Posted on 10/05/2007 9:36:41 AM PDT by George W. Bush
I had some computer problems too several months ago.
Welcome back! :-)
Clearly the man for the times. The contrast of a man like McCain, the experience, the gravitas, the military experience, the independence, the straight talking etc with someone like Hillary or Obama would be amazing. He is the only GOP candidate, besides Huckabee perhaps, who the Dems would not be able to vilify.
Tax cuts? He supported the 1.2 trillion dollar version. Unlike Bush he would have made a balanced budget and killing pork priority one and the tax cuty priority two. A McCain presidency means maybe we own the mantle of fiscal conservatism again, not the nonsense we carried out the last 6 years. The only hope for fiscal responsibility is strong presidential leadership. Congress is a beast with a never ending appetite for money regardless of party. People like Coburn and Demint are the exception.
Keating 5? In todays world of scandals that’s a joke. And noone can credibly claim that McCain suffers from any kind of weakness on the issue of clean government today. The fact that a 30 year old minor scandal gets pulled up to attack him shows the weakness of the case against him. It’s especially disgusting to hear fellow conservatives resort to ridiculous tactics after what we’ve seen some of our jailed party members do the last few years. We need to clean ourselves of the Cunningham/Delay types and the only way to do it credibly and win independents is, yes, to clean house loud and clear which often means speaking against the party.
Gun grabbing? Please. That’s so absurd it doesn’t deserve a response. A McCain presidency will protect the 2nd.
Campaign finance reform? Really, who cares. It helps his bi-partisan image with independents and really is not a major issue of the day.
Amnesty? I disagree with him. But he has changed his tune now.
Gang of 14? That’s a perfect example of what we need to do. Conquer the middle ground in order to secure conservative positions. McCain is one of the reasons we have 2 new great judges on the court.
We need these kind of moves to have credibility in 2008, which is already a “hail mary” election. If you guys want to keep losing elections until you finally realize you will never get 100% of what you wan’t, go ahead. But I don’t want to hear any of you complaining about president Hillary or Obama. You can go in your corner with Duncan Hunter and the other 50 congressman and 25 senators who agree with you 95% of the time and whine and cry while the libs govern with what may become a super majority.
Personally, I’d rather go with a man of honor I agree with 80% of the time. A pro-life, military hero with an 80+ lifetime ACU rating. If the guys on this site find it proper to attack a man like this you deserve to lose. Enjoy the next couple of decades.
The endorsement impresses me not. So much bloviating blather from eight tired GOP stalwarts. They list problems to be dealt with and their solution is McCain’s “qualifications” and “enlightened” experience and leadership. As you haven’t, I have not forgotten some of McCain’s qualifications either; and, he’ll never ever get my vote. Your list of eight examples of his qualifications and enlightened leadership abilities are enough to make me retch.
He along with Teddy Atlas want to clean up pro Boxing.
They want to make all pro boxers join the teamster union.
Kneecap anyone.
Free Republic Opinion Poll:
Would you be for or against McCain?
Member Opinion
against 92.4% 2,989
for 7.6% 247
McCain and Stem Cell Research Round-up
SEN. JOHN McCAIN: THE ULTIMATE "RHINESTONE HERO"
SEN. JOHN McCAIN: THE ULTIMATE "RHINESTONE HERO" Part II
U.S. Sen. John McCain is no War Hero
John McCain: The Manchurian Candidat
McCain Is Booed by Labor Activists
McCain Rides to Kerry's Rescue: "John Kerry is Not Weak on Defense" (Today Show alert)
John McCain SCREAMS AT 9/11 FSA MEMBERS FOR OPPOSING HIS BILL TO GIVE AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS
A number of articles on McCain. (some the same as above)
McCain Seeks to Change California Primary
McCain/Soros by Rabbi Areyh Spero
Soros' "Reform" (an article about Soros instrumental hand in McCain/Feingold)
Not Childs Play [McCain/Schumer bill could effect FR?]
McCain's Letter (McCain aligns with Global Enviro activists)
The Turning Point on Global Warming (McCain and Lieberman Op-Ed Alert)
Climate bill sets stage for debate (Sens. McCain, Obama, and Lieberman join forces)
McCain: Global warming is fact, must be addressed [hurl alert]
McCain Looked into Caucusing with Democrats
McCain Still Disliked by Fiscal Conservatives (Club For Growth)
John McCain Goes Left for Money
McCain, Obama Make Deal on Financing
Sens. Snowe, Collins to head Maine exploratory committee for McCain
Double Talk Express. McCain in his own words. VIDEO
More YOUTUBE - McCain On Abortion (UH OH! YouTube Has a Video of Him in 1999)
Excellent analysis! Completely agree.
McCain passes the conservative litmus test on enough issues, but he has some moderate credentials that will help him win swing voters and independents.
I can put you on my McCain ping list if you like? I’d be happy to have a new member aboard! :^)
Welcome to FR, AFGeorge.
It kind of slays me to see so many people sling mud at McCain over McCain-Feingold. In truth, it should be called McCain-Feingold-Thompson-Bush. My reading indicates Thompson was key to its passage and Bush certainly signed it when they probably could not have withstood his veto. So Fred was for it. So was Giuliani. So was Romney. Probably everyone. Well, except that Republican no one likes around here. LOL.
McCain has enough merit that his threads at least shouldn’t be completely trolled on a conservative site. We have threads that are pro-Rudy and pro-Paul. If we have those, I don’t know why we can’t have McCain threads.
Looking through these McCain-hater posts, it makes me realize that this long primary has made FR kind of, well, over the top about these candidates. People don’t just come over and knock on the door for a chat (figuratively speaking). They ring the doorbells and throw acid in each others’ face.
I keep hoping people will get tired of this constant trolling and settle down to discussing the candidate’s actual merits, their influence on the party, on the race in ‘08, realistic chances to beat the Dims, their chances to bring at least the House back into GOP hands.
On your list of pluses for McCain, you missed that when the chips were down entirely against the war in Iraq, McCain stepped up and took a beating on that issue in the media and with the base. And yet, this forum with its focus on Iraq won’t give him the time of day.
He may be an old warhorse but he’s a relatively well-known quantity who would appear to have enough life in him to take the fight to the Hildebeest with a decent chance of beating her.
I’m not supporting him now though I certainly would in the general election. Since I’m in a late primary state, my opinion doesn’t matter that much anyway. But he is a serious candidate and, at the very least, deserves a hearing.
thanks, bfl
I agree. A McCain presidency while not ideal is still a hell of a lot better and more conservative than Guiliani. I don’t see why people don’t grasp that here. He still has an ACU rating of over 80%, and is a direct link to being a Reagan Republican.
George thanks for your reasoning and words. Anybody who thinks they would be sold out under a McCain presidency has not been paying attention the last 6 years. McCain is a Reagan conservative, and he deserves a second look in my opinion, especially since Thompson is wildly boring on the campaign trail.
My experience on FR is that freepers, like most Americans, care more about how a candidate sounds on TV than their ACTUAL record in office and what they've accomplished. Fred is a celeb who SOUNDS great giving rehersed,straight-shooter conservative soundbites on the radio,whereas McCain sounds grumpy,cocky,and arrogant,and mainly gets media attention when he disagrees with the GOP.So Freepers will rant and rave about McCain being an evil RINO traitor all day,and Fred being the new Reagan,no matter how many times you try to explain to these numbskulls that Fred is a huge McCain fan and SUPPORTED most of the ideas (amnesty for illegals,CFR,etc.)that they denounce as "treasonous" when McCain pushed it)
And wonder why they can't get any traction trying to lynch the more conservative Lindsey Graham in SC by arguing he needs to be drawn and quartered for his past support of amnesty & McCain.Kinda hard to make that point when they're simultaneously arguing Fred deserves a PROMOTION to leader of the free world when he did the EXACT same thing in office.They're ever go so far to scream "liar" if you point out that Fred & Lindsey agree on virtually every issue except Lindsey is a tad to the right of Fred in several areas(marriage protection amendment,Clinton Impeachment,abortion,etc.)
It's getting to the point I'm just going to have to post a detailed issue-by-issue analysis of both Fred & Lindsey to prove how swallow the sheeple are on this forum.
Oh, please. Get a clue. I'm not happy with several of McCain's positions but he has an lifetime conservative record of 82% and seems like Jesse Helms next to an real RINO like Rudy. Hard to imagine McCain ever marching in gay pride parades or giving keynote speeches at NARAL dinners.If you disagree,feel free to explain WHAT issues Rudy is "better" on, since that's the only way McCain would rank as the "most anti-Republican, Anti-Conservative candidate running"
Globalists for McCain!
He's voted for them but he's never seized the bull by the horns on tax reform either. He's had plenty of opportunities to introduce legislation reforming the tax code or limiting the size of gov't. Where is the legislation? Typical career Senator.
Keating 5?
Keating 5 led to phony campaign-finance reform, and shrugging off a scandal that taxpayers paid billions to clean up shouldn't be shrugged off.
Gun grabbing?
Supported the AWB, supporting banning "cheap" guns, requiring safety locks, background checks for gun shows.
Campaign finance reform?
Restricting conservative groups' free speech rights are OK with you?
Amnesty? I disagree with him. But he has changed his tune now.
Bull - he was one of the main players fighting for it just this past summer, him and his mini-me Lindsey Graham.
Gang of 14? Thats a perfect example of what we need to do. Conquer the middle ground in order to secure conservative positions. McCain is one of the reasons we have 2 new great judges on the court.
Wrong. It's a perfect example of feckless Republicans caving in to Rats when they had the majority.
We need these kind of moves to have credibility in 2008
Independents and definetly not libertarians aren't supporting McCain, they're already supporting Paul and Thompson.
Personally, Id rather go with a man of honor I agree with 80% of the time. A pro-life, military hero with an 80+ lifetime ACU rating. If the guys on this site find it proper to attack a man like this you deserve to lose.
McCain is certifiable with anger issues. I don't want someone who quotes Star Wars movies in charge of the nuke button.
Close, but McNutt is second to McRudy in the anti-conservative category.
Anyone who suffered through five and a half years in the Hanoi Hilton should damn well be listened to.
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