Posted on 05/15/2008 12:49:48 PM PDT by Jeff Gordon
Soul searching Republicans are turning to an unlikely savior, one-time party heretic and now presumptive White House nominee John McCain, as they try to stave off an electoral disaster.
Stung by the Democratic seizure of three staunch conservative seats in Congress, Republican lawmakers fear a shellacking in November's general election, after losing control of both chambers of Congress in 2006.
The rise of McCain as their champion is not without irony, since the 71-year-old Arizona senator has quarreled with his own party for years on issues as diverse as immigration, campaign finance reform and global warming.
But it is precisely that independent streak that is drawing Republicans to his coattails, hoping he can cleanse them of the stain of gridlocked Washington.
Eric Cantor, Republican chief deputy whip in the House of Representatives, told reporters that the McCain brand was healthier than that of his party.
"John McCain is a demonstrated vote getter among independents, and his message and what he will be able to do in this election is extremely important."
House Republican minority leader John Boehner told Fox News that with McCain at the top of the ticket, his demoralized party might spring a surprise in November.
"I think that we're going to do a lot better than people think," Boehner said.
"John McCain appeals to almost all Republicans. He also appeals to a wide array of independents and conservative Democrats."
Democrat Travis Childers on Tuesday won Mississippi's first congressional district, one of the safest Republican seats in the country, following his party's recent special election wins in Illinois and Louisiana.
The win was another triumph for the strategy of matching socially conservative Democrats, who often oppose abortion and back gun rights, to conservative districts, where Republicans would normally ease to victory.
As they surveyed the damage Wednesday, Republican House leaders rolled out the first elements of a new agenda, dubbed "The Change You Deserve," pinpointing the struggles of working families.
Significantly, a key player in their press conference was Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief who is now one of McCain's most visible economic advisors.
Democrats see their win streak as a referendum on the unpopular president and dream of an electoral landslide after a Washington Post/ABC poll this week found eight in ten Americans think the country is on the wrong track.
Tom Cole, who heads Republican congressional campaign efforts, delivered an unusually stark warning, telling his party's candidates "to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall."
But Adam Putnam, chairman of the House Republican conference, suggested Republicans could prosper without their president up for reelection.
"The President is not on the ballot," he said.
Top Democrats will not let them creep silently out of Bush's shadow.
"What happened in Mississippi was a day for reckoning for the failed policies of the Bush administration," said Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the House Democratic campaign committee.
And he said McCain, who recorded a message for the defeated Republican candidate in Mississippi, had failed to save his party.
"They thought he would be a life preserver, he wasn't -- he was an anchor."
Democratic House majority leader Steny Hoyer meanwhile mocked the new Republican slogan, "The Change You Deserve," saying it had already been used to market an anti-depressant medicine.
Democrats, who seized control of both chambers of Congress in 2006, are looking to expand their 37-seat majority in the House, and increase their tally in the 100-seat Senate from the current 51.
Republicans are particularly bracing for losses in the Senate, since in what was already shaping up as a bad year they have 23 seats up for reelection compared to only 12 for the Democrats.
McPain, is no Moses! Let the lemmings follow the piper, they will all drop off the cliff with the false prophet.
McPain,and his vision is a F’en nightmare.
Actually, I foresee Obama as the political savior of the Republican Party. After he is elected and tanks the economy, causes the fall of Iraq, sends the price of oil over $200/barrel, and stands idly by while the Israelis take on the Iranians, then “maybe” The Great Unwashed will remove it's head from the sand and vote “Right”...
The Republican party should change its symbol to a dinosaur. A stupid creature, incapable of learning anything, heedless of any warning signs, lumbering along on its way to extinction.
“So much for ‘electability’, eh?”
I talk to a lot of people here in Indiana about the upcoming election. Right or wrong here’s what I’m hearing:
Republicans and this administration are responsible for:
1)Getting us into a “no win” war.
2)Jobs being exported.
3)Illegal immigrants taking the jobs that are left.
4)High gas prices.
McCain addresses all of the above.. with exactly the WRONG answers in the opinion of most people I talk to.
Republicans will be absolutely slaughtered in the upcoming elections.
We probably deserve it.
Iscariot, it seems, but no saviour.
He will take the Republican Party out into the left field cheap seats.
Well, good luck with that!
Most FReepers can't even identify the competition, so how on earth would you expect the general populace of Republican voters to "crush the competition"?
Sounds good, though.
I hope you are speaking rhetorically.
I do not think it is a joke, and I'm not laughing.
I'm also not "sitting on my butt", either.
My friends and I communicate with our respective Congressman, other opinion leaders, hand out reading materials, show videos, and man information booths.
And you're welcome.
McMedia, by his actions and voting has made the answer to your question crystal clear.
For the first time ever, I’ll be voting Democrat this election....the moderate Democrat McCain over the race-pandering, class warfare Marxist Obama.
Well I am Designer. Did you hear that the Farm bill passed today?
I know there are good conservatives fighting. Is anyone listening?
Groceries are going up again, the GOP went along with the RATs. Are they on our side, are they listening? The joke is that people are sitting here thinking that if they just vote for McCain, all will get better. Don’t think so.
You, obviously are not one of those I am speaking of, but I bet you know who is.
I’m online with folks who are in it to win it—and optimistic at that.
That sounds reasonable. As for me, I will never vote for McQueeg again, after having voted for him more than once for Senator. My quota’s used up. I’ve also learned to appreciate the argument that as long as we hold our noses and vote for Pubbies, then all we’ll get are candidates we have to hold our noses for. For Cyber Liberty, the holding stops this cycle.
Dems have a 35% registration and the GOP 25%. That leaves 40% in the middle who could fall either way but one thing is sure, they are not registered republicans or democrats because they don't see eye to eye with either.
Everyone wants to see another Reagan but that may never happen or at least not in our lifetime, so people should get over it. Reagan was castigated by the left and in the news and only won because Carter was so bad. His ratings were very low until he got shot, and I hate to say it but when that happened it turned everything around for Reagan because now he became something like a martyr that nobody could touch effectively.
So people need to get over this belief that the perfect candidate is going to fall in our lap that the whole country will love. We need to expect getting lukewarm national politicians, being thankful for the issues we can count on them for and working our butts off when they stray from the reservation, like what happened with Meyers and shamnesty.
People need to start thinking of their politicians as tools instead of personal messiahs. You got to work a tool to get something out of it.
Pelosi's not as dumb as you'd think. She's wisely picking off these Republican districts with conservative-leaning Democrats. She doesn't care, as long as they have a "D" after their name. They'll be appropriately assimilated into the collective after they arrive in Washington.
I am voting for Duncan Hunter. I will not be swayed by the ‘wasting your vote’ carp. (sic on purpose)
PLEASE CAN’T EVERYONE SEE? THIS ELECTION YEAR IS ALREADY SCRIPTED AND PLANNED!
We are just pawns for the ‘elite’ elected. They want our vote,not our values.
You know me too well to believe I'm one of the "My perfect guy or the highway" FReeple. I'm not one to let the perfect become the enemy of the good, but McQueeg is too far from even "good" (let alone "perfect")for me to vote for him. That train left the station over 10 years ago.
“Shaken Republicans look to McCain as savior”
Dear God how far that party has fallen.
If Fiorina represents the kind of change that the GOP wants, they deserve a flogging.
McCain has already rejected conservatives.
He is counting on the competition to vote for him.
How do you crush something that you pander to?
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.