Posted on 01/30/2008 5:55:30 AM PST by fulminatio
Ok. Like most posters here, I'm disappointed with the results of last night's Florida primary. I simply cannot understand the mindset of Republican voters who want McCain to be our standard-bearer.
HOWEVER, in the spirit of Reagan optimism, I thought it might be productive to posit some of the benefits of nominating McCain.
Don't get me wrong: I'm an "anyone but McCain" primary voter. Just thought it might be an interesting (and amusing) exercise.
Here are my top 5 reasons why McCain might be ok:
1) National Defense He will reinforce the GOP's reputation as the party of serious foreign policy. I have no doubt that McCain will continue to take the fight to Islamic terrorists and their state sponsors.
2) Spending Call it grandstanding if you will, but McCain has always been aggressive in fighting wasteful spending. Will he have the intestinal fortitude to take on the *real* problems: entitlements, as opposed to earmarks? Who knows--but at least he has a well-earned reputation as a budget hawk.
3) Hispanics Exit polling suggests that his win in Florida was at least partially due to overwhelming support from Hispanic voters. I'm not under any illusions about winning a majority, but I think McCain at least keeps us in the game with this large and growing voting bloc.
4) Independents/moderates We've been losing ground with Independents for years. McCain has spent a career cultivating them. Say what you will about the squishy middle, it helps to have those votes in your pocket. If Hillary is the Democratic nominee, and McCain is ours, I think we win big among young voters, independents, and moderates.
5) Judges Almost any GOP nominee beats the pantsuit off Hillary in this departmet. I don't necessarily think McCain will nominate another Clarence Thomas, but neither do I see him nominating a Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Plus, his credibility as an "independent" will make it harder for Democrats to filibuster his nominees.
This is clearly a vanity. If I’ve posted it in the wrong area, please accept my apology.
also, apologies for poor formatting.
I can’t share in your optimism. McCain is the bottom of the conservative barrel as far as I’m concerned, and I honestly don’t WANT the GOP to be courting the votes of hispanics or moderates just to beat the left. Courting is no different than pandering, and I’ve had my fill of that all through the Bush administration.
I’m writing in Duncan Hunter’s name. I can’t in good conscience vote for McCain.
I asked this question: “there always seems to be one or more of Romney’s sons on the podium with him - but we never see any of John McCain’s sons; why is that?”
“On every one of the issues he has attacked us on, Mitt Romney was for it before he was against it,” McCain said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22898650/page/2/
I think all that flip-flopping, the saying whatever he has to to get elected, will eventually come back and bite Romney on his large Rino behind.
I’m with you. Learning to love the nominee is something I’ll work on once I’m sure who he is. Someone on Fox this morning was predicting a brokered convention and the ticket of McCain/Romney. I can live with McCain if he picks either Romney or Thompson but I’m afraid he’ll pick Rudy.
Better McCain than Hillary or Obama.
Why the heck has the GOP annointed McCain?
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sing. On to Super Tuesday!
really? is it better? honestly?
My reasoning: If/when McCain screws up this country, people will blame Republicans. However when Hillary/Obama screw it up, we'd be in a much stronger position in 2012.
Lots of crying about McCain on FR.
The GOP, and ‘Republican’ voters gave us Dole, both Bush’s, Nixon, Ford.
Social conservatives love big government, so even half of so called conservatives can be enticed for big government.
A bunch of elite, financial Republicans want an America empire nation state. So, they’re big government too.
Let’s face it, small government types are even a minority in the GOP.
No, I would rather see the nation go to hell on their watch not OURS. Also an OBAMA win would slay the ghost of clinton inc for the reminder of my lifetime.
“Anyone but Bush” was the left’s mantra in 2004.
Have we become the same by saying “Anyone but Hillbama?”
But, no, I don’t see it as better. I see it as a few points difference at best. At least with Hillbama you know what brand of socialism you’re getting - McCain will still sell us out, just at a slower rate than the other side will.
I’m tired of sending the RNC the message that it doesn’t matter what whishy-washy limp-wirsted RINO they put in front of us, we’ll still vote for them just because of who they aren’t. It tells the RNC that we’re more afraid of the left than we are strong on the right.
I say, let Hillbama destroy the nation over the next 4 years. Perhaps it will knock some sense into the GOP and wake them up the way it did during X42’s reign.
I’m tired of having to settle for the weakest that the party has to offer.
McCain’s ACU rating is pretty good. Face it, we are never happy with any Republican candidate.
There are degrees of screw-up, and anything Clinton-Obama that will cement socialism in the US is, yes, worse than McCain.
As to the Independents? I am an independent who once registered as a Republican thanks to Ronald Reagan. Sadly, McCain makes me wish that there was a third party I could vote for. His brand of Republican is NOT for me.
As to the Independents? I am an independent who once registered as a Republican thanks to Ronald Reagan. Sadly, McCain makes me wish that there was a third party I could vote for. His brand of Republican is NOT for me.
Exactly correct. Plus Congressional Republicans will be able to aggressively oppose a Dem president, whereas they won’t tend to do that with even a very poor GOP president.
The left WANTS McCain (NY Times, Lieberman, etc.).
He's a bowling pin...getting set up to be knocked down.
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