I *Will* Vote For John McCain - But I Will Be Under No Illusions About It
By Martin A. Knight Posted in 2008 Presidential Campaign | Archived | bipartisanship | McCain — Comments (46) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I will, without hesitation, pull the lever for John McCain if he happens to be the man whose name is at the top of the ticket. It's not even a close contest - he is head and shoulders above Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and it would be irresponsible to do otherwise with troops on the field.
However I am not going to lie to myself and say that I voted Republican for President; I would be perfectly aware that I had just voted "Bipartisan" as opposed to "Democrat". I'm not going to be deluded enough to think the McCain White House would be anything other than the high altar to compromise and accommodation - the "New Tone™" with a surfeit of testosterone.
Let me be clear; I am not going to lie to myself and say that I expect to see the borders secured before any form of legalization for illegal immigrants already in (and heading into) the country would begin. If Ted Kennedy demands the opposite and a bill gets to President John McCain's desk, it is getting signed in grand ceremony with the President lauding it as a great achievement.
I am not going to lie to myself and say I expect to see John McCain insist on a tax cut over the objections of his friends on the other side of the aisle if it would risk open confrontation. And much as I hate to admit it, voting for a nominee and actually nominating him/her are two different things; I simply do not see McCain, after the past seven years, after his pursuit of every opportunity to mavericate and stand with the Democrats, nominating anyone that would inordinately upset Chuck Schumer or Ted Kennedy - he would seek to find a "consensus" nominee.
I have no illusions that John McCain would not issue Executive Orders and sign legislation that would impose new restrictions on the use and production of energy in a bid to combat the ethereal threat of global warming. I do not doubt that even more restrictions on political speech would make their way into law as McCain seeks to close the many "loopholes" in McCain-Feingold.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner would hear of legislation being supported by the McCain White House long after it has been hashed out and strategized with Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer. Note that I do not doubt that McCain would veto pork-laden bills - that is - unless it is part of a grander "bipartisan" compromise.
When I vote for McCain, I would do so knowing that the two dozen men and women who man the editorial pages of the New York Times and Washington Post would have more influence and be taken more seriously than the entirety of the Republican base by the McCain White House.
But, like I have said; I will vote for McCain over any Democrat without any hesitation. I trust McCain to be a strong Commander in Chief and the least likely to need training wheels from the get-go.
I'm just not fooling myself into thinking I will be voting for a functionally Republican White House.
In the parlance of Dana Milbanks, while there is a possibility that "Potomac Man" will be in control of a lot, the thought processes in your own mind are not going to be controlled in any way shape or form by any of this.
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.
Yeah, if elected I would have only a little confidence that he'd nominate conservative judges for the Sup Court, and I would zero confidence that he would fight for one if he did.
Still, a small chance for good judges is better than a guarantee of a horrible ones, which is what we'd have with either Hillary or Obama.
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Finrod's First Law of Bandwidth:
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it takes the bandwidth of ten thousand.
Time for an ABM program.
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"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
anybody but Mike?
anybody but Mitt?
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.
I am sending a check to Mitt
Who is left ?
______________________________
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
I lose sleep worrying that he will finagle a deal to be McCain's VP.
Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw.
if he's the pick. First, because the VP will have a leg up on 2012.
Second, because McCain is...well...70 something. Things happen in your seventies. Especially with a temper like that.
I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100 percent.
we must either rebuild the GOP or build a third party that is conservative.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
I vote to rebuild the Republicans from the ground up, electing conservatives at every opportunity
I just don't see conservatives getting a fair shake from the party apparatus as installed by a McCain administration. That's where the keys to the lower echelons of the party are kept.
Those pulling the strings at that level will stack the deck against anyone who even utters a traditional word or value. It's already gotten horrible, but it will get worse if McCain is elected.
The best way to rebuild is after the place has been torn asunder by a resounding defeat.
Better be despised for too anxious apprehensions, than ruined by too confident security. --Edmund Burke
Blog: TMYN
John McCain has a reputation for having a thin skin and holding grudges.
John McCain also has a reputation as being the favorite Republican of the press.
As the campaign gears up and the press reveals its preference for any Democrat over their favorite Republican, how do you think John McCain will react? Bipartisanship could end up even more scorched and tattered after a McCain victory than after Florida 2000.
Sadly, McCain only holds grudges with conservitives in his party. He plays well with Democrats.
Democrats have played nice with McCain. If/when he locks up the nomination, that will change.
just not conservative. Too often we confuse the two. Lincoln Chaffee was a "Republican." If you are afraid of his judicial nominations, note that Souter, Ginsburg, Stevens, and Breyer have voted twice to uphold provisions of McCain-Feingold. Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Alito, and Kennedy found provisions of that statute unconstitutional each time they have had a vote. Do you believe he wants "strict constructionists?"
"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can some day, let's get to work."
Barry Goldwater at the 1960 Republican convention
For his faults, McCain would be exponentially better than Hillary or Obama, especially because the democrats would not play nice with him.
McCain didn't need conservatives to win Florida. Don't think he doesn't understand that. He won't care what conservative activists think. It will be McCain's way or the highway.
But that's light years from the liberalism of Sens. Clinton and Obama.
Whether McCain wins in November or not conservatives need to regain their prominence in the GOP. After the big spending and corruption from the GOP-controlled Congress we need to regain the trust of the country and our party.
Disclaimer: I used to work for Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.
He may not have needed them in the Primary but there is no winning for a Republican in Florida without the conservative vote.
More than any other candidate, with McCain I see a lot of conservatives using the "NEVER" word. If they are serious, then I don't see how he wins.
I am practically a single issue, stop illegal immigration voter and with respect to John McCain who I have spent years fighting, my NEVER is absolute and unwaivering.
Please Donate Soon. Lets build him up with cash. While Hillary spends all hers against Obama. $$$$$$$$$ Tonight !!!!
I said I could pull the lever for McCain in November. That's a far cry from giving him money. He hasn't done anything to deserve that yet. Especially after his non-"straight talk" smear on Romney last weekend.
Disclaimer: I used to work for Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.
Though I understand why others might.
I would say Hillarymustbestopped.
absent the intellect, affinity for tax cuts, and MSM hate-mongering.
I'll vote (D) or (I) before I vote McCain.
FredHeads: Fred is done, give Mitt another look - yes, he changed his standards, but arguably for the better.
...who just won't vote for the guy. Ever.
I'm all for compromise on certain things. But when I believe that there is one candidate that represents both a threat to conservatism in the party and cohesiveness of the republic, and I do with McCain, I just won't go there.
For me it goes beyond my distaste for the issues in which he openly shows his liberalism, it goes to my gut feeling that he'll screw this nation up worse than anyone might possibly imagine.
I try to imagine the absolute opposite of our best leaders, Washington, Adams, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, or Reagan and the pictures still come up short of what I fear in this guy.
Better be despised for too anxious apprehensions, than ruined by too confident security. --Edmund Burke
Blog: TMYN
We'll start to see a big swing in the polls towards an Anybody-but-McCain candidate.
Anecdotally, a poll at www.ace.mu.nu suggests that as of 2 minutes ago, Giuliani supporters are breaking 2-1 for Romney over McCain. Not sure I understand that decision process, but I'd say there may be some hope for the ABM crowd.
will jump to Romney. At least they have a shot with him. The milcons will definitely go to McCain.
Sure McCain, you can have my #$&&^%#@$ vote
Fred Thompson's Principles
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I won't vote for the man who voted to bestow US citizenship on illegal-alien felons. Someone else will have to make the choice between him and the Democrats. I won't.
At least you know what you're getting.
FredHeads for Mitt!
I don't know where you've been looking the last 8 years, heh. McCain is who he is.
A RINO who is more concerned what the Dems and the MSM think about him then what other republicans and conservatives think about him.
A RINO who votes AGAINST 1st amendment rights
A RINO who tosses our sovereignty about like its nothing
A RINO who, if elected, will forget all about "I heard your voices" when it comes to immigration.
A vote for McCain is a vote for business as usual. It's a vote for a Senator who will be beholden to every stereotypical special interest group that supported him. I, for one don't, want a career politician, at the end of his career, as my president.
Watch when he picks his running mate, it'll be some concession choice done to make "someone"(democrats) happy instead of shoring up conservative principles. At +70 yrs of age his choice of VP is all that more important.
FredHeads for Mitt!
I'll vote for other Republican office holders, but will not vote for a McCain the traitor.
I don't lightly toss around the "T" word and I don't think it applies to McCain. It is arguable that he has behaved that way towards our Party but it is tough to question his patriotism with respect to our nation.
But in general I agree with the sentiment. When it comes to protecting our borders, John McCain holds our sovereignty in low regard and is willing to sell citizenship and the voting franchise to felons at the ridiculous low price of $2000 a pop and would be immigrants who try to follow our laws need not apply for this bargain which is only extendeed to law breakers.
I have spent too many years opposing McCain's amnesties. He will NEVER get my vote.
...just as fast, loose and temporary as a stripper changes her costumes.
"Ever Which Way The Wind Blows" would announce the swearing-in ceremony.
Candidate Research - Know Who You're Voting For ( The Easy Way ) http://tinyurl.com/2sowta
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I'm not voting for Ron Paul because it's not expressly prescribed in the Constitution.
-- Mark Hemingway, The Corner (NRO)
It's really as simple as that.
Stevens, Ginsburg, and Souter might feel like they had a better chance to to be replaced by a moderate if McCain was President.
They might be right or they might not be, but even if we got a Kennedy clone on SCOTUS in place of a Stevens or Ginsburg, that would be a huge step up in almost all cases.
There is little reason to believe he will select the kind of judges that would over-turn McCain-Feingold.
I suspect that John McCain's judicial appointments would be selected from a short-list provided by his good friend Chuckie Schumer.
If judges are so important to you, and you are so committed to McCain due to the judges? How are your feelings about McCain saying he *won't* be appointing any judges like Sam Alito?
How do you reconcile in your mind that inconsistency? Or, is this another one of those inconvenient facts some McCain supporters chose to ignore?
Wubbies World, MSgt, USAF (Retired):
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("An argument is a sequence of statements aimed at demonstrating the truth of an assertion.); }
He says conservatives are racist for wanting to enforce the border. When he talks about tax cuts he says he's not for them because they're not accompanied by spending cuts. I have yet to see McCain at the fore front of trying to reduce the size of government, which is where the spending cuts would come from. I think anyone who would vote for McCain is delusional to think he's anything other than a Washington insider that will sell out my conservative principles.
If he's the Republican nominee I will not vote for President.
This seems to be a distinction without a difference.
"Bi-" would seem to imply that Republicans would get at least something out of the deal that we would find palatable and consider at least a partial win or at least not a complete loss.
But as you went down the list, I did not not see anything that fell in that category. Not one thing you mentioned was anything that I would not expect Hillary to be pushing.
It seems to me that Bi-partisan as you use it is just code for socialism and capitulating to the Democrat agenda.
The problem with McCain style bi-partisanship is that it inevitably seems to rely on 45 liberal Democrat votes and 15 RINO Republican votes. With a Republican President I would hope for legislation that could get 40 Republican votes and 20 Democrat votes. The problem with McCain is that he tends to have more in common with the liberals than the conservatives.
your reasoning is unsound. If we have any hope to get the conservative movement back we must not support McCain.
as for the big bad democrat boogyman, I will never ever again fall for that ploy. You ought not make your decisions based upon fear. We will have democrat presidents one way or the other, sooner or later, might as well be when the choice is not that much better.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
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"If we want to take this party back, and I think we can someday, let’s get to work." – Barry Goldwater
Fred Thompson's Principles
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