Meet the New Barry Goldwater [McCain]

American Spectator ^ | 5/30/2008 | Quin Hillyer

[Uncledave]

Many conservatives realistic enough to know there will never be "another Reagan" nevertheless wish at least for another Barry Goldwater. They don't realize that we already have one. His name is John McCain.

{snip} AS WITH GOLDWATER, so with McCain. Irascible, iconoclastic, sometimes a bit profane, always his own man and nobody else's, McCain is a curmudgeon's curmudgeon -- but still with much to offer his country. We all know, of course, why so many of us are so often so angry with McCain -- his sometimes bizarre heresies from conservatism, his insulting language and hair-trigger temper toward conservatives who disagree with him -- but we spend too little time acknowledging the man's strengths. On those issues on which Goldwater was strongest, about which he cared most deeply and on which he was most identifiably conservative, McCain is as strong or stronger than any national leader in the past 20 years.

Consider the fight against outrageous government spending. No major party nominee since Goldwater, Reagan included, has been as consistently and bravely dedicated to fiscal discipline as has McCain. Last week he both made a superb campaign speech and penned a hard-hitting column for the Chicago Tribune blasting the bloated, irresponsible Farm Bill for which 80 percent of his colleagues were cravenly voting...Indeed, entitlements collectively represent an absolutely deadly time bomb, and McCain might be the only man in American politics today with the will power, the moral standing, and the sheer cussedness needed to defuse it.

{snip} John McCain is not a conservative champion. But he deeply believes, and strongly champions, many conservative principles, many Goldwaterite principles. We certainly could do worse than to be stuck with him as our own, infuriating, headstrong, bullying, honor-obsessed, indefatigable, and sometimes downright inspirational SOB.

[Uncledave]

I take comfort in deluding myself that much of what this author writes is true.

[Sybeck1]

Will he lose like Goldwater? McCain isn’t even a moderate conservative. He shares the same views with Obama on Global Warming, Gitmo, Amnesty for God’s Children, and obscene corporate profits. I will be no part of that train wreck.

[Paladin2]

Didn’t AuH2O turn out to be a lib towards the end?

[devere]

Shouldn’t there be a barf alert?

[Dante3]

Also, McCain and his wife are creepy. He apparently has health issues he wants to hide and thus the farce of the medical records release. His mental health is fading and he lies like a sociopath and betrayed his first wife. Nothing he says means anything. Looks at the Rev. Hagee controversy. He courted Hagee during the primaries when he needed the votes, then dumped him. Watch McCain when he talks. He has a flat affect and often appears exhausted.

[TomGuy]

we already have one. His name is John McCain.

Thanks for the morning laugh.

[Ron Jeremy]

This is pure Heresy.

[TADSLOS]

On those issues on which Goldwater was strongest, about which he cared most deeply and on which he was most identifiably conservative, McCain is as strong or stronger than any national leader in the past 20 years.

The tax burden of shamnesty for 22+ million illegals, and cap and trade global warming buffoonery says otherwise. It's a myth that McCain is a champeen of limited spending. He's just shuffling the deck to pander to certain voting blocks and is willing to turn taxpayer revenues into promissory notes.

[pilipo]

Yes.

[piytar]

The choices really are simple:

The Obamanation utter nightare. One we might never wake up from.

The McCain Pain - take 1,000 aspirin and call me in four years.

The Reagan dream - or rather fanasy. No going to happen this time around, even if you stay home and wish for it. All that will happen is the dream will turn into the nightmare.

I’m going to suck it up and take my aspirin. We will survive that, if not happily.

[Fox_Mulder77]

Meet the New Barry Goldwater Bob Dole [McCain]

[DManA]

What an interesting way to put it:

at least for another Barry Goldwater.

I revere what Goldwater did as highly as I do Reagan.

[MARTIAL MONK]

I take comfort in deluding myself that much of what this author writes is true.

He holds Goldwater's seat and he takes that fact seriously. With McCain you are going to get some things that you don't like and you are going to get them until you howl. You are also going to get a lot of things that you do like. And you are going to get them until you howl.

[HiramQuick]

The democrat MCLame being compared to Goldwater???

HA, HA, HAN HA ....that is the most obtuse statement I have heard since Hussein obama opened his mouth last

[DManA]

Goldwater always acted on principle and explained his actions in relation to those principles. If there is a unifying principle underlying McCain’s positions I can’t detect it.

[The Toll]

I’m sure McCain will win a gang of 14 states in the general.
The Maverick Party is going to show up and vote for him BIG TIME!!! Whoever that is.

[Sybeck1]

That very attitude is giving McCain free rein to go as left as he wants.

[shove_it]

In your heart you know he’s a RINO.

[Vigilanteman]

That's how it was spun. He tacitly endorsed gays in the military with a "You don't have to be straight to shoot straight statement." He defended Ronald Reagan when Reagan mentioned once that he felt too many law enforcement resources were devoted to stamping out soft drugs like marijuana. He also endorsed a local Democrat congressional nominee over a carpetbagger Republican who felt he was entitled to the seat in a Republican district. That's it.

He never endorsed special rights for any "group". His views were actually fairly consistent and libertarian over time. Lieberals like to claim they converted him. They never did.