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.
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