Pragmatic
By Mitch Berg
I’d have rather seen Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney – in that order – get the GOP nomination.
It ain’t gonna happen, of course. And so we have John McCain – as imperfect and mercurial a conservative as exists, with a lifetime ACU rating just a shade higher than Jim Ramstad. Which, to be fair, is still head, shoulders, ankles and bunions better than either of the Tic candidates.
Noodles from the Dogs refers us to this piece by Kim Du Toit – perhaps the most paleo of the blogosphere’s paleos – who just plain gets it (emphasis added by me):
By not voting Republican—even one as flawed as McCain—we will handing this country over to the peaceniks, and on this I am absolutely certain…Furthermore, if we wake up on November 5th to President-Elect Obama or President-Elect Clinton, and then we turn on the TV to see joyous street demonstrations all over the Arab world, how will we feel then?
And when, in 2009, President Obama/Clinton nominates some pinko jurist with a love for a Silly Putty Constitution (or maybe two pinko jurists), the Supreme Court will swing sharply Left, for decades.
There’s only one thing to do: elect McCain, and at the same time, elect conservative Republicans to Congress, in 2008, in 2010, and in 2012.
I know; McCain’s a total shit, and I loathe him. But in the end, I love my country more than I hate John McCain—and handing over the reins of power to the Left will, with absolute certainty, bring this country down—just as the Left has brought down Britain, France and the rest of Europe.
Not gonna happen. Not while I draw breath.
This is not the time to pout. This, my friends, is our last stand. If we don’t win this one, the job is going to be incalculably more difficult in the future, both for us and for our kids.
Noodles expands on Kim’s point:
I’ve decided that I can not stay home in protest or even write in a preferred candidate. It is readily apparent that the system by which we get our candidates is not perfect and that compromise often leaves many unhappy, in this instance the more conservative Republicans have definately gotten the shaft. That being said every time the pendulum swung toward sitting this election out the vision of Hildebeast or Obama being sworn in on a cold day in January made it swing right back.
This blog’s mission – well, one of several missions for this next eight months, actually – is going to be to find every one of you conservatives who’s planning on sitting this one out, and changing your mind.
February 14th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Welcome to the McCaintinuum. Now go over to Anti_Strib and talk some sense into all those principled hardheads.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
“I love my country more than I hate John McCain”
Heh, I am going to get buttons and T-shirts made with that on it. I would actually tolerate a mainstrean liberal Democrat in office as it would lead to Republican gains in 2010, except for three issues:
1) WOT
2) Judges (I say 2 judges retire within 2 years, 1 more in year 3 of the next Pres term….plus all the other Fed’l judges)
3) Obama is not a mainstream liberal. He is too the left of Socialist Bernie Sanders.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:16 am
“the Supreme Court will swing sharply Left, for decades.”
Remember, many of those decisions that I have approved of were 5-4.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:25 am
“Judges (I say 2 judges retire within 2 years, 1 more in year 3 of the next Pres term….plus all the other Fed’l judges)”
That is actually the #1 argument that moved me from the ” No way I would vote for Hillary Kamp” and I saw it here first. You keep up with that argument. It will move more people off the fence and to the Left than the Right. Thanks for your assistance. I’m not sure who is doing a better job of ensuring the election of Democratic Candidates, you or Mikey but keep up the stellar work
Flash
February 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
It’s good to know that you know where to come for your marching orders Flash.
Add to that the fact that we are going to save you from yourself by making sure that Angela Davis is denied her seat on the Supreme Court and you have an excuse to just go ahead and donate the remaining half of your brain to science…or just continue to let it drip out onto the table during Sunday dinners at Gigi’s.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
It will move more people off the fence and to the Left than the Right.
Since the people Mitch is actually talking to, (Lefties like you notwithstanding, Flash), the result will be the opposite of your prediction. Surprise! Those people would rather drive a nail through their tongue than vote for a Clinton. And by November Obama will worry them even more.
But thanks for joining the internecine squabble. You contribute so much.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I will vote for McCain in November.
That said, I think it’s a mistake to think McCain will appoint judge’s who believe legislation should be left to, you know, legislators.
Here’s a ranking of the voices McCain will listen to before he nominates a federal judge:
1)John McCain
2) Senior democratic senators
3) Ghost of Teddy Roosevelt.
etcetera . . .
4078) GOP rank & file.
4079) Cast of ‘Cats’ road show.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
“I love my country more than I hate John McCain”
I’ve never understood why I’m supposed to “hate” John McCain at all. Objectively on spending and foreign policy he’s to the right of both George W Bush and Ronald Reagan. On issues where he’s disagreed with other conservatives, it seems to me that not only has he been upfront with his disagreements but he’s generally been a lot more congenial to his critics than they’ve been of him.
It seems to me that the problems that some conservatives are having in supporting McCain is not because of anything he’s said or done but more that so many of them have vested so much in the “John McCain is a liberal/traitor/whatever” line that actually being honest about his record, his stance on the issues and his overall character would require that they make an admission about how much of their criticism of him has been based on over-the-top hyperbole rather than actual substance.
February 14th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Thorley,
Just so we’re perfectly clear on this: you have managed to soften my opinion on Mac. I do support him – although I do want to drag him to the right on judges, immigration, and McCain-Feingold.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Thorley-
Regardless of whatever McCain’s merit as a conservative are:
He routinely accuses his ideological opponents of bad faith.
He takes opposition to his policies personally.
Neither of these are good traits in a President who is supposed to represent the interests of the Nation as well as his own political party.
February 14th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Thorley and Terry. Both good points. The more I read about McCain, the more I think he is closer to a center-right Republican then some of the right would have you believe.
Rumor out there is that Obama is about to start his attacks on McCain. It will be interesting to see how he portrays the Senator from Ariz. For years MSM and Democrats say the “Maverick” is the one Republican they like and would support for higher office. So far the only cuts Obama has done is that McCain is old.
February 14th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
“That is actually the #1 argument that moved me from the ” No way I would vote for Hillary Kamp” and I saw it here first.”
Flash: bluntly, given your history over the last 6 years of blogging, the idea that would ever vote anything other than for the Democratic nominee was an entertaining fallacy. What major post have you advocated for a Republican candidate rather than a Democrat in that time?
Nice to see you’re dropping all pretense, though.
Me? Obama all the way, man. Anything to keep the Clintons out of the White House. I’ll state it here again: I’d rather watch what Obama attempts to do to the country than what Hillary would do.
February 14th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Regardless of whatever McCain’s merit as a conservative are:
He routinely accuses his ideological opponents of bad faith.
He takes opposition to his policies personally.
When exactly?
February 14th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Thorley-
The opponents of his amnesty plan are bigots, the opponents of McCain Feingold are corrupt. Do you really want me to list the chapter & verse?
I’ll add a third problem with McCain: He needlessly antagonizes people — or he has needlessly antagonized people, if you want it in future perfect.
One of the remaining things I admire W for is that he takes nothing personally. He’s endured attacks from people in congress that call into question his patriotism, honesty, even his basic humanity, and he lets it go. I couldn’t do that. I don’t McCain can.
But I will vote for him in November. The alternatives are worse.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
The opponents of his amnesty plan are bigots, the opponents of McCain Feingold are corrupt. Do you really want me to list the chapter & verse?
Yes, exact quotes with links to original sources would be appreciated.
February 15th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Let’s start with McCain’s intemperate use of the slur ‘gooks’:
http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/030100/gen_slur.shtml
And then go on to a fundamentalist baiting:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/02/29/bush.2.t_9.php
February 15th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Let’s start with McCain’s intemperate use of the slur ‘gooks’:
While I don’t approve, I’d be the last one to say it to a guy who spent 66 months in the Hanoi Hilton. I’ll chalk it up to PTSD and move right along.
fundamentalist baiting
AKA (to play devil’s advocate) a “Sista Soulja” moment?
February 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Terry,
We’re still waiting for you to provide us with quotes where (in your words) Senator McCain has publicly stated that “[t]he opponents of his amnesty plan are bigots, the opponents of McCain Feingold are corrupt.” You implied in your previous post that you could list “chapter & verse” of him saying those things and I challenged you on it. If you cannot actually provide quotes of that, please issue an immediate retraction and the matter will be considered dropped.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
AKA (to play devil’s advocate) a “Sista Soulja” moment?
Agreed, particularly if you actually read the entire speech (which is the first hit I get on google), here’s the money quote:
“Let me be clear, let me be clear. Evangelical leaders are changing America for the better. Chuck Colson, head of Prison Fellowship, is saving men from life — from a lifetime behind bars by bringing them the good news of redemption. James Dobson, who does not support me, has devoted his life to rebuilding America’s families. Others are leading the fight against pornography, cultural decline and for life. I stand with them. I am a pro-life, pro-family fiscal conservative, an advocate of a strong defense, and yet Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a few Washington leaders of the pro-life movement call me an unacceptable presidential candidate. They distort my pro-life positions and smear the reputations of my supporters.”
I don’t find much that’s objectionable about that (although my respect for Dobson has waned a bit over the years, I still plan to use his books on parenting as they’re golden). The idea that you cannot call out two SPECIFIC INDIVIDIDUALS for their own words and deeds without it somehow being distorted as a slam on the “religious right” (whatever that is) is absurd. It’s just as silly as the idea that you cannot criticize Sharpton or Obama without it being deemed a “racist” attack on all black people.
But if that’s the best Terry could come up with, I stand by my earlier point – there is NO EVIDENCE, ZERO, NONE NADDA, ZIP, ZILCH in which McCain has made blanket attacks against Republican or conservatives because of a disagreement over an issue.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
“The idea that you cannot call out two SPECIFIC INDIVIDIDUALS for their own words and deeds without it somehow being distorted as a slam on the “religious right” (whatever that is) is absurd.”
Not a slam on the religious right, but poor judgment. Clinton rode his sistah soljah statement to victory. McCain’s lost, in part because he earned the enmity of people like Falwell & Roberts. And he did not have to.
Being able to withstand years of torture & imprisonment does not qualify you to be president.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Thorley-
Sorry, I haven’t found a quote of McCain calling opponents of his immigration bigots yet. Ditto corruption of CFR opponents. It’s has been busy around the Terry homestead the last few days.
Give me another 24 hours with google. If I can’t find the quotes, I will be glad to admit my error. I have no desire to slime McCain.
February 16th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Thorley-
I could not find any quote from McCain calling the opponents of his immigration reform or campaign finance reform legislation bigots or corrupt.
I was going by hearsay. I shouldn’t have made the claims I did without being able to back them up.
I appreciate your defense of McCain & will strive to learn more about McCain’s positions before I comment on them.