Posted on 02/17/2008 6:58:18 AM PST by Mr. Brightside
Ted Nugent: McCain has two battles he must win
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Now that Mitt Romney has thrown in the towel and endorsed him, the Republican nominee for president will almost certainly be Sen. John McCain.
Attempting residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is surely tough enough without turning your friends into enemies. There are plenty of enemies on the other side who wear different political stripes altogether.
McCain faces a distrustful, dissatisfied, frustrated, and in some cases, downright angry conservative base. Conservatives are not happy with McCain. He has not always carried the conservative torch on immigration, taxes, First and Second Amendment rights, abortion and more. Many of us do not believe that he could even stand in the shadow of Ronald Reagan.
Fueled by radio talkers such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others, many conservatives have been whipped into a roiling anti-McCain froth. McCain needs to make nice with millions of talk-radio listeners and evangelicals or the numbers will not be there for him to win the presidency.
Though no easy task, time is on his side. But if he waits until late spring or early summer to circle the GOP wagons, he will have waited too long.
McCain cannot battle Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton without the support of conservatives, whom some believe McCain does not like anymore than they like him.
The Democrats know this and must surely be licking their chops to attack a wounded GOP nominee.
Failing to unite the GOP will force McCain into fighting a two-front political war. As he tries desperately to prove his conservative credentials to the conservative base, he will also need to fight the political battle of his career against his Democrat contender.
Each of these political fights is taxing enough. Fighting both at the same time will drain much needed energy and coffers.
This is the reason McCain needs to shore up the conservative base as soon as possible. He needs to ride into the Republican Convention on the shoulders of all Republicans, not just moderate Republicans and disenfranchised independents.
McCain’s advisers had better figure out how to sing to the conservative base real quickly or he does not stand a chance at winning.
McCain not only faces the problem of his voting record, he also faces the wrath of conservatives who are widely disappointed in President Bush’s domestic performance. Token tax cuts aside, Bush’s spending habits have not enamored him to the bedrock of the party. Since they cannot take out their angst at Bush at the ballot box, McCain could be the object of their ire unless he establishes credibility with them.
McCain has his political work cut out for him. We will learn much about him in the coming weeks as he deftly tries to navigate both the right and left whitewater rapids of these troubled political times.
Ted Nugent is a Waco-based musician and television show host. Contact Ted at tednugent.com.
Ted ‘08!
Sounds like mcPain has to win over the Nuge, too!
I hope the McCain supporters will take note of the fact that Nugent didn’t sling insults at those of us opposed to McCain.
Personally I doubt McCain can build trust but that’s just me.
Once again, “Uncle Ted” hits the nail on ‘da head!
Ain't gonna happen.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Also meant to say the only way I’d vote for him is to put Romney on the ticket with him....esp since he said he didn’t know economics!!!
Exctly. He is almost the worst candidate the party could have come up with. But it's "his turn," he was one of the two candidates the RNC liked, and apparently that trumped everything.
Bush’s spending habits have not enamored him to the bedrock of the party. Since they cannot take out their angst at Bush at the ballot box, McCain could be the object of their ire unless he establishes credibility with them.
As for Ted, he as always has a stranglehold on common sense. I’d love to see him run for governor of Texas or Michigan someday.
Ted is based in TX now? I thought he was living in CO?
As to McCain, he cannot continue the way he has, he must recognize the importance of Conservatives anger, and IMO, he should go on the radio shows that do not like him and state his case WITHOUT PANDERING.
This is politics 101 stuff, if he cannot manage that, and he really thinks Independents (who are mostly disaffected D’s) will carry him to the White House he is making a major league mistake.
His history proves he is not a Conservative. Trying to suddenly change his stripes is disingenuous and transparent. I will never support Socialist McCain.
McCain has to beat McNuts.
I don’t think he legitimately can claim to be a Conservative, what he should claim is there are alot more areas of agreement with Conservatives then most Conservatives think.
Abortion, Spending, War in Iraq.
Too little, too late. McCain solidified the animosity with conservatives through years of holding hands with liberals; going against conservative stances, sponsoring legislation that tramples the Constitution, flip flopping on seminal issues like abortion and National Security when it’s in his best interests, shamnesty, et al.. The damage cannot be undone in a month or even in 6 months. McCain’s sudden rise as the GOP nominee ought to be reason enough to walk away. The GOP leadership is either terribly inept and tone deaf or in league with the left. You choose.
If McCain’s supporters here on FreeRepublic are representative of McCain and his staff - that’s just not going to happen. Spitting in our face, calling us names, telling us they hope we die and go away, damning us to hell.......
I just don’t see it happening.
I’ll vote according to my conscience. I won’t condemn anyone else for how they decide to vote - I respect that it’s been a difficult decision for all, but don’t call me names because of who I decide to vote for. That’s not going to help your cause one little bit.
Go ahead, attack me - I don’t care anymore. I will be voting straight Republican this time - but for Ron Paul instead of John McCain - at least he understands the Constitution. At this point, I don’t even care if the troops come home. I’m tired of the War in Iraq - if they can’t take care of themselves, it isn’t because we haven’t sacrificed enough. Bring ‘em home - now, let’s get to work protecting OUR OWN borders.
And let’s start chopping the size of the federal government down while we’re at it.
McCain needs to get some chapstick and start kissing some conservative a$$ and he’d better at least pretend he likes it.
With Fred at AG and Bolton at State.
Yeah, that was something of a dirty dancing number back in high school. You could really get the hips going.
Whenever someone brings up the Nuge as a political candidate, I am reminded that I attended many of his “rallies” back in the seventies.
BTTT
Yeh, I've had it with taxes.
I don’t think kissing conservatives backsides would work, we would never believe him, and to be frank, there would be no reason to respect such a pander.
When Mad John goes on and on about Reagan Footsoldier, it just cheeses us off, it is not believable, and to be frank, that was 20 yrs ago, it just reminds us what he has done lately.
Governor of Texas? That’s for losers like Kinky. Why not VEEP! Running with the Nuge might solve McCain’s problem with the right and neutralize the age factor all at the same time.
I think a few of them are on his staff.
Exctly. He is almost the worst candidate the party could have come up with. But it’s “his turn,” he was one of the two candidates the RNC liked, and apparently that trumped everything.
**************************
He convinced the RNC that he DESERVED the nod, same as Hillary. So sad we didn’t have an Obama on our side to knock his arrogant butt out of the race.
But W says McCain IS a conservative! Who knew?
Just asking.
When Mad John goes on and on about Reagan Footsoldier, it just cheeses us off,
You are probably right. As for a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution thang, on what side?
Have a nice day.
GWB, who is looking better and better comparitively speaking, is not a Conservative, he is a Diet Coke Conservative...
1 calorie, not quite enough...
Dr. Evil...LOL!
Exactly. He needs to prove he won't bite us in the collective arse as soon as he takes the oath of office. He needs to ATONE for his backbiting, backstabbing, double talking, double dealing underhanded treatment of conservatives. He can START by going MaverickTM on on his allies and BBQ buddies Hillary, Kennedy, Kerry (campaigning with Obama) and Rockefeller et al, and firing Hernandez. THEN we might be at home to Mr. Willing to Listen.
There are pictures of Mad John with Reagan all over FR, he was groomed to step in for Goldwater when he retired even back then.
He can do it with a conservative VP pick.
Well, RNC mouthpieces like Fox News Channel were busy shilling for Rudy Giuliani and now, John McCain - and ignoring or making snide remarks about all the conservatives that were running. The fix was in before this whole primary process started - that’s why dems & independents were allowed to vote for OUR nominee.
Big business & big money WANTS amnesty - they want the cheap labor & the RNC thinks it’s going to get the illegals votes. They don’t care about the American people one iota & they are pissed off that we shot their amnesty down.
McCain is DEAD MEAT!
When he decides he has to reel in us very politically intelligent dedicated Conservatives, he will alienate his real reason for being here in the first place, those brain dead Moderates and Independents who vote the way the media and those 30 second political adds tell them to vote.
If he tries to focus on the moderates, he guarantees the loss of Conservatives.
There is no way he can win, other than a major Terrorist attack on a major US city before the election. The terrorists are definitely smarter than that and are patient enough to wait until the Coma sets in even deeper than it already is.
McCain could morph into the biggest conservative in the US and I would never vote for him. Pander all you like but it will have no impact on me.
miracles happen, and McCain may be suffiently humbled by his present position to take hold of his conservative roots. He has always worked against higher spending and we are really going to need that in the years ahead. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water and end up with Obama and another four years of demasculating our military. We cannot afford it now more than ever.
I've been thinking that same thing all morning.
He won't though. It'll be Huckabee. That's why he and Huckabee tag-teamed Romney out of the race, because even the RNC was having trouble slowing down his momentum. That was especially noticeable in Florida and the Carolinas. Huckabee talks a good talk about the Fair Tax, but he doesn't have any details or a clear plan for implementing it. IMO, Huckabee doesn't know diddly about economics, either. But I'm pretty sure he'll be McCain's choice anyway, in order to win the evangelical vote.
Fox News is now the power broker for the RNC?
And if they are, just how do conservatives take power back, boycotting Fox News?
The reason I am asking is because I want to know who is to blame for a poor showing of conservative candidates, and a paucity of conservatives in general running for major political office?
Hunter?
What? “W” endorsing McSlime?
The kiss of DEATH.......
It didn't require the efforts of Limbaugh or Hannity. McCain has been groin kicking conservatives for at least a decade.
McCain needs to make nice with millions of talk-radio listeners and evangelicals or the numbers will not be there for him to win the presidency.
What possible reason could ANY conservative have to believe ANYTHING McCain might say this year?
Though no easy task, time is on his side. But if he waits until late spring or early summer to circle the GOP wagons, he will have waited too long.
He may already be ten years too late.
McCain cannot battle Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton without the support of conservatives, whom some believe McCain does not like anymore than they like him.
Luckily for McCain, he doesn't really need conservatives. He's been telling us for years that there are a bazillion bore moderates and liberals than he even needs to win.
I don't understand how he can pull it off. It may actually be interesting to see how he tries.
I'm afraid that you are correct and we will be looking back fondly on the last four years.
Good for you. However, since I have to vote (inbred thing), I’m just going to go ahead and vote democrat because my mom told me it was a sin to waste a vote.
President Bush has sapped the life out of many Conservatives toros, IMO there is an awful lot of burnout, and that led to “Lite” Republicans like Mitt and McCain having strong showings and Fred and Hunter doing poorly.
Head to Head if one went down the list, Hunter and Fred are much stronger Conservatives then McCain, but we just went to sleep this nomination period.
That and even though Mitt was strong on saying No to Amnesty, it just was not important enough an issue for enough people to take him to the nomination.
The power they wield vacillates.
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