Posted on 01/12/2007 9:52:32 AM PST by freespirited
On Thursday, I got hold of some early results from a large survey the fiscally conservative Club For Growth is doing of its membership. McCain is near the rock-bottom of the pack when Club For Growth members are asked whom they would like to see made the GOP presidential nominee in 2008, and he comes in at the very top when members of the group are asked whom they would not like to see nominated. His favorable/unfavorable rating is also very poor with this crowd.
The Club For Growth is in the midst of conducting an extensive presidential survey of its 40,000 members, by phone and by email. So far, they've gotten roughly 3,300 responses.
The preliminary numbers I have obtained are as follows:
* Club members' top choice for 2008 GOP nominee for president: McCain received 5%
* Club members' least favorite choice: McCain received 43% (first place)
* McCain's favorable/unfavorable rating with Club members: Favorable 16% / Unfavorable 76%
(On those first two questions, Club members were asked to pick from a list, including: Romney, Pataki, McCain, Gingrich, Hunter, Huckabee, Hagel, Giuliani, Brownback, or no answer.)
Asked to comment, Club For Growth President Pat Toomey offered a rather bleak assessment of McCain's chances at wooing fiscal conservatives in the GOP primary.
"This is a real reflection of a serious challenge McCain has with free-market conservatives and with limited-government conservatives," Toomey said. "He very prominently spoke out against the Bush tax cuts. He spouted class-warfare rhetoric usually voiced by the Democrats."
What's more, Toomey said it would be a mistake to underestimate the importance of McCain's role in bringing campaign-finance reform to American politics with his McCain-Feingold bill. "Frankly, our members, almost by definition, are concerned with weighing in on issues and having a voice in American politics," Toomey said. "His willingness to diminish the First Amendment is a matter of great concern."
Despite the fact that McCain is good on trade policy and on opposing pork-barrel spending, Toomey said, "Fundamentally, limited government requires limited taxes, and economic growth requires lower marginal taxes."
Asked whether McCain could do anything to woo back fiscal conservatives, Toomey offered only: "You never say never in politics."
Of course, McCain has already spent some considerable time trying to win back fiscal conservatives, flip-flopping on the Bush tax cuts (calling for their renewal after having opposed their original passage) and flip-flopping on the estate (a.k.a. death) tax.
McCain and the Club For Growth, a so-called "527 organization" have long been at odds. McCain has repeatedly cited the Club For Growth as the type of group that made his campaign-finance-reform bill necessary, because they run lots of hard-hitting (and sometimes even negative) ads in House and Senate races in the days leading up to federal elections. In 2000, the Club ran ads boosting the candidacy of now-Rep. Jeff Flake, a rising fiscal-conservative star, for an Arizona congressional seat, leading to the defeat of an opposing candidate hand-picked by McCain.
Nonetheless, the vehemence of the opposition to the purported GOP frontrunner by the leadership and membership of the Club For Growth is pretty striking this early in the game.
Developing.
The question is which conservatives DO like McCain? I don't know any..whether they're fiscal, religious, old guard, neo-con...none of us...
As far as I can tell- McCain is liked by some Democrats...but not all of them either.
There. Fixed it.
The guy is not only corrupt (Keating 5) treacherous (betrayed his first wife and the POWs) and authoritarian (free speech for me, but not for thee), he's NUTS.
The only reason I can think for the news media to support him is that they think Hillary can beat him. They would turn on him as soon as he got the nomination, bringing out all the skeletons they've ignored.
McCain Still Disliked byThere. Much better and much more correct.FiscalConservatives
If they're convinced that it's only (or mostly) the fiscal conservatives holding him back, they're wasting their own time. Lots of people despise him, citing a wide variety of reasons.
McCain has more supporters on the other side of the aisle than around here.
Better toss Ron Paul in that Club for Growth poll. I bet he'd do pretty well.
Wasn't Keating a fiscal conservative? He seemed to like McCain.
I just don't understand it!?!
SEN. JOHN McCAIN: THE ULTIMATE "RHINESTONE HERO"
SEN. JOHN McCAIN: THE ULTIMATE "RHINESTONE HERO" Part II
U.S. Sen. John McCain is no War Hero
John McCain: The Manchurian Candidate
McCain Is Booed by Labor Activists
McCain Rides to Kerry's Rescue: "John Kerry is Not Weak on Defense" (Today Show alert)
John McCain SCREAMS AT 9/11 FSA MEMBERS FOR OPPOSING HIS BILL TO GIVE AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS
A number of articles on McCain. (some the same as above)
McCain/Soros by Rabbi Areyh Spero
Soros' "Reform" (an article about Soros‘ instrumental hand in McCain/Feingold)
Not Child‘s Play [McCain/Schumer bill could effect FR?]
McCain's Letter (McCain aligns with Global Enviro activists)
McCain Looked into Caucusing with Democrats
Climate bill sets stage for debate (Sens. McCain, Obama, and Lieberman join forces)
disliked by....
fiscal conservatives
social conservatives
religious conservatives
living conservatives
and dead conservatives.
I don't like McCain. I would lvoe to see how the others fared.
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