robo calls”. I hang up on them. They’re as insulting coming from Psycho McCain as they are coming from Pelosi, Boxer and Feinstein.

Good luck with your vet, vet. It’s third party time for a lot of us.


215 posted on 02/10/2008 11:23:45 PM PST by levotb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RS
I want to have a gut feeling that they would DO it if necessary.

That gut feeling is the Kool-aid you've been drinking.

McCain thought the UFC was too brutal.

McCain thinks that scaring a terrorists in a drownding scenario is torture.

McCain doesn't have it in him to authorize driving a 'red hot poker into a terrorists eyes', let alone do it himself. Your belief in McCain is blind faith with no basis in reality.
216 posted on 02/11/2008 3:54:21 AM PST by ScubieNuc
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 195 | View Replies]

To: RavenATB

And they will all be Democrats unless, of course, they start an Aztlan Party.


217 posted on 02/11/2008 4:40:02 AM PST by arthurus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 212 | View Replies]

To: levotb
"Just another supposed vet who’s in love with Psycho McCain, the most dangerous man ever to run for President...I think most conservatives are smart enough to disregard “robo calls”. I hang up on them. They’re as insulting coming from Psycho McCain as they are coming from Pelosi, Boxer and Feinstein.
Good luck with your vet, vet. It’s third party time for a lot of us."

Where in the HELL did you get the idea that I was backing Juan McAztlan, and secondly, are you calling me a fake veteran/PX commando? Who the f*!k do you think you are?! Look at my profile, or if you're too lazy for that, I'll put it right here for you: "Was an Intelligence Analyst for Army Intelligence. Served in Korea in 1978-79 at Special Troops, I Corps (ROK/US) Group G-2 and 1981-82 at Headquarters Company, 102nd Military Intelligence (MI) Battalion (Bn.)(CEWI), 2nd Infantry Division. Also stationed at Ft Hood (191st Combat Intelligence Company, 312th MI Bn. (CEWI), 1st Cavalry Division) and Ft Polk (Headquarters Company, 105th MI Bn. (CEWI), 5th Mechanized Infantry Division)." Are you a veteran?

218 posted on 02/11/2008 8:19:43 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Second To None!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 215 | View Replies]

To: ScubieNuc

What they must say in public and what they will do under fire are two very different things - There are many areas where I disagree with his positions, but I would put my trust in McCain to sacrifice his words, career or his life to save possibly hundreds of thousands of Americans -

I would NOT trust any democrat to do the same.


219 posted on 02/11/2008 12:21:02 PM PST by RS ("I took the drugs because I liked them and I found excuses to take them, so I'm not weaseling.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 216 | View Replies]

To: piytar

His rating was 65% in 2006.


220 posted on 02/11/2008 2:34:46 PM PST by mikeus_maximus (CAIR delende est.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 161-180181-200201-220221-225 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson