Lowry: For Republican McCain, the center did not hold

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 2008-11-07 | Rich Lowry

[rabscuttle385]

Republicans are consoling themselves by telling anyone who will listen that we still live in a "center-right country." They're right. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've lost the center.

According to exit polls, Barack Obama won moderates by a whopping 21 points on Tuesday, 60-39 percent. That more than doubled John Kerry's nine-point margin over George W. Bush among moderates in 2004.

The ideological composition of the electorate was remarkably unchanged from 2004. The percentage of self-identified conservatives and moderates -- the center-right -- held steady. Conservatives were 34 percent of voters and moderates 44 percent, with liberals the smallest slice of the electorate at 22 percent. John McCain underperformed Bush by six points among conservatives, but getting trounced in the country's great middle doomed him.

[MartinStyles]

Bush was damn lucky to win 04, since he’s just not a conservative. Republicans have to stop running and governing from the middle. People get used to that and then can’t tell the difference for awhile when a democrat runs in the middle.. Until he governs left, then the damage is done for awhile.

[igoramus08]

I think it was McCain’s lack of attacks against clear targets and the mass media being in the tank for Obama.

He had to either destroy Obama in the debates, or destroy Obama through his associations and record and McCain did neither. McCain failed to straight talk and failed to name names.

[Rocko]

Doesn’t sound like the PUMAs turned out in the numbers they assured us they would either.

At least some tried, but McCain just torked off too many people.

[FreeFromLiberalizm]

“According to exit poll..”

F&*$# the poll!

[counterpunch]

It wasn't a lack of attacks, it was a lack of defense for what his party stands for.
McCain gave no one a compelling reason to vote for him.
That left the ball completely in 0bama's court to do with as he pleased. If he managed to get enough people to be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, he won.
And that is exactly what happened.

The GOP needs someone who has both the ability and the desire to articulate Republican ideas.
Then, and only then, will they begin winning elections again.
 

[beaversmom]

I just read an article that stated the PUMA’s did show up. It was too many conservatives that stayed home.

[CitizenUSA]

This article highlights the foolishness of letting moderates run the party. I mean, they are certainly welcome to vote Republican, but they shouldn’t be setting policy. I don’t know how we can purge these squishy RINOs, but purge them we must if we ever truly want to move the country to the right.

Conservatism requires belief in social conservatism, small government, and individual liberty. No one is truly conservative who demeans one of these three ideals at the expense of the others. All are required!

Show me someone who claims to be a fiscally conservative social liberal, and I’ll show you someone who holds mutually exclusive views. You cannot get fiscal conservatism in a nation that rejects social conservatism. Fiscal conservatism is only possible when the citizens discipline themselves to behave in moral ways.

By the same token, big government social conservatives are on a fool’s errand. Big government provides the safety net that encourages foolish and/or immoral behavior. Asking government to fix people’s souls is like asking an arsonist to put out a fire.

[Polybius]

Republicans are consoling themselves by telling anyone who will listen that we still live in a "center-right country."

America is a "center" country but the pendulum swings between "Center-Right" and "Center-Left".

Let's face facts. George W. Bush was the "Far Less Than Great Communicator". The man never inspired the country. He never explained to the country why it was important not to lose the Iraq War. He never bothered to even defend himself in regards to Katrina and you never heard a single word about these from the White House.

Then, we also had a Republican Congress for 6 years spending money like a drunken sailor.

So, after eight years, the 60% of the country that is to the left of us conservatives was sick and tired of "Republicans", "Conservatives" and the horse we rode in on.

Thus, the country is now "Center-Left".

If Obama keeps his promises to the Left, he will take America down the toilet and, four years from now, America will then become "Center-Right".

If Obama breaks his promises to the Left and moves to the right, as Clinton did, things might not be so bad after four years and the country will then stay "Center-Left" for the time being.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Well, the San Francisco Democrats have moved out into the suburbs, fired up the grill and settled down into the patio furniture...heard some woman claiming to be a Republican on C-Span this morning, saying she voted for Obama because she went to some of his campaign events and some of McCain's, and Obama's were more "inclusive" - we have to have more women and minorities in the party she stated - hello, there was a woman on the Republican ticket, this administration has had hispanics at all levels including Attorney General, and blacks at all levels, including two as Secretary of State, one of whom turned his back on the party - no one is excluded from the Republican party except those who want to exclude themselves - but at least we seem to getting rid of some of the dumb ones......

[Just mythoughts]

Republicans are consoling themselves by telling anyone who will listen that we still live in a "center-right country." They're right. That's the good news. The bad news is that they've lost the center.

Moderates finally exposed... It now makes total sense why lord McCain operatives are plotting the destruction of Sarah. None of them can admit the one who got the nomination via the supposed moderate vote then could not get them to elect him.

And once again it will be the moderate elitist who will jut out their all knowing jaws and point their accusing finger to the Sarah conservatives for making them vote Bama.

[CitizenUSA]

joesbucks: “McCain tried to run to the right and cozy up to the people he has always been least comfortable with.”

You’ll have to back that up with some examples!

McCain hardly ran to the right. The bailout? Buying up mortgages so deadbeats can stay in their homes? Promising to push for amnesty once the border is secure (or if Congress sends him the bill without a secure border)? What’s so conservative about that?

[hinckley buzzard]

I think you're analysis is pretty accurate. McCain had no consistent discipline or focus. His run to Washington before the NOLA debate was futile because he had no plan and Dingy Harry, a joke who would be ridiculed out of town by any real state, ate his lunch for him--literally told him to get the hell out of Washington-- and guess what-- he did.

He arrived at the debate Friday night with nothing to say about the economic crisis: no position, no plan, nothing. Squat. He had made such a big deal about going, and it ended in Complete Collapse. And his campaign never recovered.

[CitizenUSA]

You’re right! McCain’s biggest constituency is the media, and even they dropped him like a hot potato!

[MtnClimber]

Agreed completely! And the McCain campaign muzzled Palin. Like being in a fist fight and having the do-gooders holding your hands behind your back so you can’t hit the bully back as they freely pummel you!

[Just mythoughts]

The fact that Tom DeLay is NOT the most despised says much about what is wrong with the Republican Party.

Yep there you go.... Now exactly what is it you despise about Tom DeLay???

[Cacique]

btt

[joesbucks]

Falwell and Hagey for starters after calling them agents of intolerance in 2000.

I will give him some brownie points for pretty much ignoring Dobson, but did find favor with Richard Land and some others.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Unregisterd lobbyist for Chi-Com sweatshop owner on Marianas.

Unrepentant earmarker and junket-whore.

In bed with Abramoff, Norquist, and Ralph Reed.

[hinckley buzzard]

Face reality. George W Bush, for whom I voted twice, like his father, never gave a damn one way or the other about the future of the GOP or the nation. They are the elite and are above all that.

As a lifelong Republican I hope I never see another f*ing chickensh*t Bush on the ballot.

[Monti Cello]

McCain never presented a coherent alternative vision.

He couldn't - his entire career was based on defusing the notion of principled conservatism - while he had a generally conservative voting record, he continually offered rhetorical cover for libs who held that conservatism needed dilution.

He was left without a strong leg to stand on, and ran his campaign in neutral, trying to simply occupy the center ground, but lacking a compelling argument for himself.