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.
No. But McCain sure is!
McCain at Texas rally, 2/29/08, Video:
"By the way, next time you see one of these negative attack ads,
that disparage people's character and priciple, look and see if
it is one of these--quote--527s. They are distorting the entire
political process and they need to be outlawed."
It is the rinos that wont support McCain. The true conservatives are already endorsing him.
Oh you are such a realist! does your message penetrate the anti McCain and pro Hillary/Obama rinos? explain their rational of believing a vote against McCain will teach the GOP a lesson? it’s a no brainer to vote for John McCain against the two fascists on the far left.
Why not? If there were twelve million shoplifters on the loose conservatives wouldn't just throw in the towel and legalize petty theft or give them a blanket pardon. I don't want them to "come in out of the shadows", as Ted Kennedy always says. Keeping them illegal discourages more illegals from coming, amnesty gives every new illegal hope for a third amnesty. The first one was enough of a mistake. I don't want any reruns.
Wow! This is a guy who has already started dismantling our constitution, who has constantly kissed democRAT's asses and screwed our party, and you say something totally stupid like that.
You better lay off the GOP Koolaid.
Facts are Ollie North endorsed McCain, Sen George Allen endorsed McCain, Gary Bauer endorsed McCain, 100 top brass military admirals and generals endorsed McCain, Newt endorsed McCain, Rove is even supporting McCain along with Nancy Reagan saying she adores him, Michael Reagan, President Bush 41,Ambassador John Bolton, Trent Lott, Sen Brownback and more..so are they into the kool aid too? I think not, I believe its the rinos that will not support him.
The kool aid slams are getting boring.
That's what the party hacks said about gun owners and anti-tax conservatives when the first Bush betrayed them.
How did that work out for them?
I'm not impressed by the endorsements of party loyalists and professional pundits. I'm a conservative first. If conservatives aren't welcome in the new Republican party you're celebrating the birth of so be it. I am not loyal to the party, I am loyal to principles. If the party abandons most of what I believe in it won't have my support. Everyone has a breaking point and mine has been reached.
If Hillary switched parties and became McCain's running mate would you still vote for him?
Moderates are like Forrest Gump, feathers in the wind. It will take very little media hot air to blow them over to Obama.
How did that work out for them?
I'm not impressed by the endorsements of party loyalists and professional pundits. I'm a conservative first. If conservatives aren't welcome in the new Republican party you're celebrating the birth of so be it. I am not loyal to the party, I am loyal to principles. If the party abandons most of what I believe in it won't have my support. Everyone has a breaking point and mine has been reached.
If Hillary switched parties and became McCain's running mate would you still vote for him?
Where to start, where to start?
Let me see, Party hacks, party loyalists, you are big into name calling huh?
Part one, things worked out so bad that the Republicans took Congress in 94 and we've had a President for the last 8 years.
I don't see where Conservatives are not welcome, some extreme conservatives seem to feel that way but for the most part they are the radical wing of the conservative movement.
You know the question about Hillary becoming McCains running mate is so far out there is no answer for that. Just ain't going to happen.
Of course she would! Don't you see that big "R" next to his name?
She did inspire me to change my tagline though.
I've heard Hillary say she wants to secure the border. That doesn't mean she will. A balanced budget is one of those clever politician promises. There are two basic approaches to balancing a budget. Cutting spending or raising taxes. Eliminating earmarks alone won't balance the budget. What social programs would he cut?
Both Bush I and Clinton used the deficit to justify their big tax increases.
Ahhh, but Obama is an extreme liberal and he doesnt even try to hide it.
It gets exhausting pointing out everywhere this guy is WRONG! (Oh yeah - he buys into the global warming fraud too.)
If I'm a "radical", you're a CINO.
BTW - He's already said that if that last amnesty bill comes across his desk as president, HE'LL SIGN IT! So don't be blindsided. Oh - wait - YOU'RE supporting him, so that didn't bother you the FIRST time around.
Defeating McCain will bring us a more conservative congress in 2010 and a more conservative president by 2016 at the latest. Exactly my point!
Yes he does. Read his website. He's offering a middle class tax cut! And the liberal media won't point out how liberal he is so the moderates will buy it.
Moderates are pawns.
Moderates rejected Kerry.
Obama is another extreme liberal senator.
Democrats have had little luck with those.
Moderates, in addition to swallowing whatever the media feeds them, are swayed by superficial charisma. Bush beat Kerry in likability. Does anyone seriously believe that McCain is more likable than Obama?
Bush beat Kerry because we are at war.
I don't have to like every point that a candidate makes to understand that he's better than the person he's running against.
McCain was never my first choice, but he's head and shoulders above Obama and Hillary.
But I'm wasting my time here.
By they way the survey on the front page of Free Republic shows 62% of Freepers will vote for McCain. That number will only go up as we get closer to the election.
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