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Daily Pundit » A Deal Was Made
Daily Pundit ^ | February 2, 2008 | Bill Quick

Posted on 02/03/2008 7:06:49 PM PST by Signalman

A deal was made. I don’t know where (I suspect Washington), I don’t know when (I suspect prior to the 2004 campaign), I don’t know what (I suspect McCain was to leave Bush a clear field in 2004 in exchange for Bush’s support in 2008).

I can’t prove it, but a deal was made. I’m sure of it.

I elaborated on the idea here:

Ironically, the erstwhile “maverick” is pursuing an insider strategy, hiring George W. Bush’s consultants, lining up local party loyalists and shaking the same establishment money tree that, in the 2000 campaign, he complained had given Bush a pampered, rich kid’s advantage.

And, I suspect, using Bush’s very own private Big Black Book to do it with.

I remind you of this as a prelude to my analysis of what is happening in the current GOP primary race, and why it is happening the way it is.

Do not be fooled. What you are witnessing today is a war for the soul, if it can be said to have one, of the Republican party. One one side is the GOP machine establishment - represented by the Bushes, the Roves, and all the family and political dynasty politicians and their strategists who have tried to keep control of the party over the years.

On the other side are those whom the establishment regards as the barbarians at the gates: the rabble who listen to the conservative talk shows, the talker hosts themselves, the “Reagan Republicans,” the Gingrich revolutionaries, and now the bloggers and their readers.

This is, in a nutshell, a war between those who value principle over power, and those for whom power is first, foremost, and nearly everything.

I have felt for quite a while that the Bushes made a deal with McCain - that in exchange for his support of the establishment (McCain is about as much a “maverick” as George Herbert Walker Bush or Bob Dole), Bush and the establishment would back him in his run for the Presidency this year. I’ve seen nothing to disabuse me of that notion.

The battle that shook everything up was the temporary defeat of the GOP establishment over illegal immigration during the past two years.

It has been an article of faith among GOP establishment strategists like Rove that the way to continued power is to enlist the waves of immigrant Hispanics, both legal and illegal, into the GOP. From their point of view, it looked like a slam dunk. They’d had no luck in prying other ethnic votes away from the Democrats - the black vote in particular - but the Hispanics were flooding in in such numbers they made the other ethnic voting groups look insignificant in comparison. And there was nothing in the Hispanic culture that necessarily favored the left. Hispanics tend to be old-line Catholic, and abortion is a big issue with them, a fact that favored the GOP, not the Democrats. Hispanics also tended toward hard work and entrepreneurial endeavors, again a cultural bias that tends to favor stated GOP principles, not vice versa - and that was even more true with second generation Hispanics, who assimilated quite well into the larger American culture.

These GOP strategists were also aware that other demographic trends were moving away from them. The aging of America will move tens of millions of Boomers into the group of net receivers of government largess, primarily Social Security and Medicare. That makes them prime territory for the left, no matter what their political tendencies might have been during their productive working years.

In short, the GOP establishment perceives the entire nation moving leftwards, and a long time ago made the decision to move the GOP to the left in order to keep in step with the culture at large. George Bush was the first of the “new breed” of GOP establishment characters to achieve the White House, with his doctrine of “compassionate” (liberal) conservatism. And it seemed to work. At least, it kept him in the White House for two terms, if only with razor thin wins each time.

So imagine the shock of the establishment when the single biggest building block of their “new GOP coalition” was dealt a shattering blow by the defeat of their attempt to legalize, via amnesty, the status of some ten-twenty million illegal Hispanic aliens currently residing in the U.S.

Suddenly, staring them right in the face, they saw the ruination of all their carefully constructed plans, and with that, a concomitant loss of power! And what - or who - was the cause?

Those damned barbarian conservatives, who don’t understand that principles don’t win elections, nor are elections about anything other than who gets to exercise power. Rabble! Principled fools!

And thus the battle lines were joined for real.

John McCain is the standard bearer this year. The establishment GOP machine is one hundred percent behind him. Opposed to him is the conservative coalition of talkers and bloggers and their consumers - it is a battle between the media and ideological assets of both sides.

The conservatives won the immigration battle with a shocking defeat for the establishment. Now the battle is joined again over the Presidency - and if John McCain is nominated and then wins the general election, the American conservative movement may never recover. On the other hand, a crushing McCain defeat in the general, attributed primarily to the refusal of the conservative movement to support him, will be an equally crushing defeat for the GOP establishment attempting to remake the party in its preferred liberal-conservative image - an image in which the “conservative” part is mostly window dressing for the suckers.

I’m posting this in an effort to demonstrate to you what is really at stake here: It’s not whether McCain is marginally better or worse than any Democrat candidate. It’s what the future of the GOP will look like. And what your future will look like.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; elections; establishment; gop; gopcoup; mccain
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1 posted on 02/03/2008 7:06:50 PM PST by Signalman
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To: Bobkk47

Sure a deal was made. Go back and look at who was in charge of the RNC these past few years. Ken Mehlman, Mel Martinez... with Karl Rove doing his best to shove the Illegal Immigration Amnesty down our throats with McCain.


2 posted on 02/03/2008 7:11:21 PM PST by TommyDale (Never forget the Republicans who voted for illegal immigrant amnesty in 2007!)
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To: Bobkk47

They’re so clever, they lost in 2006 and they’ll lose in 2008 without the base.
How many times do they have to fail to get it through their thick skulls?


3 posted on 02/03/2008 7:16:40 PM PST by Brett66 (Where government advances, and it advances relentlessly , freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: Bobkk47

I’ve been saying/warning about the GOP turning to port, leaving the Base course and heading towards the rocks for a long time. I hadn’t quite thought the reason as this, but I certainly will not discount this authors theory at all.

By Golly I think the author is on to something!


4 posted on 02/03/2008 7:16:52 PM PST by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...call 'em what you will...They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Bobkk47

Of course the fix is in.

But Romney could have taken McCain out in the last debate.

He has one day left to show us some BRASS ONES and the base will flock to his campaign.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1964392/posts?page=17#17


5 posted on 02/03/2008 7:16:57 PM PST by Matchett-PI (Thompson needs to come out for Romney NOW to stop McCain!!)
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To: Bobkk47

An interesting and very plausible analysis, IMHO...


6 posted on 02/03/2008 7:17:33 PM PST by Ogie Oglethorpe (2nd Amendment - the reboot button on the U.S. Constitution)
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To: TommyDale
Sure a deal was made. Go back and look at who was in charge of the RNC these past few years. Ken Mehlman, Mel Martinez... with Karl Rove doing his best to shove the Illegal Immigration Amnesty down our throats with McCain.

You...but we shoved amnesty back down their throats and we can shove McCain back down their throats as well!

7 posted on 02/03/2008 7:18:12 PM PST by pgkdan (Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions - G.K. Chesterton)
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To: pgkdan

You = Yes


8 posted on 02/03/2008 7:18:47 PM PST by pgkdan (Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions - G.K. Chesterton)
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To: Bobkk47

This author’s theory about the GOP certainly makes it more important than ever for the credibility of the Conservatives to kick McPains butt.

I’m sending this posting to many on my email list.


9 posted on 02/03/2008 7:19:16 PM PST by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...call 'em what you will...They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Bobkk47

The GOP needs a serious course of chemo- and radiation therapy. Hillary/Obama may just be what the doctor ordered.


10 posted on 02/03/2008 7:25:10 PM PST by ruination
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To: Bobkk47
George H.W. Bush ran on a “kinder, gentler” Conservatism and lost. If the candidate does not show any strong leadership message, the electorate will follow the MSM scripted message. Obama is now the new JFK.
11 posted on 02/03/2008 7:30:43 PM PST by OCC
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To: Bobkk47

Speculation, I think. Birds of a feather and all that.

Doesn’t matter anyway: McLame should not be elected president. The guy is pro-amnesty, anti-ANWR, pro-Global Warming, anti-tax cut, pro-Terrorist Rights, and anti-conservative.


12 posted on 02/03/2008 7:35:06 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: Bobkk47
Perhaps this is why none of our best Conservatives already inside the government stood for election this year.

I am sure this is why the insiders dislike Romney so much, he is interfering with their plan to put their man in the White House.
13 posted on 02/03/2008 7:36:13 PM PST by elizabetty (John McCain Hates Michael Reagan...........John McCain Hates Me, too. The feeling is mutual.)
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To: Bobkk47

A big problem with this theory is that the candidates loved by us “principled non-establishment” types—Hunter, Tancredo, & Thompson—all fizzled out badly, and the remaining candidates are both members of the RINO establishment (except for Huckabee, who is more of a maverick than McCain ever was). The real problem is that the country is moving steadily leftward, and conservatives are now a distinct minority. The Hispanic invasion will make conservatism a historical footnote. The entire political tradition of limited government and the rule of law grew out of Anglo-American culture. There is no foundation for stable limited govt. in Hispanic culture, or in any of the other 3rd world immigrant groups with which the Left has deliberately flooded the country.


14 posted on 02/03/2008 7:41:37 PM PST by hellbender
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To: Bobkk47

My opinion is that the “deal” was that Pres. Bush would sign McCain’s campaign finance law in exchange for McCain’s support in the 2000 general election.

When President Bush signed it, it was without fanfare and with almost seeming embarrassment. But a deal is a deal, and he had to keep his end of the bargain.

....At least, that is what I THINK happened.
But what do I know?


15 posted on 02/03/2008 7:58:55 PM PST by Molly K.
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To: All

A lot of the article makes sense. If McAztlan is the noiminee....a crushing defeat will help the conservative movement. The liberal axis of the GOP will then be purged


16 posted on 02/03/2008 7:59:54 PM PST by UCFRoadWarrior (Support the ABM Treaty...Anyone But McCain)
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To: hellbender

>>
“...tradition of limited government and the rule of law grew out of Anglo-American culture...”
>>

Most Hispanics come from highly centralized and socialist governments. Rove and his ilk must have been nuts to think their plan to make them Republican would work.


17 posted on 02/03/2008 8:15:23 PM PST by SatinDoll (Desperately seeking a conservative candidate.)
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To: hellbender

Your post which I quoted below again as it bears repeating is why McCain has fought for over a decade to give Amnesty to 30 million illegals and their families back in the 3rd world. The plan of these Marxists like McCain and Hillary is to import millions of 3rd world voters who will vote for Democrats/Socialism/Marxism. Socialism is a cancer that destroys the productive capability of a civilization as it did in the Soviet Union - socialism collapsed the Soviet Union.

Why don’t government educated liberals understand that Capitalism works and is what runs our complex economy where billions of decisions are made automatically every day and gives us our technology which advances living standards?

“A big problem with this theory is that the candidates loved by us “principled non-establishment” types—Hunter, Tancredo, & Thompson—all fizzled out badly, and the remaining candidates are both members of the RINO establishment (except for Huckabee, who is more of a maverick than McCain ever was). The real problem is that the country is moving steadily leftward, and conservatives are now a distinct minority. The Hispanic invasion will make conservatism a historical footnote. The entire political tradition of limited government and the rule of law grew out of Anglo-American culture. There is no foundation for stable limited govt. in Hispanic culture, or in any of the other 3rd world immigrant groups with which the Left has deliberately flooded the country”


18 posted on 02/03/2008 8:37:20 PM PST by Democrat_media (Socialism will destroy a country economically. why dems & Mccain for Socialism?)
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To: UCFRoadWarrior; Bobkk47

>>>a crushing defeat will help the conservative movement. The liberal axis of the GOP will then be purged

and leave the GOP a permanent minority, essentially impotent to push or influence policy. But OH so pure and correct. Cgrts.


19 posted on 02/03/2008 8:37:39 PM PST by tlb
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To: Recovering_Democrat

Doesn’t matter anyway: McLame should not be elected president. The guy is pro-amnesty, anti-ANWR, pro-Global Warming, anti-tax cut, pro-Terrorist Rights, and anti-conservative”

You are right. McCain is a Marxist enemy of the Republic. McCain has aided the illegal invasion from Mexico for over a decade. This is one of his many crimes.

If a Marxist/liberal tyrant and villain like McCain becomes president then we the people have a right to institute new government as given to us in the
The Declaration of Independence:
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,”

The Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Some of McCain’s actions against freedom and against America:

McCain/Kennedy
McCain/Feingold
McCain/Lieberman
No on Bush Tax cuts
Consideration of VP for John Kerry
Keating 5
Global Warming
NY Times endorsement
LA Times Endorsement
Opposed federal gay marriage (before realizing the consequences)
Pro choice(before realizing the consequences)

McCain’s the candidate of amnesty for illegal aliens.
McCain supports embryonic stem-cell research.
McCain has said “I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade”.
McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts, and refuses to sign the “No New Taxes” pledge.
McCain supports legislation that would increase taxes on energy.
McCain was the ring-leader of the Senate “Gang of 14”, which kept the then Senate Republican leadership from ending the ability of Democrats to filibuster Bush’s judicial nominees.
McCain supports legislation to grant due-process rights to terrorists.
McCain sponsored the inept legislation which restricts free-speech rights of those involved in the political process, (the McCain/Feingold bill)
McCain called evangelical-conservatives an “evil influence” on the Republican Party.
McCain - member of the Keating 5 that caused a bipartisan scandal during the S&L meltdown.
McCain had a recall election ran against him by the conservatives in Arizona.
McCain blocked the investigation into whether Viet Nam and the Soviets were still holding over 600 of our missing POWs in 1990.

This list needs to be spread to all parts of the internet. The liberal mainstream media has hidden all this from the public and they portray McCain as a war hero, patriotic conservative. What McCain is as his record of his actions shows is a Marxist/liberal bent on aiding the invasion by Mexico and bent on putting the U.S. on the road to socialism like Hugo Chavez is in Venezuela.


20 posted on 02/03/2008 8:56:16 PM PST by Democrat_media (Socialism will destroy a country economically. why dems & Mccain for Socialism?)
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