Quo vadis, conservatives?
I filed an extra, post-Super Tuesday syndicated column this week. Felt like we needed a pep talk. Ignore John McCain. Don’t “calm down.” Get fired up!
***
“Quo vadis,” conservatives? It’s the ancient, apocryphal question the apostle Peter asked Jesus while fleeing persecution in Rome. Where are you going? Where do we go from here?
The contest for the GOP presidential nomination is over. The conservative movement is not. Sen. John McCain’s campaign resurrection and Super Tuesday victory leave a diverse group on the Right—from the libertarian Club for Growth to First Amendment defenders to immigration enforcement proponents—dispirited. But the failure to nominate a true Republican unifier does not spell ideological defeat.
On Wednesday, wielding his olive branch like a schoolmarm’s ruler, Sen. McCain told conservatives to “calm down.” My advice is exactly the opposite: Get fired up.
Some on the Right advise their readers and listeners to vote Democrat or sit home. My advice is exactly the opposite: Get off the couch and walk the walk for conservative candidates and officeholders who need all the help they can get defending free markets, free minds, and secure borders—no matter who takes the White House in November.
Dissatisfied with the flawed crop of GOP candidates who lacked the energy, organizational skills, and ideological strength to carry the conservative banner and ignite your passions? Then pay attention to the next generation of Republican state legislators who do vote consistently to lower your taxes, uphold the sanctity of life, defend marriage, and cut government spending. Support their re-election bids. Reward them for standing with you instead of their Democrat opponents and the liberal media.
Look at Barack Obama. Four years ago, he was in the Illiniois legislature. Now, he’s on the cusp of the presidency.
If you can’t stomach John McCain, channel your support and energies to Republicans who do represent your values and who have treated the conservative base as allies instead of enemies. There are a new generation of combat veterans running for office who haven’t made a career of trashing the base. Check out staunch economic, social, and national security conservative congressional candidates like Iraq/Afghanistan veteran Eric Egland in California’s fourth district. Check out the Vets for Freedom (vetsforfreedom.org) group for their endorsements.
Opposed to the amnesty bill? Republican Sens. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and John Cornyn of Texas all fought the McCain-Kennedy-Graham-Martinez-Bush open-borders disaster. All of those Senators are up for re-election this year. Send them some money. Then send a few more bucks to the enforcement proponents on the House side as well.
Don’t sit and wait for the fence to get built. It won’t be finished under the Bush administration or a McCain administration or an Obama or Hillary Clinton administration. What you can do is pressure mayors and police chiefs and city councils to rescind dangerous sanctuary policies. What you can do is alert county sheriffs that you want them to work with the feds to end illegal alien catch-and-release policies in your neighborhood.. What you can do is stop patronizing businesses that you know are knowingly employing illegal immigrants using fake Ids and stolen Social Security numbers.
There are other vital issues on the ballot this fall that need conservative backing. Conservative stalwart Ward Connerly is leading a “Super Tuesday of Equality” drive in November to end racial preferences in five states. He has not only battled the race demagogues on the Left and the affirmative action apologists in the media, but also spineless GOP establishment leaders who would rather pander to the “diversity” lobby than fight for true equality under the law. Connerly spearheaded resounding victories in California, Washington, and Michigan. The new campaign is targeting Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Support his organization, the American Civil Rights Institute (www.acri.org).
Twenty-six years ago at the Conservative Political Action Conference, President Reagan rallied conservatives:
“We must ask ourselves tonight how we can forge and wield a popular majority from one end of this country to the other, a majority united on basic, positive goals with a platform broad enough and deep enough to endure long into the future, far beyond the lifespan of any single issue or personality.”
Get involved. Don’t calm down. Get fired up.
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- Quo vadis, conservatives? : BigMouthFrog
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- The Dan Lee Report » Blog Archive » Why we need Michelle Malkin to lead the way
- Get fired up??? You’ll just burn out doing that « Independent Freedom
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- Don’t forget the other elections — Cranach: The Blog of Veith
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Great advice.
I need to step down from my moral high ground and get to work on what matters: building the next generation of the political class that represents what matters to us.
Appreciate the boot in the tush, Michelle.
We only lose when we succumb to despair.
Thanks Michelle and good luck today at CPAC.
But here in Pennsylvania it looks pretty bleak for conservatives. I am changing my registration today to “no affiliation”. If conservatives or conservative issues do surface here, I will certainly support them but not as a republican.
I never intended to sit on the sidelines on senatorial or congressional conservitive Republican races. MM your exactly right reward those who believe and fight for conservitves and against the liberlsism of the so called middle of the roaders. Only those who fight for the heart and sould of America deserve our contributions and support. I am not going to stand down, calm down or shut up John McCain has been a call to action for true Republicans, the conservitive base can not and will not be silenced. McCain might think he can tell us what to think and do but I am not a mind numbed robot, God himself gave me the power of freewill and calls all to involve themselves in the greater fight for good.
Thanks for the pep talk though.
My Primary is March 4th, in Texas - I ain’t quittin’ on Mitt Romney til there is NOTHING left to do - if we cannot help him, we can help him make it as costly for McCain who is broke AS POSSIBLE.
We can be the flea on McCain’s backside that yells at him, “SUFFER, BABY, SUFFER!!!”
(ANYBODY HERE KNOW ANY 1960’s ELEPHANT JOKES? heheheh)
I’ll wring every scrap of misery out of Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison THAT IS POSSIBLE for them supporting McJACK-AAA after we let them know CLEARLY what they had to do to get and keep OUR support and votes THIS LAST YEAR during the SHAMNESTY debates, last Spring!!
And they want to make us fight the same fights over and over and over???
Sorry - I ain’t going to quit kicking for a long time. I live too close to the border.
And I will do everything that is in my power to work with others of the same mind to KILL ANY GOP CHANCES IN NOV. for a PRESIDENTIAL WIN if they still nominate that backend of a stupid mule, after all we’ve done to make it PLAIN how we feel about it - AND THEY REFUSED TO GO AFTER SOMETHING FRESH AND BROAD-REACHING.
I have no obligation to help them get easily prepared for the fight with the DIMS.
If there is any info I can give to the DIM HEADQUARTERS that will help them, against McCain, I will do so.
Since I have already helped to bury some neighbors who were totally innocent of any wrongdoing, who were mutilated by illegal aliens trafficking through our area - less than 2 hours from the Mexico border - AND I HOLD THE LIKES OF McCAIN TOTALLY RESPONSIBLE for it,
…and the continued safety of my neighborhood is a REAL PROBLEM to me…
I HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN by a McCAIN Presidency over the likes of the Dim Party, AS SOME THINK THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE.
To me, they are like ABUSED WIVES who have prepared themselves with paint and pretty clothing to make amends with their murderous husbands so they won’t lose the house in the divorce to his new girlfriends.
They cannot imagine the reality of what truly awaits them.
And I have lost the ability to care.
I will NOT stand by and insipidly watch while fiddling my fingers as they rip our territory to further shreds in placation of illegal alien and drug trafficking AT OUR EXPENSE, while the Johnny Suttons come through here to jail our law enforcement officers for daring to impede the progress of COYOTES.
McCain - SON OF CAIN. BRANDED! Just like a SKUNK.
HAVE KEYBOARD - WILL SPELL IT OUT!
Voters for McCain have sold themselves out TO RECONQUISTAS for a mess of pottage.
And before it is all over, McCain will take that mess of pottage and smear it in their faces like Cagney “Public Enemy” did that stupid grapefruit in the face of that blonde
Because that is what McCain has always done, before! And he will keep it up! AND MORE!
John Adams Had To Eat Humble Pie So We Could Have An America Too!
In 1776, the colonial delegates in Philly had to decide whether to go idealistic to their principles and abolish slavery at the get-go in the Constitution and risk disaffecting the southern states — thus ending up with no nation at all. Franklin and Adams bitterly realized there’s a time to be virtuous and a time to be pragmatic.
Please vote for our nominee! It’s NOT about McCain — It’s about what the Socialists can IRREVERSIBLY do to our country — and your wallet!!!
James Greenidge
Queens NY
Yes the house is where it’s at. The senate is out of control they are behaving like French aristocrats prior to the revolution, vote the liberocons out. We will probably have a repub pres, why, because many Americans dem and rep will never vote for Hillary they consider her unqualified at the least.
Likewise many Americans will not vote for Obama for some of the same reasons. Obama has an even bigger problem in the eyes of many Americans and that problem is past and present black leadership or more precisely lack there of as well as a rightly perceived black hostility toward whites in particular. Most people won’t admit this but you can bet that they are thinking about it. The black caucus, blacks abandoning the first black pres’s wife a long supporter of black causes, to vote close to 90% for Obama. Blacks are more concerned about blacks and that’s fine but don’t ever expect to be pres of all the people holding this view. Pres of Zimbabwe, maybe, pres of America, never. Americans demand a president for all the people not some of the people. Someone needs to inform Baraks wife that I too could be shot dead trying to get gas as well. Actions speak louder than words, by their fruits ye shall know them, the chickens come home to roost and all that.
Get on your reps weekly email list, I hear from mine sometimes twice a week. I ocassionally reply with just a thanks instead of a complaint they appreciate knowing that we support them it makes their job easier. Yes, it even emboldens them which is something we can use right about now and going forward. My congressman, Campbell is new but he is one of those taking the lead, he was one of the few that voted against the stimuli package, he is right much more often than he is wrong. No one ever accomplished any thing by tuning out that’s what they want you to do don’t let them manipulate you. Stand your ground if they sense fear, if they see you can be sent running you become their prey.
I’ve been yammering for weeks that the people who do not vote at all because they don’t like any of the possible nominees will also not be voting in the Congressional races.
What idiots!
As can be seen today, Reed & Co. are holding up over 250 POTUS appointments because they are in power and, well, they want to. Whether or not it’s an abuse of advise & consent is another matter. They’re doing it!
If McCaskill won MO by only 40K votes and Tester in MT by only 3,000! How those two results would have changed thing.
I’m off Friday so I’m going down to the Election Board and refile as an Independent. I’ve already notified the Rep Party of Florida and the RNC that they can no longer count on me to support any and all candidates they stand up. I told them to get back to me when they promote Conservative candidates. How freeing it feels to not be re-arranging the deck chairs on the SS Repub Titanic! I no longer have to defend the so-called Conservatives (compassionate or otherwise) that are at the top of the Republican Party. We need to seek out and support Conservative candidates no matter what color stripe is on their sleeve.
Great column, Michelle. We really appreciate you exchanging ideas with us, the great unwashed. You have your finger on the pulse of the conservative movement because of it. You could easily retreat to the ivory tower of NYT/WSJ “conservatives” but stick with us. God bless you.
Solid advice, MM. Time for the GOP to be the Giant Overcoming Phoenix. Time to rise from the ashes…
I won’t be stopping my efforts either. So far, I have not heard Oprah sing, so I know it ain’t over.
I’ll do what I always do: write, call and try to keep informed the people who can’t seem to turn off American Idol!
Keep up the good work MM.
Michelle, excellent…
and my sentiments, exactly! Great minds, and all that….
Well, I won’t vote for McCain. That is settled in my mind. My calculus says that he could never win anyhow, so this election cycle is the one (maybe in my life) where I send the “none of the above” letter to the presidential selection process.
That, Michelle, is another BIG thing I think conservatives…and others…need to also address. How are we going to do this next time so that these distorted, grotesque results are not repeated?
How can we assure that the two most detested people on the political landscape (OK, three…we have to include Bill Clinton, too) are not–by some tragic/comic misalignment of the gears–the ones we are left with when the machine stops whirring? That has to be one of goals, too.
Meantime, we have stop-gaps and firewalls that really need some attention.
The courts will have to be defended from run-a-muck nominees of the Ginsberg stripe.
The laws will have to be defended by the election of good, solid conservatives at every stinking level of government.
The intellectual base of our end of the bell curve has to be strengthened, and supported to assure it effectively gets heard.
In our own homes, with our own family and friends and communities, we need to educated and passionately teach–and show–what good people with conservative ideas DO, not just say.
There are literally hundreds of Bobby Jindal-caliber people across America, and they need to be nurtured and put in the vanguard over the coming years.
We also need to learn a little “pattern recognition” with regard to who our natural allies are…and are not. Populism is fundamentally anti-conservative, in MHO. It is also infecting our party, and Huckabee is its spawn.
So, we’ve seen disappointment and felt disgust, but its time to gird for battle again…this time with a clearer picture of the battlefield. We can see the shape of the challenge, and now we have to gut up and meet it with adjusted tactics…always with the same goal…
to live free under the Constitution.
Agree with all you say, Michelle, except giving up on Mitt Romney. They are not giving up yet on the Corner:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
The conservative movement needs to be LOUD so McCain can hear us. It will be interesting to see how McCain acts at the convention today.
It ain’t over til it’s over.
I happen to have the greatest congressman in the USA: Scott Garrett. He is both a great guy, and a true conservative.
I clearly remember him saying in the weeks after Katrina, “Yes, we need to help. We need to save the people that need saving, etc.” But he was the only one saying “that doesn’t mean we just sign a check for $60B and ’see if that’s enough.’ We need a plan…”
No other congressman had the brass to speak the truth at that time.
Garrett, of course, was right. Countless billions of our treasure was flushed down the toilet known as “Katrina Relief.” Little - probably none - got to the people who needed it.
I need to lobby him to run for President in 2012. He could never be elected senator or governor here in ultra-liberal NJ, and he’s too ethical to carpet bag like a Clinton.
No, he’d have to go right from Congress to the campaign.
But, believe me, you’d support him.
Time to send him an eMail…
I thought it wasn’t over until the convention…..
Michelle,
You’ve put into words what I have been thinking the last few days.
As much as I want a real conservative in the White House, I can’t see the wisdom of abandoning McCain for one of the socialists. There is a vast difference between McCain and either the Hildabeast or Obama.
McCain is pro-life and pro-military, and he has a 65% ACU conservative rating for 2006, 82% lifetime. Obama and the witch are pro-abortion, anti-military,and have single digit ACU ratings.
The liberals (socialists?) gained power incrementally and sometimes suffered setbacks (Reagan). We need to do the same so I’ll hold my nose and vote for the republican if it’s JM and hope he drags some conservatives in on his coattails.
BINGO! Michelle. This is exactly what I’ve been yammering about for some time. A lot of people are getting too narrowly focused on an individual, here. They’re not thinking of the big picture. There’s more to a conservative mindset than just the presidency. There are other outlets, other options.
RobM,
The reason that a conservative can’t get elected statewide in NJ is because he has 2 opponents. He has to beat the democrat and the NJ Republican party. They abandon and badmouth any conservative who gets nominated by the rank and file republicans. Just ask Brett Schundler or, to reach back a while to when I lived in NJ, Jeff Bell.
lol
MM defined the Mission Statement,not much else needs to be said.
Good advice. Politics is the art of the possible, so we need to do whatever we cab for the conservative movement at all levels. My daughter in Colorado helped bring about Romney’s 59 percent caucus victory there, and now she’s backing Bob Schaffer in his bid for the Senate against Boulder liberal Mark Udall. Think globally, act locally. Here in Texas, I’m voting for Romney on the March 4 ballot. I’ll support Cornyn. But you’re right, do what you can at the local and state level until we can find someone who stirs the imaginations of the conservative movement on a national scale. I’d hoped that was Mitt Romney, but maybe his time hasn’t come yet. Remember, Ronald Reagan wasn’t an overnight success. I hope Romney sticks around to show us that he’s got real staying power, and maybe enough of the nitwits in the GOP will see there’s everything to like and nothing to fear from this good man. It would help if the so-called “social conservatives”, aka evangelicals, could get over themselves and stop voting against him because he’s a Mormon. They’d rather vote for McCain as their second choice to Huckabee, apparently, if the polls are to be believed. Now that takes a REAL leap of faith.
I won’t be staying home. I won’t vote for McCain. I will write in someone else for president.
I will work to put people in office who:
1) Support the constitution
2) Believe in minimal interference by government
3) Who will seal the borders against criminals trying to enter illegally.
4) Who will work to pound the islamofascist scum who are a threat to us into pig food.
I think that removes all Democrats and most Republicans from the list. I’m beginning to think it’s time to forma new party and let the countryclubbers now running the Republican party join the Soros funded Democrat party.
Memy…
Sorry, poor communication on my part…
“It” isn’t over. It is just all-but certain that McCain will be the nominee.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I have been putting my newly acquired “Romney 08″ stickers on my cars. I will definitely be voting for him when my state votes. To the extent I have the time, I will go volunteer for his campaign.
You are right; it isn’t over until the convention. But things are what they are, and it does appear that McCain will be the nominee if he does not drop dead.
Excellent advice Michelle. I’m going to send Mitt a check tonight and will look into the sites you suggested.
We need to bring back the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award (geez, I just dated myself). Until then:
:Soap hands Michelle the one-finger salute
Can you give that to McCain for me and tell him that is all he will get. He sure will not get my vote.
In the past week I have had several conversations with people who have tagged themselves as Democrats. When I asked them what made them a Democrat they had a hard time explaining it. So I asked them what did they believe in? I asked how they felt about illegal immigration, what they felt about taxes, what they felt about government telling them what they can and cannot do? Simple questions that they related to because they impact their own lives. (Issues like abortion were a given…none would ever consider it to begin with) Without exception they responded with conservative views. No to illegal immigration because they have had experiences first hand. No to higher taxes because that again affected them personally. No to government interferences because again it impacted their own daily lives. When I pointed to just those points they all sat back and said whoa…I guess I am more conservative than I knew. It has made them rethink their emotional reaction to the candidates.
Some people just do not understand it, until they are shown how it impacts their own personal lives. Simple points…simple conclusions.
Soap, I remember the Fickle Finger of Fate award. This was the same show that had a “News From the Future” segment. In 1968 a “News From the Future” segment began with “In 1982 President Ronald Reagan…”
Well said, Michelle. There are still plenty of people in Missouri I plan to support. I will not work for the McCain campaign if he does get the nomination. I am still hoping for it to all end at the convention and McCain gets the boot, but I realize it’s a long shot.
Ask McCain about his snide, snarky remark that he made in favor of illegal immigrant farm workers, when he said there were no Americans that would pick lettuce for $50/hour…how out of touch is this man?
Are we conservatives going to let ourselves be jerked around again, be herded like sheep? McCain is like Lucy with the football, and we are the Charlie Browns.
Probably about half of politicians get into politics because they don’t want to hold down an honest job where they have to do actual work. We need to weed these jerks out!
I am fired up, and not in the mood for compromise - McCain can go to you-know-where as far as I’m concerned. It would not be “compromise” to support him, but surrender.
If McCain does pull off getting the nomination for the Republicans, I cannot and will not vote for him. But, I cannot vote for Clinton or Obama either. My intentions have been and are to leave the top spot on the ballot either blank or filled with a write-in for a conservative.
But, I have always intended to vote and support other conservatives in officer farther down the ballot on the federal, state and local levels. Sadly, I am not seeing much fire in the belly from my senators and representatives on core conservative issues. It really is becoming a depressing election year for me.
But, I have not given up. We can continue to fight and forge ahead.
Why doesn’t he calm down and turn right a bit? I’m tired of folding.
backwoods,
You reckon CPAC is becoming the new Laugh In with the like of McCain (who has snubbed it in the past) and Ron Paul as speakers?
My personal opinion: It is becoming a joke (along with the GOP in DC who can’t remember what their base is).
Thursday Morning Greetings Mrs. Malkin and loyal community. Much appreciate your perfect attitude in this Valley Forge of our discontent. Strategically to be sure, if one can have a decisive influence on the moral nature of our citizenry, the politics will follow in due course. That begins with the kind of children we raise: what do they learn at home, at school, at Sunday school, on the soccer field?
Presidential politics may be a lost cause in the near-term, but as the successful battle the halt the “shamnesty” advance in July 2007 proved, much else can be done. As the continuing stealthy efforts by open-borders conspirators demonstrates, constant vigilance and an implacable unwillingness to be fobbed-off is necessary.
There is talk by major candidates for the Presidency of funding this or that “unmet social need”, and of continuing interminable military commitments to many other nations whose security is on the line before ours is, (if only we would allow them to experience the fact). The next administration must deal with the severe consequences of the reckless Federal budgets of the first part of this century. The choices will be stark, and we will discover something about what we are made of. Whatever we decide is truly necessary at the federal level, we will hardly be able to fund through spreading more paper around as we have done up to now. We in California and our Gov. Schwarzenegger are beginning to discover that now.
As noted before, the Republican Party is now in much the same position as the Whig party in the 1850s when it died. It may be that Mrs. Malkin’s website will one day be noted as a place where in this wintry time for the national cause, a successor party began to germinate. Many thanks.
Soap,
Do you think the irony is lost on McCain that he is “sucking up” to the conservatives now at CPAC, after he ridiculed other candidates for trying to woo conservatives just days ago?
Nah! How silly of me to think that, huh? LOL
I remember that one too Soap! Don’t feel too bad as I always say any day above ground is a good one.
I know it ain’t over till it’s over, but if we do get stuck with McCain I will write in “none of the above,” however I will not sit home and will vote. I will do what I can to support those willing to run for office that will not sell out their conservative principles.
Still highly upset with Congressman Simpson crossing the aisle on the S-CHIP attempt at a veto override. His answer was the same I used get from Larry Craig about illegal invaders that I just don’t understand the mechanics of the bill. Thanks to your coverage Michelle I do understand and I will continue to let the lying crapweasels in DC someone is watching them.
Count me in! If that arrogant
sobguy thinks we’ll cave, he has another think coming. Let’s ROLL! Thanks, MM - can’t wait to hear/read what happens at CPAC.The man’s trying to be a democrat. He probably considers it normal behavior.
Nice column, Michelle. You are right of course. To drag McCain to the right is all we can hope for now in the Presidential race.
I’m just now catching up with all the Super Tuesday coverage. Around 7pm Super Tuesday Madison County Tennessee, where I live, we got a Tornado Warning. About five minutes later, all power went dead. Five minutes after that, I heard just a mile north of my home a very frightening sound, like a turbine engine passing by. Turns out that was an EF-4 tornado that struck Union University campus, a retirement home and a neighborhood less than a mile away. Very severe damage to many homes and the University’s Dorm buildings were really hit hard, and there were many students trapped in the dorms for hours, but the EMS people did a great job and got them all out with no life-threatening injuries. If you saw the pictures, it was a miracle nobody was killed there.
It narrowly missed (by about 75 yards) my brother’s frame shop. His store is ok, our house is ok, but the neighborhood Walgreen’s Drug Store had the whole roof ripped upward, then collapse down into the store. 47 people were treated for injuries at Jackson-Madison county Hospital, and there were five fatalities confirmed. Dozens of tractor-trailer rigs were tossed about like toys on Interstate 40 where it junctions with US 45.
We were with out power here until early yesterday morning, and the telephone-internet-cable was out until a couple of hours ago. I did have cell phone service, but that was all for 48 hours.
My Super Tuesday wasn’t all that Super. I managed to go vote for Romney before the storms fired up. The tornado smashed my town, Huckabee won my county and state,and McCain racked up too many delegates to deny that he’s probably going to be the guy for our side.
On the bright side, We are all ok, and I didn’t have to listen to the FNC punditry praising McCain and Huck all night, and post mortems on the Romney campaign.
Oh, President Bush is supposedly coming to town this Friday. Maybe if I whine and complain enough about how Bush didn’t prepare my town for this I’ll make the CBS Evening News.
great column… got me fired up…in the words of Howard Dean: “EIIYEEEAIEEAHHUHHHEEERRRR!!!”
ROFL max
So the great RINO tells us to “calm down?”
Not surprising and not the first time.
As a Vietnam Vet, I lost all respect for McPain (as well as any consideration for future support) when instead of standing with “us” and condemning John Francois (The Rat-Bastard, Traitorous SOB) Kerry, he defended his good Bud and basically told millions of us who had suffered terribly for 35 years to “get over it!”
8/25/2004
By Jill Lawrence USA TODAY
Sen. John McCain argued Wednesday that Americans need to get past Vietnam, spreading blame for the bitter political debate among both presidential candidates, a federal agency and a veterans group attacking Sen. John Kerry’s combat record.
“I’m sick and tired of re-fighting the Vietnam War. And most importantly, I’m sick and tired of opening the wounds of the Vietnam War, which I’ve spent the last 30 years trying to heal,” the Arizona Republican said at a lunch with USA TODAY and Gannett News Service. “It’s offensive to me, and it’s angering to me that we’re doing this. It’s time to move on.”
YEAH, RIGHT, John boy!!!
The one person more responsible than any other individual for the denigration, humiliation, untold suffering, scorn, ridicule, etc. of millions of us Nam Vets, simply for having served honorably, was Kerry.
We HAD been quiet and suffered in silence and finally, we had the golden opportunity to come out and finally, regain a modicum of self-respect and clear our name.
So what does this great “hero” do to help us? He launches a vitriolic attack against the Swift Boat Vets and impugns its motives and criticized the Book, Unfit for Command BEFORE ever having seen it (as it had not been released as of yet) and basically told the rest of us to “calm down” and get over it.
As an aside, it is a good thing for W he was running against Kerry because many of us worked hard to defeat Kerry–as opposed to helping elect Bush.
Probably most telling about that article was McCain’s own words (Prophetic???) about his opinion on why Kerry had brought up his Vietnam service and why he was using as a campaign issue:
McCain said Kerry may have opened himself to criticism by focusing on Vietnam. In his own primary campaign in 2000, McCain said, HE DIDN’T HAVE TO BECAUSE EVERYONE KNEW HE’D BEEN THERE. FOR KERRY, “IT’S CLEARLY A TACTICAL OR STRATEGIC MOVE” TO SHIELD HIM AGAINST “CHARGES OF BEING TOO LIBERAL and soft on defense.”
I guess McCain must using the fact that he was a POW in this campaign because he now believes no one know he was “there?” And he was dead on when he accused Kerry of using his Vietnam Service (the same as McCain is doing now) to “SHIELD HIM AGAINST CHARGES OF BEING TO LIBERAL,” and not solely because of his support for the surge.
I’ve been voting since 1964 and except for that lapse (yeah, voted for LBJ) because I was young, naive, and serving in Air Force, I’ve always voted R.
I gave up my affiliation with the Republican Party when Gerald Ford stabbed us in the back and was unwilling to go against Congress and uphold his sworn duty to abide by the Geneva Accords and assist South Vietnam when they were invaded by overwhelming regular forces from the North.
Nevertheless, I ALWAYS voted R as the Dhims continuously moved further and further to the left.
NO MORE!!! If McCain is the candidate, I will sit home, drink a bottle of nice burgundy, and shed a few tears for the future of our country and where it will be headed under a Juan McCain.
God Bless America.
Michael
He’s already a liberal he might as well go all the way.
I guess I should calm down.
/John Wayne on
I’ll calm down. I’ll calm down. Like hell I will….pops McCain in the kisser
I just looked at HotAir for the first time in a couple of days, and this is what I see:
Bryan Preston is correct, of course. There have been tornadoes in the Southeast forever. Native Americans have legends about the “Dead Man Walking”, which is derived from sightings of multiple vortex tornadoes in the Plains and South.
John F’n Kerry is an opportunist jerk, and I’m not amused by his exploiting my town’s tragedy for his Goracle crap. Stick it where the sun don’t shine, Lurch.
I’ll calm down. I’ll calm down. Like hell I will….pops McCain in the kisser…
nice soap!one of my fav Duke scenes…”I won’t hit ya..etc.LOL
Conservatives are the anchor of the Party. It wants to drift and kick and scream but, we must continue to hold on to conservative values. We need to work to get conservatives elected in the House and Senate. We held their feet to the fire on immigration and we need to continue.
Again, if you haven’t read Hugh Hewitt’s article 7 Reasons to support the Nominee go to his site and give it a read.
Imagine J.Kerry had won. We would have a Middle East totally engulfed in war and ethnic cleansing to the likes we haven’t seen. The SCOTUS would be 7/2 liberal with a liberal chief justice. By now we would have gay marriage, forget anything pro-life, equal rights for illegals and full habeas rights for terrorists with tax funded attorneys and full access to our courts. I could go on with Free Speech erosion, property rights, gun ownership.
McCain would be a bad dream. Hillary or Obama would be a nightmare from which we may not wake up.
The Huskster is sucking up like there is no tomorrow for the VP slot with McCain. After Super Tuesday he said, “I carried all the Southern States a Republican must carry to win in November.”Translation, “Pick Me John, Pick Me, Pick Me. Pleeease Pick Me”.
Potentially, still another reason to NOT vote for McCain
McClintock is my favorite John Wayne movie, Soap. And, that particular quote is one of my favorites from it. One of my others is “I have a touch of a hangover, Bureaucrat. Don’t push me.“
Michelle, my older brother has convinced me not to switch parties, from Republican to “no affiliation”, just yet. I will wait until the PA primary is over and possibly the National Convention. Like most here, if McCain is in fact the nominee, I will not vote for the presidency. And if the PA GOP ever finds a candidate for congress that is a true conservative, I will support him or her. But as it stands today, there are some local issues to be decided and that’s about it.
Mr. McCain, I have calmed down, just a little, and upon further review, the call stands. There are no areas you and I agree on because you have demonstrate the distasteful tendency to lie like a rug. Sincerely, Z.
The John Wayne thread from the other day has me reved up. McCain could rev me up even more with: “I quit.”
Well written article. My only criticism is why limit ourselves to the GOP. In my youth we actually had conservative Democrats. Also why not elect Independants at the grassroots level. They don’t have to stand at attention when their party gives them a command. They can actually consistantly vote their conscience and at all times represent their constituents. I think at a time when our parties fail us we should go back to basics, that is being Independent. Like minded independants can get together and support each other, for all the right reasons. It need not mean becoming impotent.
James if you want to vote for the Republican nominee, I will respect your decision to do so. I will not vote against my conservitive values just as I will not compromise my religous values, when satan comes a callin with his slick talk and bag of miracles, I will not take his mark or be any part of his world government, I will die in the name of my God first. Don’t get me wrong I’m not comparing McCain to satan I am just giving you an example of compromising ones belief and the danger in doing so.
Where did you go to charm school.
I don’t know if that is the best way to get people to go out and vote, although I agree with the argument that if your sitting at home you can not vote for your congressional candidate and remove those whom are not worthy to be there.
I do not believe we need to abolish our government, this clearly states that we are responsible for who runs our government and it is we the people that have let our leaders dilute our power to choose and it is we the people that are responsible to change it.
If the government is allowed to slide into socialism then it is our responibilty and duty to revolt and take the government back and put it back in it’s original form. I don’t think it will be allowed to go that far, but if it does the goverment will certainly have a insurmountable war on it’s hands from we the people.
another idea to support: the anti illegal laws from Arizona. by all accounts they are w*rking, so we should do what we can to get them passed in other states, especially ones that have the initiative process like California, where the citizens can bypass the “diversity” tools in government.
don’t forget to vote in November!
(just don’t for a RINO. %-)
Great advice Michelle. I don’t like McCain. He’s a liberal. But, he’s better than anything the Democrats can put up.
I will hold my nose and vote for him though. We are likely looking at several vacancies on the Supreme court, and we are certainly looking at several more years of active combat with Islamofacism. I don’t want Hillary or Obama any where near the Whitehouse when it comes to those two issues.
Jim C
Succumb to dispair or not, this may be an insurmountable obstacle. The world is intent on entrenching socialism everywhere. The vast majority of Americans will capitulate as their 401Ks evaporate and the siren song of the State breaks them down. This is a 30-40 year battle that may already be lost. The American electorate are passive sheep now and ready to be lead to the slaughter. Our leaders have not only failed America but betrayed her. As Michelle said, we can either quit or work to elevate young men and women leaders for the future. It’s a long row to hoe but I choose not to lay down.
“The contest for the GOP presidential nomination is over.” Sorry going to disagree here because if McCain does not get 44% of the remaining votes they there will be no official Candidate going into the convention and anything can happen there.
Absolutely right sentiment, Michelle. What we have done for too long is compromise and just ‘got along.’ It seems as though conservatives haven’t had the stomach to fight.
It’s not too late, and you gave a great talk. We must fight now more than ever to regain control of our own destinies, for the left has other plans for our future. If we accept medioclre candidates on our own side, we are consigning ourselves to mediocre government at best, or a radically left one at worst.
Great post, Michelle,
Has anyone noticed that NO ONE gives liberal republicans a hard time when they vote according to their convictions and vote third party or vote democrat?
They get catered to, not condemned.
After a very lengthy search, I finally found a photo of the Dead Man Walking tornado.
http://anything-everything–nothing.blogspot.com/search?q=weather+channel
Nice words, but as long as gerrymandering is allowed, my vote is going to count for nothing.
The Republican Party has not been the party of conservatives since the election of the first Bush as President. We conservatives did not have the support of “W” yet we still managed to be a large factor in the defeat of amnesty. We must continue to express our opinions to our governmental representatives on legislation and at the same time try to educate our contacts regarding what is happening in Washington. I don’t think leaving the Republican party completely is an option. If we continue to support conservative representatives while at the same time repudiating McCain by selecting a third party candidate or writing-in a Presidential selection we can make a statement of disgust to Republican Senators and Congress(wo)men. We should not support the RNC until they move to support conservative policies. Should we ever regain power in the party we should not allow ourselves to be complacent and allow the likes of Bush and McCain to lead. In the meantime we should target those republicans like McCain, Graham, Kyl, Hagel, Specter and others for defeat.
I’ll be volunteering for Romney Saturday at the Kansas caucus. I won’t compromise my principles.
I totally agree we need to be mindful of those who have supported us and support them in return, which I try to do. My own local state reps know me by name and they know very well where I stand and they stand with me and I for them. At least that gives me some comfort.
Come November if McCain is the nominee (and he probably will be) he’ll not be getting my vote. That box won’t be checked but I’ll be there to support those who struggle to keep conservative values alive.
Why did’nt you say something I could have saved you some time I have a pick of the one that was 3 houses down from mine, it had’nt touched down yet but it sucked the shingles off my neighbors house, and when it did touch down it tore a path about 1/4 mile wide and 5 miles long. I am the only one with a basement in my neighborhood, I’ve told my neighbors to come over when ther is a warning but they never have.
Sorry did’nt mean to change the subject proceed.
Wait a minute the man with a bad temper is telling Conservatives to Calm Down? Don’t do as I do, do as I say.
They should buy those fart gag machines.
Everytime McCain says something wrong, light’em up & sound hundreds of farts.
Kind of a nice way to say “he’s full of it”
The Patriots said something similar after scoring their last touchdown in the Super Bowl.
For heavens sakes, where does this nonsense come from that John McCain is a latter day Dukakis? No, McCain is not the second coming of Jesse Helms. But he is not McGovern either. He is not going to have Warren Christopher running the State Department or Jocelyn Enders as Surgeon General. The real danger ahead is captured in three scary words: “President Hillary Clinton”. McCain will be another Jerry Ford. But isn’t that better than Jimmy Carter? I rest my case.
Sucky or suckier? What an option. *sigh*
Exactly right.
How do reform a party that has become a continuing criminal enterprise. This whole primary was engineered from behind closed doors to get McCain on the ticket.
Once Romney took a tuff stand on immigration, the Rockefeller Republicans swung into action to deny conservatives a candidate to stop the NAU/SPP Amnesty
I urge you folks that support working from within the party to look at the W. Virginia situation and what happened in Florida with the independent voters being allowed to vote for McCain by Charlie Crist(R).
If you think this only happened in those two states you are naive. Rush Limbaugh and many other hosts received numerous calls and letters warning them party officials were demanding delegates cast for McCain.
The GOP is just plain corrupt-IMHO Not only will you have to support conservative candidates, you will have to clean the crooks out of the party leadership too.
They have destroyed the party and are trying to destroy this country with the merger of the Canada, Mexico and the USA.
What other explanation is there and do not quote Medved to me, he is part of the problem.
Since we’re doing Duke movie quotes, how about: “Ho
MaclinMcCain, good party. Nowhiskeyconservativism. We go home.”We don’t use the apocrypha as part of the Bible.
McCain has devolved over the decades into a sleazy career pol who is not above lying to achieve his ambitions; and he is not entitled to a lifetime pass because of his POW experience. In addition, he has become a liberal on many key issues; and arguing that he has been relatively conservative on average is an attempt to cover up what he is today.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the only other senator whose presidential candidacy survived the initial round of primaries and caucuses this year, did not vote frequently enough in 2007 to draw a composite score. He missed more than half of the votes in both the economic and foreign-policy categories. On social issues, which include immigration, McCain received a conservative score of 59.
His lifetime average rating is 71.8, and there has been a downward trend since 1986. Over the last ten years, McCains ratings have not been out of the 60’s and have dipped as low as 51.7. The higher “average” being bandied about in the press, and McCain press releases, is just one more fabrication.
Data and quote from: http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/
Scotty Dog, right on re: crooks and Medved. The page scandal did a ton of damage, and Captain Wide Stance does not help the GOP at all. Unchecked power + unlimited cash = corruption. Doesn’t matter what party.
Medved’s taken leave of his senses. Last night he said that the Republican base was out of touch with the Republican leadership in the Senate over the ‘06 shamnesty bill.
Not so - the leadership was out of touch with the base. Over 70% of those polled wanted the border secured and no amnesty, and the “leadership” ignored it and called us racists. Medved parroted the typical elitist, RINO arrogance that starts and ends with McCain not Able (to secure the border).
These people forget who they work for.
writeoff 2008.
writein Gingrich. start the momentum for 2012.
Roman Con:
…and they are still ignoring us. I had know idea how corrupt they had become until I read how kay Baley Hutchinson introduced the bill to kill the Secure Fence Act of 2006 the vary same day we defeated the Kennedy/McCain Amnesty.
Soap, I remember “Laugh-in” and the FFofF. So that’s 2 of us “oldies”.
Look, people, we may be down 2 touchdowns, and starting the fourth quarter, but, as a sportswriter, copying from an opera expression, once said, “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.”
That should have read;
Roman Con:
…and they are still ignoring us. I had no idea how corrupt they had become until I read how kay Baley Hutchinson introduced the bill to kill the Secure Fence Act of 2006 the vary same day we defeated the Kennedy/McCain Amnesty.
Over at Hot Air
Mitt to quit???
HERE
She may be singing
On Rush Limbaugh program:
Rush says that “Maverick” John McCain is getting loads of advice about how he can “sound conservative.” What a load!
The same people have been giving El Rushbo advice on how he can sound liberal.
If Johnny doesn’t know how to “sound conservative” well enough, then what does that tell you?
“I had no idea how corrupt they had become until I read how kay Baley Hutchinson introduced the bill to kill the Secure Fence Act of 2006 the vary same day we defeated the Kennedy/McCain Amnesty.”
She also introduced legislation that would have precluded Heller V. D.C. from proceeding and preserved the current state of purposeful 2nd amend. obfuscation.
Allah at Hot Air:
Update: Bryan just called me to say that they confirmed with an American Conservative Union official that Mitt’s “suspending” his campaign. I assume that means dropping out, but in the interests of accuracy that’s the word that was used. MM should have something on this imminently.
Yep, looks like our only hope is quitting the race — Romney is out.
This is really too bad. There is nothing McCan’t can say or do that will make me trust him.
Excellent advice, Michelle, and well-written.
There’s a special place in political Hell for those who do nothing more than stand on the sidelines and carp.
For those who want to stay home and pout, just remember this: Hillary has already made it perfectly clear that she intends to snatch defeat from victory in Iraq (so has Obama, FWIW). McCain won’t. That’s one bright-line distinction with a difference between the two.
How many thousands of our nation’s best have given their lives to accomplish the mission there? How many thousands more have been wounded, many grievously and permanently? How many hundreds of thousands have already given up one, two, three or more years of their lives in theater to see the matter through?
If Hillary becomes commander in chief, her first official act will be to stab all of them in the back. And if she does, those who helped put her in power - through act or omission - will have just as much blood on their hands as she will: because instead of doing what’s necessary to keep the blade from her possession, they’ll have handed it to her instead.
And for that, there can be no forgiveness.
Wisdom! While it’s highly unlikely that McCain can be “converted,” he can be influenced by conservatives if they speak forcefully enough - something that can’t be said for either of the donkey candidates (Hillary would in fact “revel in your pain” instead of feeling it).
just got a cbs e-mail alert: mitt romney apprently is dropping out. fantastic.
If ANYBODY that should’ve dropped out, it should’ve been Huckleberry — who had less delegates than Romney.
Now I’m convinced Huck and McCan’t are in this together.
The coup de tat is now complete.
Resistance is futile
He doesn’t sound like he is quitting.
Well, maybe, as Soap said, the fat lady just starting singing….
NEVER wil I vote for TRAITOR McCAIN…DESPISE the man for oh so many ,meany reasons…….time for a third party that represents CONSERVATIVES as the REPUBLICAN party no longer does that!!!
It’s a political system, people.
I feel the same love for McCain that one feels in an arranged marriage! But, there you have it.
Consider the dems in control of the exec and the legislative branches. Perhaps the judicial, too. There will be a difference in McCain as pres in fighting the war. Consider berkley (intentionally cased) versus the snarling, aged mean old man that McCain is. That’s my choice for a war fighter. I will retch every time an enemy combatant appears in court with his lawyer, but that will be the absurd reality of it.
When I was in the infantry, there were plenty of commanders whom I disliked (although I liked most). But I never used that as an excuse for not serving my best.
Huckabee and McCain insure that the good ole corrupt boy syndrome will continue as usual…So much for change eh??? Didja notice the RINO lineup that surrounds McCain over the past week?? These guys have thrown their support behind retaining their own power…..to them that is THE ISSUE paramount on their minds…..That’s why they hate Romney so much…they can’t indentify with someone who is an over -achiever…how often do these dopes achieve anything? Like Romney said in his speeches about various issues they have promised to fix…they haven’t fixed any of them……a self perpetuating failure these long time representatives aim to continue in perpetuity.
You are so right. I really needed that. Pass more of that Kool-Aid this way. Heck, just send an IV.
You are so right Maisy!
If ever there was an opportunity to launch a third party, this year is it! With liberal vs. liberal, a conservative party candidate would not be a spoiler and might stand a chance of winning.
Huckleberry stumped to all the hottest Evangelical conventions this last few years selling himself as THE man to get ABORTION over turned.
The first and only thing his campaign does is ensure the NOMINATION of ONE MAN in the GOP RACE who GUARANTEES NOT TO TOUCH ROE V WADE or to allow work for an ANTI-ABORTION AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION, or a MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
People like him are a dime a dozen, and God permits them to breathe air so that His children learn to use the power of discernment.
sic.
Flattery and a dime aren’t worth a cup of coffee these days.
I wonder how bright some of those Huckleberry supporters are feeling, this afternoon.
Maybe it will take them a few years yet.
This is the CULLING SEAS
ON - not the LEARNING Season.
It might cost them a little more than “JUST ONE MORE TRIP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN” this time.
Just for those of you who are not Christians and don’t know what “One More Trip…” is, it is in reference to Israel in the Wilderness, after Moses led them out of Egypt and attempted to lead them as per God’s instructions, straight across the wilderness the ELEVEN - 11 - ELEVEN DAYS.
DAYS.
ELEVEN DAYS.
ELEVEN DAYS’ JOURNEY from Egypt to the Promised Land.
Every time they had a problem obeying Him, they got to spend more time in the Wilderness - 40 YEARS - FORTY - 40 - FORTY!!!! YEARS!!!!
FORTY YEARS to take an ELEVEN DAY JOURNEY.
Because of DISOBEDIENCE AND UNBELIEF.
Most of those years were spent circling two mountains that DID NOT NEED TO BE ON THEIR ROUTE TO THE PROMISED LAND AT ALL.
So, Bible teachers in the Churches are now down to a little SHORT CUT MESSAGE on many many issues: Well, you been caught doing wrong - so now, what’er you gonna do?
“ANOTHER TRIP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN”.
But John McCain is NOT just “ANOTHER TRIP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN”.
Not by any bloody longshot.
Huckleberry bought these Evangelical power units - you might say “political batteries” - which he threw under the bus at the feet of McCain - for what.
God said, “My people perish because of IGNORANCE”.
I will not vote for McCain.
The GOP can KISS MY GRITS.
Michelle, seems to me the Big Tent Party has plenty of independents and moderates to take care of the things you mentioned. So what’s the problem. If there are problems they have been created by the Big Tent, home of John McVain. A new tent is needed. As a previous member of the Republic Party, and now share holder in the Silent Majority, I invoke rule number 1, Don’t vote it only encourages the bastards.
theres another opponent to the shamnesty bill who’s running for president, and he has two first names
Get FiRed UP!!! Time for conservative progressivism to take root.
Support local and state conservative candidates, send your money to them and not the party and beat on doors to get them elected to the House .. imo, the Senate is a lost cause for the next couple elections as too many Rinos continue to hold favour in the eyes of their own constituents.
After reading Michelle’s post, I thought “what can we do and why?” From my recent blog post:
The average age of a Supreme Court justice is about 68, and more importantly, five of the eldest six justices are on the liberal side of the court. Stevens (87), Kennedy (72), Souter (69), Ginsburg (75) and Breyer (71), average 75 years of age. Scalia (conservative) is 72, and the three most recent additions - Thomas (60), Alito (58) and Chief Justice Roberts (53) - lean conservative.
If the next president is a liberal, status-quo may continue at SCOTUS, but if we elect a Republican, a more strict judicial interpretation of law may be brought to the court - exactly what we need.
I am fired up and so is my husband. As of our caucus last Tuesday, we are officially involved. It’s an important time and I want to be a part of it. We got more delegates for our precinct than ever before, why? Because there are people committed to the direction of the party and preserving conservatism. Don’t give up ~ get inspired and fight. I live in a very very liberal district. I was heartened to see our caucus packed full of people last Tuesday. That’s how much people care about preserving conservatism. Remember (for us older folks) the Carter/pre-Carter years? Out of all of that came Ronald Reagan. Our ideas always win.
One important step our party needs to take is to finally get rid of Iowa and New Hampshire as the first voting states. These states do not represent mainstream Republican thought, especially in NH where so many of the voters in the Republican primary are independents or Democrats. We can’t have these fake Republican candidates seizing that momentum with help from the media and establishing themselves as legitimate contenders.
MM,
very wise words! I am so P.O.’d right now that it is too early for me to re-engage in the good fight but I totally agree with you. Work hard for the good conservatives, reward them with time, money, whatever we can give and become a thorn in the side of the RINO’S! And libs!
McCain is really disgusting but the thought of a lib in the White House is more disgusting. Lets improve the Senate and House.
I won’t sit home, but I certainly am not thrilled about voting for McCain.
As for supporting Republicans, I wrote a check to Ginny Brown Waite’s campaign. She’s a true conservative and I’m glad she’s on my side. The Hispanic Democratic whatever whatever is getting ready to protest her office if she doesn’t apologize for saying hispanics shouldn’t get a rebate check. I’m sure she said that ‘illegals’ shouldn’t get rebates but they plan on getting anyone against open borders out of office.
She took