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.
You are living in a dream world if you believe this.
That was the point I made to that very comment. Moderates are simply Democrats who are embarrased to admit it. They will vote for B. Hussein at the first opportunity.
Not this one!
But I’m sure there are enough “SO Called” conservatives out there who are willing to kiss this old geezers a$$ so that they can say that they”TRIED”!
Screw the GOP...They are nothing but Pu$$ies!
McCain voted to confirm Bork. If someone tells you different, they are lying.
If you keep repeating that misinformation, you will also be lying.
Your forgetting that McCain gains with moderates though whatever he loses with stubborn conservatives.
______________________________________________________
Why would someone who is moderate vote for McKerry when they can get it all with B. Hussain Obama???
To bad they weren’t Republican votes though.
RINO McCain has said he wants to abolish waterboarding. He's talked about closing Gitmo and bringing those nice folks there into our courts and giving them LAWYERS.
The lawyers will get every bit of intel we have on their clients, as well as how we collected it. Then we can pussyfoot around while their lawyers debate the LEGALITY of how it was collected, ect. Without at least the threat of waterboarding, why should captured Achmed tell us anything? Without waterboard, how are we going to get him to spill his guts?
Now just how exactly is this going to accomplish anything positive in this war, keep us safe or even win? It's going to make us lose.
Does this sound very smart to you?
These are positions that RINO McCain has taken. WORDS MEAN THINGS!
The moderates have spoken! We can all go home now. Someone hit the lights.
There isn’t.
It’s McCain.
I am not exactly thrilled about this either you know.
But even with his many shortcomings, he is infinitely preferable to the Obamanation.
If you hold your nose and choose McCain, get used to it. You are encouraging more of the same from the GOP. Hope you like the stench.
“If you hold your nose and choose McCain, get used to it. You are encouraging more of the same from the GOP. Hope you like the stench.”
I watched for years, the democrats betray our troops on the battlefield.
I have listened to the words of both Hildabeast and Obamination with revulsion and disgust.
I WILL not vote in any way that allows them to gain power.
McCain is a major disappointment, but he is no traitor.
That;s it? That's your response? You just parrot your own assertion about his reputation for being against government waste? Wow.
Again, John McCain's amnesty will be the largest tax earmark in history. It's just stunning how you simply ignored my point about the devastating costs of amnesty to the US. taxpayer.
His authorship, along with Fat Teddy, of the amnesty bill is a fact, not just a "reputation". He also has a reputation for repeatedly stabbing conservatives in the back.
His wanting to move Al Queda terrorists from Gitmo to our courts system is no problem?
His betrayal of common sense on waterboarding has no impact on you, all because he has a "reputation for being against govermnment waaste?
Doesn't it bother you that you will endorse the end of the two party system and help create a permanent DemocRAT majority?
That said, vote your conscience. I know I will.
Regards
We still have 8 months. By everyone's willing acceptance of this RINO, it's just telling the GOP "Hey, throw any turd at us you want, as long as he has that big "R" next to his name."
If it comes down to RINO McCain or Obama, I imagine I'll hold my nose, prostitute my principles and pull the lever for the RINO. Then I'll be a CINO.
Obama will get us nuked.
Rinos will be the least of our worries with a few shroom clouds over major cities.
Makes the decision easy for me.
Unless you're a fan of Gitmo, seriously interrogating terrorists, free speech, border control, lower taxes and a gov't that spends less. Otherwise he really seems to get it.
Do you mind if I plagiarize that summation? I'm getting tired of typing out my longer explanations.
Feel free.
I don’t want to get nuked.
Sorry.
I think that is more important then bitching about rinos.
Getting nuked only lasts a second, but higher taxes last a lifetime!
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