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Rally for Romney: Conservatives need to act now, before it is too late.
National Review Online ^ | January 31, 2008 | Mark R. Levin

Posted on 01/31/2008 10:37:41 AM PST by Delacon

I have spent nearly four decades in the conservative movement — from precinct worker to the Reagan White House. I campaigned for Reagan in 1976 and 1980. I served in several top positions during the Reagan administration, including chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese. I have been an active conservative when conservatism was not in high favor.

I remember in 1976, as a 19-year-old in Pennsylvania working the polls for Reagan against the sitting Republican president, Gerald Ford, I was demeaned for supporting a candidate who was said to be an extremist B-actor who couldn’t win a general election, and opposing a sitting president. And at the time Reagan wasn’t even on the ballot in Pennsylvania because he decided to focus his limited resources on other states. I tried to convince voter after voter to write-in Reagan’s name on the ballot. In the end, Reagan received about five percent of the Republican vote as a write-in candidate.

Of course, Reagan lost the nomination to Ford by the narrowest of margins. Ford went on to lose to a little-known ex-governor from Georgia, Jimmy Carter. But the Reagan Revolution became stronger, not weaker, as a result. And the rest is history.

I don’t pretend to speak for President Reagan or all conservatives. I speak for myself. But I watched the Republican debate last night, which was held at the Reagan library, and I have to say that I fear a McCain candidacy. He would be an exceedingly poor choice as the Republican nominee for president.

Let’s get the largely unspoken part of this out the way first. McCain is an intemperate, stubborn individual, much like Hillary Clinton. These are not good qualities to have in a president. As I watched him last night, I could see his personal contempt for Mitt Romney roiling under the surface. And why? Because Romney ran campaign ads that challenged McCain’s record? Is this the first campaign in which an opponent has run ads questioning another candidate’s record? That’s par for the course. To the best of my knowledge, Romney’s ads have not been personal. He has not even mentioned the Keating-Five to counter McCain's cheap shots. But the same cannot be said of McCain’s comments about Romney.

Last night McCain, who is the putative frontrunner, resorted to a barrage of personal assaults on Romney that reflect more on the man making them than the target of the attacks. McCain now has a habit of describing Romney as a “manager for profit” and someone who has “laid-off” people, implying that Romney is both unpatriotic and uncaring. Moreover, he complains that Romney is using his “millions” or “fortune” to underwrite his campaign. This is a crass appeal to class warfare. McCain is extremely wealthy through marriage. Romney has never denigrated McCain for his wealth or the manner in which he acquired it. Evidently Romney’s character doesn’t let him to cross certain boundaries of decorum and decency, but McCain’s does. And what of managing for profit? When did free enterprise become evil? This is liberal pablum which, once again, could have been uttered by Hillary Clinton.

And there is the open secret of McCain losing control of his temper and behaving in a highly inappropriate fashion with prominent Republicans, including Thad Cochran, John Cornyn, Strom Thurmond, Donald Rumsfeld, Bradley Smith, and a list of others. Does anyone honestly believe that the Clintons or the Democrat party would give McCain a pass on this kind of behavior?

 

As for McCain “the straight-talker,” how can anyone explain his abrupt about-face on two of his signature issues: immigration and tax cuts? As everyone knows, McCain led the battle not once but twice against the border-security-first approach to illegal immigration as co-author of the McCain-Kennedy bill. He disparaged the motives of the millions of people who objected to his legislation. He fought all amendments that would limit the general amnesty provisions of the bill. This controversy raged for weeks. Only now he says he’s gotten the message. Yet, when asked last night if he would sign the McCain-Kennedy bill as president, he dissembles, arguing that it’s a hypothetical question. Last Sunday on Meet the Press, he said he would sign the bill. There’s nothing straight about this talk. Now, I understand that politicians tap dance during the course of a campaign, but this was a defining moment for McCain. And another defining moment was his very public opposition to the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. He was the media’s favorite Republican in opposition to Bush. At the time his primary reason for opposing the cuts was because they favored the rich (and, by the way, they did not). Now he says he opposed them because they weren’t accompanied by spending cuts. That’s simply not correct.

 

Even worse than denying his own record, McCain is flatly lying about Romney’s position on Iraq. As has been discussed for nearly a week now, Romney did not support a specific date to withdraw our forces from Iraq. The evidence is irrefutable. And it’s also irrefutable that McCain is abusing the English language (Romney’s statements) the way Bill Clinton did in front of a grand jury. The problem is that once called on it by everyone from the New York Times to me, he obstinately refuses to admit the truth. So, last night, he lied about it again. This isn’t open to interpretation. But it does give us a window into who he is.

 

Of course, it’s one thing to overlook one or two issues where a candidate seeking the Republican nomination as a conservative might depart from conservative orthodoxy. But in McCain’s case, adherence is the exception to the rule — McCain-Feingold (restrictions on political speech), McCain-Kennedy (amnesty for illegal aliens), McCain-Kennedy-Edwards (trial lawyers’ bill of rights), McCain-Lieberman (global warming legislation), Gang of 14 (obstructing change to the filibuster rule for judicial nominations), the Bush tax cuts, and so forth. This is a record any liberal Democrat would proudly run on. Are we to overlook this record when selecting a Republican nominee to carry our message in the general election?

 

But what about his national security record? It’s a mixed bag. McCain is rightly credited with being an early voice for changing tactics in Iraq. He was a vocal supporter of the surge, even when many were not. But he does not have a record of being a vocal advocate for defense spending when Bill Clinton was slashing it. And he has been on the wrong side of the debate on homeland security. He supports closing Guantanamo Bay, which would result in granting an array of constitutional protections to al-Qaeda detainees, and limiting legitimate interrogation techniques that have, in fact, saved American lives. Combined with his (past) de-emphasis on border-security, I think it’s fair to say that McCain’s positions are more in line with the ACLU than most conservatives.

 

Why recite this record? Well, if conservatives don’t act now to stop McCain, he will become the Republican nominee and he will lose the general election. He is simply flawed on too many levels. He is a Republican Hillary Clinton in many ways. Many McCain supporters insist he is the only Republican who can beat Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama. And they point to certain polls. The polls are meaningless this far from November. Six months ago, the polls had Rudy winning the Republican nomination. In October 1980, the polls had Jimmy Carter defeating Ronald Reagan. This is no more than spin.

But wouldn’t the prospect of a Clinton or Obama presidency drive enough of the grassroots to the polls for McCain? It wasn’t enough to motivate the base to vote in November 2006 to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker or the Democrats from taking Congress. My sense is it won’t be enough to carry McCain to victory, either. And McCain has done more to build animus among the people whose votes he will need than Denny Hastert or Bill Frist. And there won’t be enough Democrats voting for McCain to offset the electorate McCain has alienated (and is likely to continue to alienate, as best as I can tell).

McCain has not won overwhelming pluralities, let alone majorities, in any of the primaries. A thirty-six-percent win in Florida doesn’t make a juggernaut. But the liberal media are promoting him now as the presumptive nominee. More and more establishment Republican officials are jumping on McCain’s bandwagon — the latest being Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has all but destroyed California’s Republican party.

Let’s face it, none of the candidates are perfect. They never are. But McCain is the least perfect of the viable candidates. The only one left standing who can honestly be said to share most of our conservative principles is Mitt Romney. I say this as someone who has not been an active Romney supporter. If conservatives don’t unite behind Romney at this stage, and become vocal in their support for him, then they will get McCain as their Republican nominee and probably a Democrat president. And in either case, we will have a deeply flawed president.

Mark Levin, a former senior Reagan Justice Department official, is a nationally syndicated radio-talk-show host.



TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: 2008; elections; hillarylite; marklevin; mccain; primaries; romney
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To: HKMk23

You’ve just described me living in California. Look what I’m left with.


341 posted on 01/31/2008 1:32:56 PM PST by DoughtyOne (PARTY WANTED: Full Time, Cons exp a must. Refs 20 yrs. No Amnesty sptrs. 1 vote per 4 yrs negotiable)
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To: DoughtyOne

“It would be interesting to know McCain’s inner thoughts on the fairness doctrine. We have seen his proclivity to move in directions to limit voice in the arena of elections.”

McCain HATES talk radio. He would happily side with the left to reinstate the fairness doctrine to destroy them.


342 posted on 01/31/2008 1:33:52 PM PST by Delacon (Don't Immanentize the Eschaton.)
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To: Delacon

ITA.

If we don’t rally behind Romney, the Conservative wing of the Republican Paty will die an ignominious death.

This is serious, folks!

McCain is Hillary Lite. Please don’t back this weird and awful candidate!


343 posted on 01/31/2008 1:36:19 PM PST by Palladin (McCain is Hillary Lite.)
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To: Graybeard58
Well reasoned.

McCain is one scary SOB.

Too bad MYTH WILLARD is even scarier.

344 posted on 01/31/2008 1:37:11 PM PST by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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To: freespirited
So what? Even it you accept the entire article as being an accurate and honest accounting of all that Romney used to believe, and not out-of-context or a biased partial presentation, it does not prove the premise.

Romney is running on a conservative platform. Conservatives who are trusted, and who have a lot to lose if they get it wrong, have spoken with Romney and said he is telling the truth.

Romney's speeches, campaign platform, debate answers, interviews, all espouse conservative principles and show a man who believes what he is saying and means to do what he claims.

345 posted on 01/31/2008 1:37:19 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Cicero

“I would agree that Romney is the lesser of two evils. But whose fault is it that we are in this mess? National Review, Hugh Hewitt, and a few others, including some of the Evangelical leaders who got into a snit about Fred, even though he is the closest of all the conservative candidates to their own positions. Huckabee? Don’t make me laugh.”

Its our fault. We cons had it all in our hands for 8 years of a presidency and (off and on) 12 years of congress but we didn’t do what needed to be done to keep OUR elected officials honest and true to conservative principals.


346 posted on 01/31/2008 1:37:56 PM PST by Delacon (Don't Immanentize the Eschaton.)
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To: JRochelle

First, I don’t agree with what you are doing and I have found your approach to be in poor taste, disgusting and self defeating.

However, I applaud you for rallying behind Fred, a very remarkable and honorable man. I supported him too, but he quit.

It could turn out that you’re right in your forecast, but until the last round is fired, the war is still on. In my view, “conquer or die” remains alive and well.

I think Romney can still win this, I hope that he does, but if he doesn’t, it won’t be because he didn’t give it he all.

Whatever happens, Romney will have done it with courage, conviction and gentlemanly style. If he loses, I would still be proud of his fight.

If any of the others win, their supporters can celebrate the victory, for the short term, but deep inside-—pride can not be within them, but regret will haunt them.

Now when all is said and done, I will remain free in mind, spirit and soul, while those on the other side will find that in spite of their rage against what is good...... they are still just a rats in a cage.

Good day....

:)


347 posted on 01/31/2008 1:38:11 PM PST by Gator113 (McCain will lead our country....into the valley of darkness, with Hillary holding our hand.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

It’s Romney or Hell-On-Wheels.


348 posted on 01/31/2008 1:39:54 PM PST by Palladin (McCain is Hillary Lite.)
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To: fortheDeclaration
If conservatives give Romney a victory he will beholden to us, not the RINO's who sold him out for McCain.

I think there's little chance of that. I say that because of what happened in Massachusetts with Romney and after watching what happened to California with Schwarzenegger and S.B. 777. I'm also familiar with the phrase: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

349 posted on 01/31/2008 1:40:14 PM PST by scripter ("You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." - C.S. Lewis)
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To: JFC

Right I love that Perry endorsed McCain!!! That is great for Romney because Perry has ticked off people here. First with that goofy vaccine for HPV and his Trans Texas Corridor.

Typical RAT if you ask me. GO MITT!!!
Texas Republicans are a tough bunch.


350 posted on 01/31/2008 1:40:19 PM PST by lone star annie
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To: Palladin
If we don’t rally behind Romney, the Conservative wing of the Republican Paty will die

No, it will just find a real Conservative next time and WORK TO GET HIM NOMINATED.

Thompson should never have had to drop out before super Tuesday. All people did was sit on their hands and talk about how he had no fire in the belly.

Well, McInsane has enough fire in the belly for all of us

351 posted on 01/31/2008 1:40:31 PM PST by Rome2000 (Peace is not an option)
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To: Rome2000

You are such an optimist!


352 posted on 01/31/2008 1:41:55 PM PST by Palladin (McCain is Hillary Lite.)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

What you put in post #340 isn’t anything I would say.

I don’t know why you pinged that to me!


353 posted on 01/31/2008 1:42:22 PM PST by Beagle8U (FreeRepublic -- One stop shopping ....... Its the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
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To: Beagle8U

bttt

Should Romney run as an Independent if McSnake snakes the nomination out from under him with lies and dirty politics?


354 posted on 01/31/2008 1:42:23 PM PST by AlanGreenSpam ("Celebrate Diversity! Look at the world with all it's problems - Isn't "diversity" so beautiful?)
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To: Palladin

“McCain is Hillary Lite. Please don’t back this weird and awful candidate!”

Let’s make a deal! If you don’t back Flip, I won’t back McCain.


355 posted on 01/31/2008 1:44:13 PM PST by dmw (Aren't you glad you use common sense? Don't you wish everybody did?)
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To: DoughtyOne
Now Mitt is the GOP Saviour? Like riding in on some White Horse to save the Country?

Where have I heard this before?

How did Miff Romney become the only hope for Conservatives?

I'll never vote for Miff or Johnny.

356 posted on 01/31/2008 1:44:14 PM PST by Afronaut (Press 2 for English - Thanks Mr. President !)
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To: scripter
I think there's little chance of that. I say that because of what happened in Massachusetts with Romney and after watching what happened to California with Schwarzenegger and S.B. 777. I'm also familiar with the phrase: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

The conservatives were against Schwarzenegger and didn't support him.

Romney was not beholden to conservatives in Mass. because there aren't any!

If there are, they meet in secret.

357 posted on 01/31/2008 1:45:45 PM PST by fortheDeclaration ("Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people".-John Adams)
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To: Delacon

Sean Hannity just said he is voting for Romney. I would rather have his endorsement than Arnolds or Governor Good Hair’s aka Slick Perry.


358 posted on 01/31/2008 1:46:35 PM PST by lone star annie
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To: Delacon

Tell you what, I was quite surprised to have someone provide me a link today concerning this very point.

Check out the link addressed to me at this post.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962706/posts?page=230#230


359 posted on 01/31/2008 1:46:42 PM PST by DoughtyOne (PARTY WANTED: Full Time, Cons exp a must. Refs 20 yrs. No Amnesty sptrs. 1 vote per 4 yrs negotiable)
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To: icwhatudo
Levin, Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter What more will it take?

A conservative candidate to rally around and Willard isn't it.

All the conservative media is doing is damaging its own credibility by trying to pass off Romney was a conservative or any better a choice than McCain.

Romney makes liars of them all.

360 posted on 01/31/2008 1:47:27 PM PST by Ol' Sparky (Liberal Republicans are the greater of two evils)
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