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.
The Gipper got it right, as usual.
Unlike your stance, I do believe the Gipper had it right. He was more conservative than the Democrats and he had a viable alternative that was more conservative, the Republicans.
On the other hand if you don't feel the Republicans are Conservative enough what viable alternative do you have that might be as productive as the Gippers switch to the Republicans?
The answer ....... NONE
I'll stand by what I said.
and Ronald Reagan, NOMINATED O’Connor & Kennedy.
Of course, but the McCainics are saying to us that we must rvote foe him because he will put forth conservative judges, and I am pointing out that his record on this is not ... good.
Reagan had a ton of other qualities and stood on his own merits. - He didn’t have supporters that whined that we had to vote for him because he wasn’t as bad as the other guy.
“how un-realistic it would be to just “enforce the law”.”
Oh, not only are we supposed to bow down to the Gop elephant, but now it’s “un-realistic to enforce the law”?
You McCain lovers, (Not You, Calcowgirl), are real good at pulling boogeymen out of the closet to scare people so they will back this Rino POS. Well here’s a scary story for all of you. If ANY of the three top contenders get into office, say hello to 30,000,000 new liberal, welfare sucking, un-American, citizens.
And you have dreams for “another day” for any Conservative party, after that influx. Dream on. We all better hold the Gop’s feet directly to the fire for an alternative, or this is it.
FYI, I never had a candidate but I would have voted for more than half of those running in the primary. McCain, however, didn't make the cut. McCain, as a Republican, can do more damage in advancing the liberal agenda than a democrat facing strong opposition.
You can whine and call others names all you want. I doubt it will do you much good.
Actually I am not trying to change your mind, I think I have about as much chance of doing that as reasoning with a granite block.
I would also submit to you that I am not whining or calling names. I am simply discussing the actions of some people who choose to not participate and then put some high flying, faulty reasoning on their decision to whine. See I think the people knocking McCain are the whiners, big time. Especially those that want to pick up their marbles and run home.
In reality in the long run the Republican Party may be better off without conservatives, like you apparently are, that are fair weather Republicans that sulk when they don't get their way.
As to McCain doing more harm to the Republican Party that Obama or Hillary, that is a cop out for folks like you who need an excuse.pAgain I'm not trying to change your mind or whine, I'm simply letting you know in what contempt I hold the opinion you are expressing.
Have a good day.
“Because we are talking about McCain, not Obama, and if you are trying to tell me that McCain is going to put forth better judges than Ginsburg, I am going to look at his record of nominating ... judges”
_____________________________________________________
Neither McCain nor Obama have ‘nominated’ judges; as Senators they don’t have that perogative. However, you won’t have to go very far back to find that Obama voted against both Roberts and Alito, whereas McCain voted for, and strongly supported, both of them.
As for “changing subjects” you must be losing track of the conversation. It’s exactly the point I made in my initial post which you objected to.
“...Kicking conservatives to the curb and religious cleansing of the Repub party are the Billy crowd’s longtime obsession...”
Maybe so, but I have a feeling that the moving companies in D.C. will be working 24 hours a day 7 days a week after the general election. Moving Republicans back to their home states and districts.
>>>if McCain/Huckabee ran as a ticket, they would be unbeatable.
Who wants a Christian Califate run by a leftist military dictator?
Why not nominate GOP leadership that will shut down the borders and reduce government? And, make them young and attractive so they can compete for the younger voters against callow Osama Obama.
crybabies ... spoiled children ...
Goes to credibility, your honor. The witness has none.
See I think the people knocking McCain are the whiners, big time. Especially those that want to pick up their marbles and run home.
See above.
McCain is the right man for the times. Strong on cutting spending and strong on national defense
"Strong on cutting spending"? Ha ha, stop you're killing me. McCnutts amnesty will be the largest tax earmark in history.
"Strong on defense"? Why isn't this powerful Senator doing anything other than talking about closing the border during a time of war? He could be helping himself by doing something now.
"McCain is the right man for the times"?
How much are you McCain supporters donating to his campaign?
McCnutts is going nowhere without the support of the Conservatives he shiites on daily.
crybabies ... spoiled children ...
Goes to credibility, your honor. The witness has none.
See I think the people knocking McCain are the whiners, big time. Especially those that want to pick up their marbles and run home. See above.
Kind of cute, but meaningless.
Describing one's actions is certainly not calling names. Acting like crybabies and spoiled children is an apt description of people letting us know loudly they are not going to vote for McCain.
Pointing that out is not whining but just describing the event.
Credibility? Let me see the so called base here that calls McCain, McLame among other things certainly lacks credibility, address this to them.
But mostly just understand again that I'm just describing the actions of some here, if it fits you and it bothers you that's just kind of tough!
In a word...yes (except for a few idiots).
Yep, a picture’s worth a thousand words.
Your use of the word "support" is a far reach. McCain is the one that criticized Alito and said he might not vote for him because "he wore his conservatism on his sleeve."
Yep, some say that. They're liars.
Agreed,It would not hurt my feelings to see both of “our” senators go down to defeat in their next elections.They are what is wrong with the republican party that I used to belong to.
You’re right, I think.
But Obama says we should have hope, so here’s hoping McCain will pick a conservative.
‘Course, McCain says Hillary! would make a good President.
I may very well vote for her, since she has his endorsement.
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.