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.
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.
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.
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? 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.
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, 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.
McCain is certifiable with anger issues. I don't want someone who quotes Star Wars movies in charge of the nuke button.