Posted on 02/22/2008 5:48:40 AM PST by Kaslin
Updated: 9:46 PM 02/21/08 Obama Scores, Clinton Flops on Copy Cat Spat Updated: 9:16 PM 02/21/08 Notes on Obama's Immigration Debate Talk Updated: 8:40 PM 02/21/08 <a href="http://ads.townhall.com/accipiter/adclick/CID=00014ba3d8d6daef00000000/site=TOWNHALL/area=TownHall.Web.Columnists.DouglasMacKinnon/POSITION=TOWN_SKY/AAMGEOIP=68.112.78.1"> <img src="http://media.salemwebnetwork.com/creative/MortgageMinuteAdSkycalcsky.swf" alt="" width="160" height="600" border="0"> </a> GOP to Conservatives: Drop Dead By Douglas MacKinnon Friday, February 22, 2008
As with small children, many of the entrenched, beholden, or power-hungry hierarchy of the Republican party, simply wish conservatives could be seen, but never heard.
In a very telling headline, The Washington Times recently reported, “McCain Refuses to Pander.” In the first paragraph of the article, the paper said, “John McCain's campaign manager yesterday said the candidate will not pander for conservative support…” Yeah, we know. Message received.
For those conservatives or talk radio hosts who still don’t get it, or who are still not prepared to compromise their principles for the party, then some elder statesmen have some names they’d like to call you. Chase Untermeyer, the former high level official for Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and the current president, said in a recent column, “At both the national and local levels, there are those who declare that certain Republican elected officials are insufficiently conservative and must be purged. Senator John McCain is getting the worst of these blasts right now, with some self-appointed tribunes of Reagan’s legacy saying they might even prefer Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – scarcely followers of the Gipper – to McCain.”
For those conservatives who admire President Reagan but would dare question the record of McCain, Mr. Untermeyer, labeled each a “SQUIRREL.” As in “Snarky Quibbler who Undermines and Ignores Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Legacy.”
“Snarky.” I guess if you went to Harvard, called yourself “Chase” instead of Charles, and mingled with the elites of the world, then “Snarky” is a name you might assign to conservatives who have an honest disagreement with John McCain. If you’re someone like me, who grew up in poverty, barely got an education, and never met an Ivory Tower elite worth a warm bucket of spit, then you might substitute the word “ethical” for snarky.
When I first came to Washington, I had the honor to work in the White House as a low-level writer for Ronald Reagan. While certainly lacking the pedigree of Mr. Untermeyer, I did share one or two special moments with that President. In a conversation that Peggy Noonan was kind enough to chronicle in her bestselling book entitled “When Character Was King,” President Reagan and I spoke in the Oval Office about the alcoholism of our fathers, poverty, and the cruelty of life. It was actually because of Ronald Reagan’s wisdom, kindness, and suggestion, that I was able to reach out to my estranged father.
Understanding that, I’m more than proud to plead guilty to using Ronald Reagan as the template for true conservatism. As such, I just don’t think there is any way that anyone can accurately equate Reagan’s conservative legacy with McCain’s moderate voting record. Does saying that make me a bad person? Am I now an Untermeyer “Squirrel?”
The thought of voting for Clinton or Obama makes me nauseous. We are a nation at war with Islamists who mean to exterminate us. To vote for Clinton or Obama is to vote for the authority to wave the flag of appeasement or surrender. I have no intention of voting for the next Neville Chamberlain.
John McCain is a good person. I do believe he has the best interests of our nation at heart. That said, as an American, it’s my right to disagree with him on substance. John McCain heroically fought and sacrificed to give me that right, and for that, I am forever grateful. On issues such as immigration, taxes, judges, global warming, drilling in Anwar, and the detention and prosecution of enemy combatants, I take issue with some of his past comments, votes, or current positions.
Unfortunately, the message I’m getting from the Republican establishment is that conservatives should bite their tongues, do their duty, and await the crumbs that may come their way in a McCain administration. Is that what it’s come to? Party loyalty before principle?
In endorsing McCain the other day, former President George H.W. Bush said, “…no one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain.” Really? No one? Does this incredibly decent former president truly believe that McCain is better prepared to lead this nation than say, his own son, Jeb? Or Mitt Romney?
In his endorsement, the former president also said, “…I believe now is the time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it will take for our conservative values to carry the White House this fall.”
“Conservative values.” That’s all this election is about for millions of Americans who choose to put country before party. As such, they are entitled to have McCain further define or clarify his “conservative values.” He needs to earn their vote.
Like Untermeyer, former President Bush questioned those on the right who question McCain. He called such criticism “grossly unfair” and an “unfair attack.”
If some in the party succeed in quashing the conservative voice, then they will have silenced the conscience of America. Surely, John McCain will stand shoulder to shoulder with conservatives to prevent such an outcome.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the forthcoming novel, The Apocalypse Directive.
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As with small children, many of the entrenched, beholden, or power-hungry hierarchy of the Republican party, simply wish conservatives could be seen, but never heard.
In a very telling headline, The Washington Times recently reported, “McCain Refuses to Pander.” In the first paragraph of the article, the paper said, “John McCain's campaign manager yesterday said the candidate will not pander for conservative support…” Yeah, we know. Message received.
For those conservatives or talk radio hosts who still don’t get it, or who are still not prepared to compromise their principles for the party, then some elder statesmen have some names they’d like to call you. Chase Untermeyer, the former high level official for Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and the current president, said in a recent column, “At both the national and local levels, there are those who declare that certain Republican elected officials are insufficiently conservative and must be purged. Senator John McCain is getting the worst of these blasts right now, with some self-appointed tribunes of Reagan’s legacy saying they might even prefer Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – scarcely followers of the Gipper – to McCain.”
For those conservatives who admire President Reagan but would dare question the record of McCain, Mr. Untermeyer, labeled each a “SQUIRREL.” As in “Snarky Quibbler who Undermines and Ignores Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Legacy.”
“Snarky.” I guess if you went to Harvard, called yourself “Chase” instead of Charles, and mingled with the elites of the world, then “Snarky” is a name you might assign to conservatives who have an honest disagreement with John McCain. If you’re someone like me, who grew up in poverty, barely got an education, and never met an Ivory Tower elite worth a warm bucket of spit, then you might substitute the word “ethical” for snarky.
When I first came to Washington, I had the honor to work in the White House as a low-level writer for Ronald Reagan. While certainly lacking the pedigree of Mr. Untermeyer, I did share one or two special moments with that President. In a conversation that Peggy Noonan was kind enough to chronicle in her bestselling book entitled “When Character Was King,” President Reagan and I spoke in the Oval Office about the alcoholism of our fathers, poverty, and the cruelty of life. It was actually because of Ronald Reagan’s wisdom, kindness, and suggestion, that I was able to reach out to my estranged father.
Understanding that, I’m more than proud to plead guilty to using Ronald Reagan as the template for true conservatism. As such, I just don’t think there is any way that anyone can accurately equate Reagan’s conservative legacy with McCain’s moderate voting record. Does saying that make me a bad person? Am I now an Untermeyer “Squirrel?”
The thought of voting for Clinton or Obama makes me nauseous. We are a nation at war with Islamists who mean to exterminate us. To vote for Clinton or Obama is to vote for the authority to wave the flag of appeasement or surrender. I have no intention of voting for the next Neville Chamberlain.
ohn McCain is a good person. I do believe he has the best interests of our nation at heart. That said, as an American, it’s my right to disagree with him on substance. John McCain heroically fought and sacrificed to give me that right, and for that, I am forever grateful. On issues such as immigration, taxes, judges, global warming, drilling in Anwar, and the detention and prosecution of enemy combatants, I take issue with some of his past comments, votes, or current positions.
Unfortunately, the message I’m getting from the Republican establishment is that conservatives should bite their tongues, do their duty, and await the crumbs that may come their way in a McCain administration. Is that what it’s come to? Party loyalty before principle?
In endorsing McCain the other day, former President George H.W. Bush said, “…no one is better prepared to lead our nation at these trying times than Senator John McCain.” Really? No one? Does this incredibly decent former president truly believe that McCain is better prepared to lead this nation than say, his own son, Jeb? Or Mitt Romney?
In his endorsement, the former president also said, “…I believe now is the time for me to help John in his effort to start building the broad-based coalition it will take for our conservative values to carry the White House this fall.”
“Conservative values.” That’s all this election is about for millions of Americans who choose to put country before party. As such, they are entitled to have McCain further define or clarify his “conservative values.” He needs to earn their vote.
Like Untermeyer, former President Bush questioned those on the right who question McCain. He called such criticism “grossly unfair” and an “unfair attack.”
If some in the party succeed in quashing the conservative voice, then they will have silenced the conscience of America. Surely, John McCain will stand shoulder to shoulder with conservatives to prevent such an outcome.
[The GOP is and will remain a plantation for conservatives. The GOP and it’s apologists need not worry.]
When the blind lead the blind, all well fall into the ditch. The true conservative will never vote for the immoral and ignorant McCain. I think the arrogance of those who believe what you do is staggering, shown by your ignorance of the moral conservative base.
Why don’t the rinos just join the greenies as they to talk and believe the same arrorgant things you do.
There are several things that we can’t get around:death, taxes and the Republican Party blaming it’s conservative base for losing. I’m just praying that God gives us a leader that we need and not one that we deserve.
-—I WANT A PRESIDENT THAT THAT WILL KICK ALKIADA’S ASS........——
Calm down, John. You’ll give yourself a stroke.
What everyone needs to understand is that the Republican party is no longer a conservative party. They are globalist that our selling out our great nation. The sooner everyone realizes this the sooner we can create a new party. I will never give the party another penny or vote. We need a new party. I am sorry but I cannot contribute to a party that spits on my ideas. So much for the party of Ronald Reagan.
[Interesting language as I have been making the point for weeks that conservatives are to the republican party what blacks are to the democrats.]
Or so they believe and expect the base to vote for the marxist liberal McCain. I personally hope the GOP dies soon and never recovers from their stupidity.
I wish I could agree. I’m tempted, sorely tempted to agree. But I’m gonna dance with the devil I know.
McCain is shrewd enough to bend the law of free speech to the MSM’s advantage, be their darling, and secure the nomination. He’s been calculating this for years. No different than the Clintons in the ego department.
He has a saving grace, however. I don’t believe he wants to “go along to get along” with the rest of the world. The world could care less about Obama’s platitudes or Hillary’s tears. They don’t wanna mess with “Twitch” McCain.
Sorry, it’s all I’ve got to hang onto, precious and precarious as it is. But it’s better than the consequence of an appeaser. I’d rather have a country to pick up the pieces from, than to just surrender to the One World crowd.
he’s the guy that will defend the unborn, protect the country and try to keep us from going broke.
“... by supporting stem cell research and vetoing good judges, by allowing in millions of illegals, and by opposing tax cuts”
Obama will allow partial birth abortions in the first 100 days of his Presidency..., he will appoint at least 3 SCJs, and he will increase taxes. The choice couldn’t be any clearer.
“It’s all about the same?????????”
Nonsense!!!!
The next President will appoint the new Supreme Court judges, control our exit srtategy from the war.....if you have a conscience....get out and vote for McCain.
“McCain wasn’t shoved down any one throats. Your candidate (My candidate as well) lost. It’s time to be a grown up.”
Well, some of us will not get a chance to vote for anybody until March 4. It seems to me that if the GOP wanted a conservative to get the nomination, they would work to get the primaries rearranged so the first ones would be in conservative states with closed primaries. It sure feels to me like they are trying to force a liberal on us.
Good people don't violate the Constitution, reward criminals and lie about it.
At this point, the only thing that could get me to vote for McCain is the choice of Rick Santorum as his running mate along with a promise to resign after three months in office.
Do try to mask your ignorance with silly attacks.
This is what has happened. The RINOs are counting on conservatives to fall in line because we fear/hate Hillobama.
It won’t be enough. McCain has to secure the base. Your posts chastising intelligent, clear thinking and informed conservatives are going to make any difference.
I want him to succeed but it is up to him and his campaign. But, they live in a sheltered bubble and can’t see the reality. The MSM and the Middle will abandon McCain.
Then why won’t the Republican Party push for a brokered vote and get someone else in? We have seen that delegates seem to do what they are told. Can’t they see where this is headed? Or is the plan to lose this year?
McCain is part of the One World crowd, or have you noticed that yet?
There you go with “ass” again. Fixation?
Three weeks on FR and you’re the expert. Newbie Troll.
McCain is a Fiscal conservative.
McCain economic team is proposing to stimulate econmic growth via tax rate cuts.
McCain wants to fight the WOT.
McCain, unlike Ann Coulter, supported and voted for John Roberts and Sam Alito for the SCOTUS.
McCain is pro life.
McCain is pro second Amendment.
McCain-Feingold is a problem with me. However, it wasn’t a problem with Bush, FR/Sean Hannity’s favorite dem Zell Miller, and FR favorite Fred Thompson.
I am not saying he’s perfect, far from it. but those are pretty strong creditials.
He just mad cuz he’s only getting minimum wage to troll these threads for McCain.
He kinda sounds like McCain.
Could be a dummie.
Ted Kennedy and Chuckie Schumer will pick those judges.
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