McCain? No Way!

Gun Owners of America ^ | Feb 15, 2008 | Sen. HL "Bill" Richardson (ret.)

[calcowgirl]

www.gunowners.org/op0808.htm

McCain? No Way!
by Sen. HL "Bill" Richardson (ret.)
Chairman of the Board, GOA

Americans are being told by the mainstream media that conservatives have no other choice than to back the hypocrite from Arizona. All that is required is to pretend he is "really" a conservative. "So, crawl under the big Republican tent and vote for McCain," we are told. "Besides, what other choice do you have?"

We have plenty of choices, none of which calls for casting our vote for the lesser of two presidential evils.

First, the Republican race isn't over. Huckabee is still around and as Kansas and Louisiana should point out, the Romney vote flocked to Huckabee. Not that they loved Huckabee, but that they have zero trust in the promises of McCain. Even if Huckabee loses, what makes anyone think conservatives will vote for McCain?

Don't you liberals get it? The republican conservative believes McCain would be a vindictive president. He's proven his dislike for conservatives and would gut us at every opportunity.

Why do I say that? Because of three decades of experience as a Republican California Senator and a fifty year activist in the conservative movement. I have first hand, in-their-face experience with elitist RINO's (Republican in Name Only) office holders. They are biblically ignorant, power hungry, status seeking egotists who have no difficulty aiding their liberal Democrat colleagues whenever their arms are politely twisted. The one thing they have in common with liberal Democrats is their dislike of all conservatives, especially those who are Bible-believing. McCain, as president, would stifle the voices of elected Republican leaders and try to legislate the conservative movement out of existence.

There is no reason why any conservative should be depressed, especially if they look at past history. I clearly remember the political climate in 1964. We newly-awakened conservatives had a real friend running for the Republican nomination. Barry Goldwater defeated a liberal Republican in the primaries, but in the general election, the mainstream media slaughtered him. In 1964 it was easy to do; we had no effective political action committees, no conservative organizations, few pro-life activists, little religious participation, no talk radio, a handful of articulate conservative legislators, no fax machines and zero Internet. After the 1964 November election, all looked hopeless. Not a bright star on the horizon....But!

In 1966, we conservatives elected an actor as Governor of California. I was elected to the State Senate. The thespian and I were greener than grass but we were both quick to learn. Ron Reagan became a national star, a conservative leader in the nation’s most popular state. He couldn't be ignored.

I founded Gun Owners of America and Gun Owners of California. We became the second largest pro-Second Amendment organization in America with membership in the hundreds of thousands. We concentrated our efforts on electing pro-gunners to the legislature and stopping anti-gun legislation. We grew rapidly and were quite successful. During liberal Jerry Brown's eight years as governor, not a single anti-gun bill was signed into law. The reason was simple -- although the liberal Democrats controlled both houses of the legislature, no anti-gun legislation passed from either house to find its way to the Governor’s desk.

The entire gun movement is close to accomplishing that feat on a national level. As long as the gun community hangs together, it will make little difference on gun issues who is sitting in the White House. The same could be true of other major conservative organizations as long as they stay in the fight. We are much better off than in 1964 and much better organized.

The other good news is that some of the weak-sister Republicans are leaving office -- not willing to scrap it out with the liberal Democrats. Hooray, happy to see you go! Call Gun Owners if you need a ride out of town. We have an opportunity to replace them with tough, no nonsense conservatives. Already, some very fine men are seeking these vacancies.

We at Gun Owners intend to be very engaged in Congressional and US Senate races.

I personally will not cast a vote for the presidency -- that is, if McCain is the Republican nominee. Under no circumstances will I vote for either of the Democrats. This will be the first time in fifty years that I have made this choice. I hope it will be the last.

[calcowgirl]

You did read the sarcasm in that last para didn't you? :-)

Got it! ;-)

I mean that all of us should have realized what was going on long ago and initiated this split in the GOP.

For me, it was announcement of the RNC Convention headliners: Giuliani, McCain, Schwarzenegger. The writing was on the wall. These were the chosen ones.

As I've heard some older people say in the south, "Hide and watch!" :-)

Better yet... prepare, organize, and fight. There are plenty of other offices, other than the Presidency. Time to man the foxholes with conservatives.

[TigersEye]

Fair enough. I think I have done that for myself. If you satisfy your own mind you won't need to answer to anyone else.

FReegards TigersEye

[Arizona Carolyn]

I know Obama or Hillary will appoint liberal judges, Ruth Bader Ginsberg was Hillary's... as was Janet Reno her choice for Attorney General. No, we have no guarantees with McCain, but we stand a much better chance of more moderate to conservative judges under him than we will ever get under Obama (or Hillary)...

The one thing about be actually disliking all three candidates is I can actually detach myself and look at them for who will be the worst.... and the sure knowledge that a third party candidate will do nothing more than just help Obama get elected in the Fall....

McCain isn't great, but he is not the anti-Crist, either.... another thing people here seem to forget he has a lifetime history of being pro-life...

Obama and Hillary are both pro-choice and Obama voted for the worst law passed in this country, allowing newborn babies of attempted partial birth abortions that survive outside the womb to be killed outside the womb....

This is what I mean by we have to do a balance sheet and vote for the best of the two not to allow the worst of the two to be elected. When you look at McCain's lifetime of voting, he has voted conservative a whole lot more frequently than he has not...

[Mojave]

You aren't the conservative movement and you do not speak for us.

You're a pseudo-conservative.

[Mojave]

Karl Marx will love McCain’s global warming plans.

Ah, but McCain's a "fiscal conservative". Just like Arnold.

[calcowgirl]

Ted Olson’s campaign contributions do not reek of conservatism.
It seems he has an affection for many RINOs, among a few honorable folks.

http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Ted_Olson.php

[calcowgirl]

You know... I don’t fault folks for voting for McCain. It is their vote and I respect that they will make whatever choice they will feel comfortable with. I do fault those who are unwilling to educate themselves (something I think most folks on FR and this thread HAVE done). What irks me is those who won’t repect folks that WON’T vote for McCain and then try to sell him for something he is not. That’s just insulting.

[RTO]

Here is your logic in its bare bones:

Unless I support evil, then I support evil.

So, to put a face on it: If I were alive in 1938 Germany, you would argue that unless I support Stalin, by default I am supporting Hitler.

You ask conservatives to turn their backs and betray the very core of conservatism, which itself rightly expresses and upholds the precepts of the US Constitution. And for what reason? So we will not elect a man who is himself anathema to the very precepts you ask us to betray by selecting his rival.

To wit: You have chosen to support John McCain, a man whose political beliefs are anathema to the Constitution. This contradiction is impossible for your conscience to reconcile. So, therefore your conscience needs to be free of the constant reminder that you are willing to betray the core principles you claim here to stand for. To accomplish this feat you must cause others to make the same compromise, and thus not suffer the rebuke of your conscience when you look in the mirror. All will be right if you but only corrupt your accusers.

This tactic typifies the essence of liberal thought. Liberals attempt to remake society to mirror their own debased life, and thus in so doing, remove the contradiction and condemnation of their conscience by corrupting all else around them.

You have been exposed, my friend.

[TigersEye]

Is that it for you? Just a few drive-by insults? I thought you would stick around and show us all what real reason and logic look like. lol

[RTO]

ROTFLMAO... Wow it sounds better than I thought it would.

[hiredhand]

Better yet... prepare, organize, and fight. There are plenty of other offices, other than the Presidency. Time to man the foxholes with conservatives.

Agreed! ...and as soon as the panic and fear subside, a lot more people will think clearly! It will be awhile yet before that happens, but it will happen with time! Keep me posted please! :-)

[Eagle Eye]

“He won’t sell anyone out to buy his future. That is, my friends, called integrity. It’s called courage. And that’s the stuff leaders should be made of.”

No, that is not a description of Sen. McCain, it is Al Pacino’s soliloquy near the end of “Scent of a Woman”.

Obviously nothing ever said about Sen. McCain.

[Mojave]

You know... I don’t fault folks for voting for McCain.

Neither me. It's their bad choice to make.

Have you noticed that his apologists haven't suggested that McCain move even an inch to the right?

[TigersEye]

I know the saying and that isn't quite how it goes. ;^)

Maybe we still had hope for change within our party back then.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Perhaps conservatives should have worked harder to elect Duncan Hunter or Fred Thompson this past year and spent less time on trying to destroy the candidates you didn't approve of.

I guess I missed it, when I signed up to vote as a Republican 30+ years ago, but I don't recall a box that said I will only vote Republican if the perfect candidate presents himself to the party and is nominated President. Silly me, I thought we fight it out fair and square and then we support the winner....

I really wonder if the internet had been alive and well to stir people's emotions back in 1980 if Reagan would have made the cut for the purists.. after all, he has signed the loosest abortion law in the nation as Governor and even though he regretted it I bet most everyone would have wanted to hang him in effigy and we would have missed having one of, if not the, great Presidents of my lifetime.

Even Rush Limbaugh admitted the GOP is void of conservative leadership -- but even with his rants he will vote for Obama, he has stopped short of saying we should just put the whole GOP on ice until a god-like candidate appears the entire party will rally behind.

You who are not pleased with McCain have four years to find the perfect candidate and get him or her known and vetted and elected in four years time.. who know, maybe McCain will actually name a VP candidate you will all approve of and wish to support in four years for President..

If you all want to build a GOP that can field a strong, viable, candidate then it's time to take a hard look at the RNC -- does anyone even know who is in charge there nowdays???? and start electing GOP Governors again; in case no one has noticed as GOP governors leave they have been replaced with democrats, and field viable senators and elect them so we have a strong senate once more, same with congress...

No sense whining about who we end up for President candidate when we are not fielding any viable candidates for any offices these days.... you don't want Global Warming legislation???? Well, with a democratic majority in congress, senate and Oval Office you will get that and a whole lot more.... it isn't going to be pretty and THEY won't care about the bottom line...

How many of you saw the chart on Cavuto's show Friday with the tax increases Obama has already proposed? HUGE!!!!! increases across the board... that is how he plans to pay for all his plans, guess what! He would have a majority to pass it....

[calcowgirl]

Have you noticed that his apologists haven't suggested that McCain move even an inch to the right?

Yep. Of course "right" in the new definition means anything east of HillBama. That's not my definition, though.

[hiredhand]

I know the saying and that isn't quite how it goes. ;^)

BWAH! You're right! It doesn't go that way! :-) I'm "trying" to be civil though...But you are correct about that saying! That's funny. :-)

At one point, there was hope. But I remember one day when I realized that bipartisanship had completely seperate meanings, depending on whether it was used by a liberal, or a conservative.

I realized that the left only wanted to share power when they DIDN'T have it, and that the RNC was all too willing to share ...in the interest of bipartisanship of course. :-) That was a little over four years ago, and we (here in my house) started answering the GOP's phone solicitations for donations with a single reply - SECURE THE BORDERS!....to which we would receive silence for the most part.

Yeah...maybe if we had gotten a "clue" a little over four years ago, we could have averted what's going to smack us in the heads in November of 2008. But that's history, and this present situation is what we have to deal with. I simply fail to see any logic whatsoever in voting for McCain, and I certainly won't vote democrat, nor will I sit out the vote.

As damnable as it might be, the only logical and honorable thing I can think of to do under the current circumstances is to write-in Hunter/Thompson...which is what I've been planning on doing since they both dropped from the race.

GOP-Bots simply don't understand this, and I'm tired of explaining it. How many different ways can we say, "We're SCREWED?" ...and how much longer will they simply NOT understand it? I mean, how hard can it be to understand? Is it the "We're" part or the "screwed" part that confuses them? I'm not sure which, but there simply isn't any hope in getting "most" of them to understand. Once in awhile I run into one who understands our perspective. But unfortunately, most are going to have to suffer a major disappointment in November of 2008 before they understand...and I'm not sure they will understand even after that.

Another real irony is that for every one of us willing to give this viewpoint, there are masses more who simply aren't willing to talk about it. They're not giving the time of day. They don't WANT to talk about it. You know who they are, and I know who they are, and they aren't TALKING. But the GOP-Bots don't know this, and they happily watch the polls and give high-fives and all reassure themselves on how well McCain is doing, and how well he's going to do...when in fact, his involvement, and GOP involvement at this time is a moot point really. It won't come to anything. Too many people have simply abandoned the GOP. Too many more have viewed the situation as so hopeless that they'll simply stay home.

I've said many times in the past several months that rank and file GOP supporters had better be damned sure of the "numbers" on our side. Because that is IMPORTANT! They claim that "we" are a minority. But down underneath it all, I think they dread what we know...that there are TOO MANY of us, and that what we predict will indeed come true.

...hence my new tagline...."I'm the Prophet of Doom!"

[calcowgirl]

Those who have drawn the line and wil not vote for McCain are not “purists.”

Your disdain for anyone who will not toe the party line is more than obvious. When I registered to vote, and checked the box for “Republican,” I did not pledge my vote to anyone. For some to suggest that I owe it to the party to vote for a man that has spit in the face of that same party, and the things it has stood for (which I agree with!), is really insulting.

[tarheelswamprat]

you left out Ronald Reagan..also a member and your comeback is very lame at best

Ronald Reagan was never a CFR member.

[TigersEye]

Well if conservatives have abandoned hope for change in the GOP I see that as a good thing. Now it's time to abandon fear too and deal with what is. Obama sells hope and Hillary sells fear. Conservatives should accept our current marginalization as the reality it is and find candidates who sell action. Conservative action.