“In short, McCain was absolutely the worst GOP nominee since, perhaps, Thomas E. Dewey”.
No, I’d say Nixon was our worst nominee wouldn’t you? But he kept Humphrey and McGovern out of the big chair, his two only shining achievements. Yes McCain’s defeat can’t be placed squarely at the feet of social cons, he pissed of many factions but dammit we should have all pulled together and kept Obama out of office. Because it comes down to this, any republican is better than any democrat. When the nominee is picked, it is up to the base to get 100% behind him. Obama just proves my point.
My impression is that, Watergate aside, Nixon was actually a reasonably effective President. At least on the foreign affairs front. As he promised, we got out of Viet Nam and gained "peace with honor". He opened the door to China. And he achieved detente with the USSR. Positive steps all. He can't be held responsible for what the Democrt Congress and Jimmeh Cahtuh did to screw it up after he left.
Oh, and not only that, he won! Twice!
[McCain] pissed of many factions but dammit we should have all pulled together and kept Obama out of office. Because it comes down to this, any republican is better than any democrat. When the nominee is picked, it is up to the base to get 100% behind him.
Agreed. That is the way it ought to work. But it's never worked that way...and it never will.
Fact is, if the Republican party and the Republican nominee want the base's support, they've got to do a few minimal things to earn it.
The GOP Congress seemed committed to doing the very opposite of what they'd been sent to Washington to do. Thus, the loss of the majority in '06 and further losses in '08.
Moreover, they can't incessantly kick the base in the teeth -- as McCain seemed particularly fond of doing -- and expect our enthusiastic support.
It's not just their votes that the party needs to be after. It also needs our enthusiastic support. And our money. They did little in the last cycle to warrant either.
I guess what I'm saying is that, not only does the base have a responsibility to support the nominee, the party and the nominee have a responsibility to speak for and act toward that base. Politics works both ways...
Yeah, I can certainly blame the Republicans who stayed home. But I can also blame the party and the nominee who utterly failed to earn their support.