Posted on 02/05/2008 6:57:58 AM PST by Delacon
Why do so many conservatives detest — and yes, "detest" is the most accurate word — John McCain?
Why are radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Hugh Hewitt abandoning their customary stance on Republican unity by endorsing or supporting Mitt Romney?
Why would the right-wing queen of provocation, Ann Coulter, claim that she would rather campaign for Hillary Clinton than the longtime Republican senator from Arizona?
Why, many talking heads marvel, are conservatives ambushing their only real shot at a general election victory in November?
Well, just maybe, to conservatives, the principle is worth more than the victory.
After all, hadn't conservatives won the presidency with George W. Bush? Hadn't they won both houses of Congress in 2002? How many conservatives are celebrating this week's news of the first-ever $3 trillion budget unveiled by the president?
Anger towards McCain, despite the spin of his supporters, isn't exactly irrational. McCain has shown an elastic sense of principle. To conservatives, it seems like temperamental predilections are just as likely to determine his positions as poll numbers. He's a man they have trouble trusting.
Conservatives may remember that after losing the South Carolina primary in 2000, McCain derided conservative evangelical leaders as wielding "evil influence" on the Republican Party. ("Evil influence" apparently means convincing people not to vote for John McCain.)
Now, he's one of the believers.
Conservatives may wonder why McCain joined Russ Feingold in writing legislation that allows the federal government to dictate free speech in ways never before imagined. Or that he joined Ted Kennedy on an immigration bill that was opposed by most conservatives. Now, McCain sounds like he's ready to join the Minutemen.
Free-market types may wonder why John McCain supports cap-and-trade schemes. Others may wonder why he not only buys into end-of-world global warming scenarios, but opposes drilling in ANWR — comparing that stretch of tundra in Alaska to the Grand Canyon and Florida Everglades.
Fiscal hawks may wonder why McCain was one of two Republican senators to vote against Bush's across-the-board tax cuts. He justifies the position by claiming he believes it should have been tied to spending cuts.
A perfectly reasonable stand — if McCain has actually taken it. But the maverick must have kept those concerns to himself, instead brandishing the liberal rhetoric of "tax cuts for the rich" during the debate.
None of these issues, on their own, would be deal breakers. No candidate can meet all ideological expectations. But conservatives have been asking themselves: Other than Iraq, what does McCain offer us?
We'll soon find out. This week McCain will be stopping in at the Conservative Political Action Conference to cultivate the hard hearts of the rank and file.
He will, self-effacingly, forward the fable that he was a mere "foot soldier" in the Reagan Revolution. Serving in the house beginning in 1983, McCain was, at best, a soldier in mop-up operations.
Who knows? The mood of the country might be swinging towards John McCain pragmatism. Conservatives might be an ideological minority in the Republican Party, once again. But things change.
After all, one day Karl Rove is planning a permanent Republican majority, the next day he's a Fox News analyst, pondering whether Democrats will have a veto-proof majority in the Senate in 2009.
And perhaps conservatives are dead wrong. Maybe McCain will become a great Republican president. Still, there's nothing shameful about holding your ground on principle.
Reach columnist David Harsanyi at 303-954-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
The amnesty/illegal issues are enough for me to not vote for McCain. We won’t have a country if he’s elected.
Oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
we’ve Got The Right To Choose And
there Ain’t No Way We’ll Lose It
this Is Our Life, This Is Our Song
we’ll Fight The Powers That Be Just
don’t Pick Our Destiny ‘cause
you Don’t Know Us, You Don’t Belong
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
oh You’re So Condescending
your Gall Is Never Ending
we Don’t Want Nothin’, Not A Thing From You
your Life Is Trite And Jaded
boring And Confiscated
if That’s Your Best, Your Best Won’t Do
oh.....................
oh.....................
we’re Right/yeah
we’re Free/yeah
we’ll Fight/yeah
you’ll See/yeah
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
no Way!
oh.....................
oh.....................
we’re Right/yeah
we’re Free/yeah
we’ll Fight/yeah
you’ll See/yeah
we’re Not Gonna Take It
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
we’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
we’re Not Gonna Take It, No!
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
we’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
just You Try And Make Us
we’re Not Gonna Take It
come On
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
you’re All Worthless And Weak
we’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
now Drop And Give Me Twenty
we’re Not Gonna Take It
oh Crinch Pin
no, We Ain’t Gonna Take It
oh You And Your Uniform
we’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore
No flames here. I’m with you. But, if you’ve got any decent conservatives downticket, I would urge you to vote for them while leaving the top blank, writing in, or whatever your conscience demands.
Here in FL we will have Defense of Marriage on the ballot. That alone is enough to get me to the polls. If the nominee is McCain, I plan to write in Ronald Reagan. My husband and a few friends are planning to do the same.
I can respect your position. I’ll support Romney because I’ve seen him work as governor, but I understand if people are less than thrilled with the choice of candidates.
Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Tammy Bruce, Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, those are the ones I know of who are against McCain. Anyone other talk radio host against McCain?
Glen Beck
Rwal conservatives aren’t doing such only the loud mouthed, malcontented, I’ll take my football and go home that’ll teach em short sighted want to teach everyone a lesson don’t play well with others know it alls who are too big for their britches bad tempered spoiled brats........ .........because they aren’t true conservatives but just masquerading as conservatives but are actually socially disfuntional and like to whine.
Why, indeed? If you listened to his radio spots in California over the past few days, you'd think he was to the right of Tom Tancredo.
But the pubs think they have the right to hold a gun to your head.
Real conservatives don’t vote for McCain. I will leave you with your football and just not come to the game.
the same gop elites that shoved boring bob dole down our throats in '96 are doing the same thing now w/ maniac mccain. And the results will be the same.
yes you will.
> I plan to write in Ronald Reagan. My husband and a few
> friends are planning to do the same.
PLEASE CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE LIVING!!
Writing-in a dead person or fictitious character, like Mickey Mouse, may invalidate your entire ballot, or at least expose it to challenge!
> I plan to write in Ronald Reagan. My husband and a few
> friends are planning to do the same.
PLEASE CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE LIVING!!
Writing-in a dead person or fictitious character, like Mickey Mouse, may invalidate your entire ballot, or at least expose it to challenge!
The left, which encompasses most of the MSM, cannot fathom “principle over party”. They’ve never had any principles, so the concept is alien to them. Politics is a football game to them.
That’s my deal-breaker also. If amnesty is ever passed, all other conservative principles will be flushed behind it, thanks to the influx of ‘rat entitlement voters.
That’s great, I hope that they can make their voices heard. The MSM is trying hard to stifle conservative voices in their zeal to annoint McCain as the Republican nominee. They’re saving their vitriol for when he actually does.
I detest the woman. I can have no respect for a woman who turned a blind eye to her husband having raped a woman, for her own purposes of political expediency. She actually did more than just turn a blind eye, she helped to vilify the victim.
Yep. That about says it. Whether it's McCain or Hillary or Obama, the deal will be in on amnesty. I just can't go along with it. Some around here will accuse me of giving the Presidency to the Democrats by not voting for McCain. I simply believe he's as bad as them on immigration so what's the use of that vote? I'm voting for Romney in the primary today. After that, I'll either write-in or stay home should McCain be the candidate. At least that way I'll feel comfortable knowing I didn't vote for a Democrat (and I'm including McCain in that).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.