Posted on 03/01/2008 3:04:41 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
John McCain could officially wrap up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, and he'll celebrate in Atlanta on Thursday.
As the GOP establishment in Georgia begins to align behind the presumptive nominee, trouble still lingers among some conservative voters who doubt McCain's bona fides.
Those skeptical voters ultimately could determine McCain's fate. Do they stay home? Do they vote Democrat instead?
Tom Nesbitt is not sure what he's going to do. A retired postal worker from Turner County, the 66-year-old Republican voter said he's "disgusted" with his party in general and McCain in particular.
"I have not yet decided whether I will, at the last moment, vote for McCain, sit this one out or, out of complete disgust for the Republican Party's lack of consideration, vote for another candidate," Nesbitt said.
McCain, an Arizona senator, is expected to pass the delegate threshold to secure the nomination after Tuesday's primaries in Ohio and Texas. Although former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee remains in the race, McCain has a lock on the top slot on the ticket.
Huckabee won Georgia's Feb. 5 primary, in part because of his strength among evangelical voters, many of whom look at McCain with dismay.
Still, some say conservatives' ire toward McCain has been exaggerated and that he has been unfairly painted as a moderate or liberal by the media or by those who simply don't like him.
In Georgia, at least, it seems unlikely that apathy among conservatives toward McCain could trigger a Democratic victory. Georgia last went for a Democrat for president in 1992 and has been trending Republican ever since.
Besides history, McCain has other reasons for optimism in Georgia.
First is Thursday's $1,000-a-plate reception at the Westin Buckhead with host Gov. Sonny Perdue, who did not endorse a candidate in the primary. Joining Perdue on the host committee are nearly every top elected Republican in the state, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who also did not endorse in the primary, and House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), who backed McCain after first choice Rudy Giuilani dropped out.
McCain also has the support of Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss. The state's two Republican U.S. senators endorsed their Senate colleague late in the primary campaign, while most U.S. House members went for Huckabee or Mitt Romney. Chambliss is on the ballot in November, too, and it will benefit him to have a strong presidential candidate above him, so Chambliss will be expected to work to bring conservatives back into the GOP fold.
Alec Poitevint, who led McCain's Georgia campaign, said there's no question the GOP will unite behind McCain.
"Absolutely," Poitevint said, "he's a proven leader in a difficult time. And he's the right man to be president now, and I think our people in Georgia understand that."
The primary season is over, he said, and Republicans typically put aside their differences for the good of the party in November.
Shawn Davis, who led Huckabee's Georgia campaign, agrees.
Huckabee will eventually give way, Davis said, and the Arkansan's supporters will back the nominee.
"We believe to win in November it's imperative to have a conservative on the ticket," Davis said. "Once Governor Huckabee releases his 51 delegates to McCain, presumably after his last stand in Texas (on Tuesday), you will see all Georgia Republicans unite strongly behind John McCain."
Some conservatives' anger toward McCain lingers.
A recent report from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 78 percent of white, born-again Protestants voted for George W. Bush over Democrat John Kerry in 2004. But, wrote John Green, Pew's senior fellow in religion and American politics, McCain "may have some trouble achieving that level of support from white evangelicals given that a majority of them preferred other candidates in the primaries."
If the race is close, a drop in support from such a key component of the Republican base could be damaging.
Exit polls taken from the Georgia primary give McCain reason for concern. He lost badly to Huckabee, and in some cases to third-place finisher Romney, among those who identified themselves as either somewhat conservative or very conservative. Among Republican voters who said they chose a candidate who shares their values, McCain got 15 percent, compared with 51 percent for Huckabee and 31 percent for Romney.
Don Neunaber, a physical therapist in Lilburn, looks at his choices in November and is conflicted.
"I haven't yet decided whether I can vote for McCain," Neunaber said. Note the use of the word "can." It's not "whether I will vote" for McCain. It's "whether I can" vote for him. That difference indicates a deeper, more personal level of frustration.
Neunaber finds the choice excruciating.
"I am faced with a real dilemma as a Republican," he said. "I am stuck between adversaries."
Such strong feelings stem from a series of frustrations and perceived betrayals. Neunaber specifically mentioned McCain's support for the failed immigration bill that many conservatives considered amnesty for illegal immigrants.
In the face of loud and angry response from many voters, McCain backed off his support for the measure. But, Neunaber said, McCain later told a television interviewer that he would sign a similar bill if elected president.
"He's playing to conservatives, trying to move to the conservative side, but he's not that much of a conservative when it comes down to it," Neunaber said.
Others criticize McCain for his sponsorship of campaign finance reform they say stifles the political power of pro-family groups. Others, such as the powerful Club for Growth, don't like his economic policies.
Helen Slater of Marietta, a secretary at Lockheed Martin Corp., voted for Romney in the Feb. 5 Georgia primary. Romney dropped out shortly after finishing third here. Slater will vote for McCain in November.
"Although he certainly is not my choice for the Republican nominee, I still feel like he is the lesser of three evils," she said, noting that the other two "evils" would be Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Jim Beck, chairman of the Georgia Christian Coalition, said more and more Republicans displeased with McCain will come to the conclusion that McCain is the best option available to them.
"You're already seeing it," Beck said. "Based on our e-mail traffic, some Huckabee people are waiting (to publicly back McCain) out of respect for him. At the end of the day, you have to pick between imperfect people."
McCain was not Beck's first choice. That becomes less important in November, he said.
"Look at the alternative," he said.
Plus, Beck said, McCain could gain independents and moderates to offset any loss of conservatives.
"McCain offers appeal to swing voters that would not have been the case with Huckabee or Romney," Beck said.
In the end, however, "I don't think McCain will turn off the base," Beck said.
Nesbitt, the Turner County Republican, would disagree.
"I am totally disgusted with them all, and have decided to call myself an independent, and will think twice before ever voting Republican again," he said.
Yep, the Kristol crowd think they are elite. They are the cheesiest most pathetic people around.
They see themselves as patriots, Hah, we know they are the most weak and sad people on this earth.
The Rooty-McCain connection is the problem with this election. They make it hard to tell the difference between them, and the likes of Hillary and Obama.
These people deserve a major revolt from the true patriots.
They just might get it.
Yep, 4 years of any of the current crop of candidates will be all it takes for a complete turnaround.
Oxymoron
“Voted YES to Ginsburg”
__________________________________________________________
As stated above, there is a huge difference between voting for a Supreme Court nominee and who you would nominate as a Supreme Court justice.
Because Chris Dodd voted for John Roberts as Chief Justice does not mean that he would nominate him for Chief Justice if he were President.
Obama voted against John Roberts, whereas this is exactly the type of justice McCain has not only voted for but would nominate in the future.
Look, McCain is bad enough without having to lie about him.
McCain voted YES to confirm Robert Bork.
How many bills has McCain sponsored with conservative senators vs. liberals (Kennedy, Feingold, etc) ? Juan, show me by what you do, not by what you say.
“He’s a democRAT - Look at his history.”
_______________________________________________
I suggest that perhaps you are the one who should look at the voting records. Obama scores a perfect 100 liberal voting record.
The choice is not between McCain and the perfect conservative. The choice is between McCain and Obama.
Great cartoon!
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/348_1987.pdf
Maybe getting their A$$e$ kicked will do the teaching?
“Let the democRATs OWN their failures, not have a RINO Republican (who does their bidding) to be their scapegoat.”
_________________________________________________________
Ah, so what’s important to you is who we can blame when things go wrong.
I think it more important to keep this country safe. I think it’s more important to not pay more in taxes. I think it’s more important that we have a judicial branch that interprets law, not make it up based on their personal beliefs.
There are a lot of things more important to me than who I get to blame for things I don’t like.
In the meantime, I'll take Hillary over the RINO. She's more conservative.
No.
This may come as a surprise to you and some of the other crybabies on this and other topics, but this Republican is completely disgusted with the spoiled children that are threatening to pick up their marbles and run home because their candidate didn't get nominated.
Frankly I think in the long run it is highly possible that the damage you and others will do is more to the more conservative part of the Republican party. If in this election many of you do sit out the election you may well convenience many that you are more hindrance that the base of the party.
What I have said in other posts, no one who bales out on this election has any reason to call themselves the base of the party.
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Sometimes we must choose what would be better for ourselves and our country even though we don’t like the choices.
Q: How much support do you think he has among the base of the Republican Party?
McCain’s mom: “I don’t think he has any.”
honestly believe that if McCain/Huckabee ran as a ticket, they would be unbeatable. Think about it:
________________________________________________
HUH??????????????????????
He doesn’t have my support, but I will vote for him, while holding my nose. Then, hopefully, we all hold his feet to the fire. Voting for him, and supporting him are two separate issues.
DITTO
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.