Posted on 02/23/2008 10:56:29 AM PST by Bob J
Ever since Super Tuesday a super debate has been raging on FR concerning John McCain. I was never a McCain supporter, in fact I penned the post Super Tuesday post "Official FR Drinking Thread" so we could together drown our common disappointments into oblivion.
FReepers seem to be moving into three distinct groups. The first are those that have always supported McCain, a lot or partially. There are those that don't like McCain but are willing to support him because they believe they will get some of what they want or to defeat what the see as the more critical danger, Obama or Clinton. The there's the third group, those that viscerally dislike McCain and vow never to vote for him for any reason.
The actions and motivation for support from the first two groups seem obvious...they would rather see McCain in the White House than a dem. But for the life of me I cannot understand some of the actions of the third.
Allow me to explain.
I understand you dislike McCain and the reasons why. He is far too liberal on many issues, he has stabbed conservatives in the back several times and he is too cozy with the dems. These are all defensible reasons to not vote for him or to vote third party and you have every right to vote as you see fit and for whatever reasons you hold. What I don't understand is why some here are making such concerted efforts to dissuade others from voting for or supporting him.
As flawed as McCain is there is no way a logical case can be made that we would be better off under Obama or Hillary (O&H). Even on most issues where McCain is closer to the left than to us, O&H are much farther to the left than he is and would do much more damage than McCain. On the issues where he is not, the WOT, taxes, abortion, etc., the differences are stark and this does not even take into count extended issues like judicial appointments.
So why are you working so hard, so viscerlly, so nasty, to turn votes against McCain? If you truly feel as you do than go sit out November or cast your vote for your 3rd party candidate. That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is why you push for a McCain and GOP loss.
It may be as simple as "misery loves company". It may be that you validate your own position by getting others to believe as you do. It may be that there are some dem propaganda plants on FR. I don't know but I sure would like to and I know others do as well.
Just simply an amazing post.
BUMP
Thank you. And thanks for your support for the MIA folks and their families.
“You can rest assured that those of us that warned you about the coming debacle will have a lot more class than you when McAmnesty’s defeat happens on 11/07/08.”
Can you display the class for me? I plan to point and laugh.
Excellent post.
McCain is a skunk...but I think at least he will kill terrorists. Obamasamalamadingdong and Hitliary will kiss their feet. I only have one vote to give. This country may be doomed regardless of who is elected unless we get Congross under Conservative control.
We The People deserve better choices for President than we got . The MEDIA SELECTED McCain for us...Duncan and Fred, they coulda been contenders!
The appeasers here will spend the next 4-8 years blaming us when they should be blaming the Republican apparatus for taking the easy way out on illegal immigration and all of the rest....
John could have signed on to the large tax cuts, and we would have joined him to fight for spending cuts.
As is generally the case with McCain though, he sticks his thumb in our eye, then gets huffy if we don't support him.
They’re starting to remind me of Kerry voters. They didn’t like him but they didn’t care as long as it meant beating Bush. Numbers in primaries didn’t matter because they said the polls said otherwise.
Looks like republicans will be the ones crying in the rain screaming count all 88.
BTTT
They're a big deal, and no. But I don't trust McCain on court nominees either; I see him going for "consensus" nominees like Souter and Kennedy.
As to the overall question of what to do, of course I don't want a Hilldog or Ubama presidency; they would be unmitigated disasters for the country. But I think McCain would be nearly as big a disaster for the country in the short term (during his term in office), and a much bigger disaster for conservatism, which would cause further harm for years or decades beyond his presidency.
In short, I don't like our choices at all. I think reasonable people can decided to support McCain as the lesser of the evils, which he probably is, by most measures. But I think it's also reasonable to take into account what it will do if we send the GOP the message that nominating a conservative-hating "maverick" is just fine with us, and what it will do if such a nominee goes down in flames. Mostly, I'm just hoping and praying that something happens between now and the convention, and we somehow end up with someone else - someone decent - as the nominee.
Thank you Grunther. I appreciate it.
I will tell you why I will not vote for McCain. I have no interest in keeping anyone out of office, only in voting someone into office that I can be proud and confident to cast my vote for. I am only Republican by the fact that the GOP has been the party that more closely represents my views and goals. This election cycle has shown me that the Republican party is moving away from me.
I have no intentions of rewarding them with my vote. If or when they get their act back together and nominate men of good character and good conservative principles, I will vote for them again. Until then, they deserve the thrashing that is in store for them this Nov. Too bad,so sad.
God love ya. You expressed my opinion to a T.
Good post.
“Do you really want hillary or Obama with that much power?”
Or Obama with that much power and Hillary sitting on the Supreme Court? (ouch)
My hope lies with the 2010 Congressional elections. If McCain is defeated, the Republican party might actually loft a few conservatives so we can retake the House and Senate. Otherwise, (d) or (r) victory, this nation will move left substantially for four instead of two years.
Since when is being the coauthor, IE" McCain (his love bud)/Kennedy, for amnesty just talking about it.
You’re more optimistic than I am. With the public education system being what it is, and with our liberal radicalized universities, I’m afraid we’ll be moving left for many more years.
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