“Stay positive and stay focused”
I wanted to share a message I received from a Republican staffer on the Hill–where they know John McCain best. Many GOP staffers will not support John McCain, but they share the principles I expressed yesterday in my Quo Vadis column:
John McCain is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. That is unfortunate, and I am sad to say that I cannot support him – as is the case with many people I know – for many of the reasons explored repeatedly on NRO and other places. As a Hill staffer, those of you who share my view and I know what is at stake – at least as much as anyone… from the confirmation of judges to the War on Terror and beyond. But, as a Hill staffer, many of us find him to be a petty, often vindictive man who treats people – from Senators to junior female staffers – disrespectfully and, frankly, without the manners appropriate for a Senator, much less a President.
His votes and stances are a matter of record and have been fully explored in many places. But we, as Hill staffers, have seen his personal vitriol up close and personally. Whether it has been personal confrontations with Senators or his cussing out of and demeaning comments toward staffers – whether it was his arrogance and dismissal of concerned conservatives displayed during the “Gang of 14” or his or his staff’s constant, repeated – often vindictive and very personal – undermining of conservative principles in the immigration debate – John McCain has proven time and time again that his worthiness to lead our Party, much less our nation, is more than questionable.
I believe it matters who you choose to follow. The “lesser-of-two-evils” argument is always compelling, but I simply have come to the conclusion that John McCain, for all his patriotism, is not the kind of man I want to follow and that I want to represent me, my country and my Party.
That said, the next 9 months will be an important time for conservatism. Whether you are a conservative, like me, who chooses not to vote for Senator McCain, whether you are a conservative who chooses to hold your nose and vote for him, or whether you are fully behind him, it is important to remember two things… 1) it is absolutely reasonable to support him in the face of Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton – potentially the most liberal individuals ever to run for the American Presidency – individuals who will undermine our military, choose activist judges, expand the size of government, raise taxes, show contempt for the unborn and the institution of marriage and otherwise disregard fundamental American values; and 2) you must show up to vote for conservative Senators and Congressmen regardless of your disaffection for Senator McCain or your frustration (shared by many of us) with the current Senate and House Republican leadership.
Regardless of who wins the Presidency this November, the best hope conservatives have to affect public policy in a positive direction is to get highly motivated to gain conservative seats in the Senate and the House, not to sit around moping about the likely nomination of John McCain. We must stay positive and focused…
See what others have said
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- Riehl World View
- That was the electoral week that was « Ned Raggett Ponders It All
- Quo vadis, conservatives? - Michelle Malkin @ Townhall.com « Kevin’s Korner
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- Sonoran Alliance » Busy week in Tucson
- Michelle Malkin » John McCain endorses Hillary’s “good character, honesty, integrity”
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- Coup d’etat in America! Fraud succeeds…. » Winds Of Jihad
- Marginalized Action Dinosaur » lock and load, Obama won. 150 years later it’s still about slavery…
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Damn straight, Jim M. That is well said, and applies to a hell of a lot more than this election process. Thank you for your service.
Claps for Jim M.
Yes, I’m being the cheerleader. So, what.
Everyone is so riled up and understandably so but ad hominen attacks are rather unnecessary. Take a deep breath and know that we are in this together.
Michelle, after reading the staffer’s letter, I had a probably rather catty thought about McCain’s character, but here it is. I fear some of his positions are by personal anecdote or even sometimes a grudge. McCain-Feingold to wipe off the stain of Keating 5 (in which he was at most marginally involved), and because he hates to make phone calls soliciting funds. McCain-Kennedy, to keep the mother of Juan fighting in Iraq from getting deported? I mean, who knows why he does things. That’s what’s disturbing. I stand in awe of his attitude as a POW. He’d curse his captors, and they’d beat him, and the cycle would repeat over and over again. In one anecdote, they brought some foreign dignitaries to his cell as a propaganda show and he let loose a string of obscenities so they all fled his cell “like tumbleweeds”, bumping into each other as they went. He still can’t raise his arms above his shoulders from having his hands tied behind him and hung by them from the ceiling. It was his “maverickness”, his “rebel without a cause” temperment, a little blast-furnace of selfishness and attitude burning in his chest which most of us don’t have, that’s how he survived his POW days. Then because of his POW experience he had an epiphany which included the notion of a “need to serve a cause greater than our own self-interest”. A marked change of attitude from his younger days. But some people I know were raised that way from the beginning. The idea there’s more to life than self-interest isn’t a revelation to them. And they’ll support a policy not because it makes them feel good (as in “Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy” — Sowell), but because they think it’s the right thing to do.
(That was a just lucky shot in the dark on my part, Rohan.)
Yup, I think folks should vote for McCain if they choose (or not, if they choose). In my locale things historically don’t go well for GOP presidential candidates, that’s just the way it is with the voting demographics. But some conservatives do very well within the locale.
Looking at national voting trends, to my eye, seems to indicate it’s likely McCain will get his clock at least fairly well-cleaned. Of course, that doesn’t mean folks shouldn’t vote for him, though. If they have good local candidates, no matter their thoughts on McCain, folks should look to that positive as a chance to make more inroads.
While those comments were taken from another thread, they were all posted within the last 24 hours on the very topic we are dicsussing here. Despite being on another thread, they are very relevant to this discussion.
While McCain said yesterday he would listen, he has apparently deployed his minions to sites like this to force people into line through the use of tactics I find objectionable.
The fact that they were posted on another thread is also an indication that the attempts to silence the opposition is not limited to the current dicsussion but is, and from the looks of it, will be, an ongoing effort.
I am with 30.
:Claps for Boomer, Brian72 and Jim M
Well thank you so much for permission to express something about politics!
What do we have here, McCain-Feingold-ThackerAgency?
Should the RNC make criticizing McCain illeagal 60 days before a federal election? For the good of the party?
I’ll say what I want, when I want, how I want, to whom I want, about whom I want.
I’m sure Michelle would say something similar, but more eloquently than I did.
Wait, if we don’t like a candidate’s policies we should just not say anything?!? That doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, if we were all just sitting here calling him a doo-doo head and baselessly bashing him, I might see your point, but this…
I’m a disabled vet and I DO NOT support McCain. I have no idea if I’ll vote for him yet or not. IF for some reason I DO vote for him, it’s not because I like him or agree with any of his ‘ideals’. It would be for the benefit of the troops and/or to choose the ‘lesser of two evils’ that everyone else is talking about. I just haven’t decided yet whether I can live with the guilt of knowing who he is and STILL voting for him for POTUS.
I know alot of older veteran voters are going his way because either:
1) they agree with his liberal social policies, or
2) they respect him as a veteran and that’s enough, or
3) they know he’s a veteran but are unaware of how liberal he is.
Oh, brother.
Am I the only one who sees more than a bit of Dick Nixon in McCain’s personality?
I’m not saying they’re clones, but I haven’t seen this kind of vindictiveness since Nixon.
What’s amazing is that Hillary has it, too.
2 of the 3 remaining choices are really, really nasty people. How did that happen?
I do think there are some folks that do need to take McCain’s advise and calm down – by which I do not mean embrace McCain. I don’t know whether or not I’ll vote for him myself. However, frustration levels and emotions are running high right now, and people are saying things they are likely to regret fairly soon. Bear in mind that, trolls apart, we are all on the same team, and we need each other. There are other races besides the Presidency, and if the right wing tears itself to pieces to the point where we cannot cooperate on other projects, then the damage will be far greater than then anything McCain could do alone.
Argue passionately, but argue civily, ladies and gentlemen.
Still waiting to hear back from Gabe (post #72).
Ain’t that America
for you and me
Ain’t that America
somethin’ to see baby
Ain’t that america
home of the free
little angry candidates for you and me
For you and me!
I don’t like McCain, but I will vote for him! The spectre of the opposition is so scary as to annul any misgivings I may have. We have been offered the best we are going to get: we earned it! We (I mean our side of the aisle in Congress)would not hold the line. Plus, a relative of mine spent over four years with McCain at the Hanoi Hilton and respects him highly and will vote for him. So, in the end, I will do what I can to help our side and hope it wins. If we don’t, don’t worry about anything you believe is negative about the Republicans because what we may get is going to be sooooo bad, we will all wish we hadn’t been so stubborn.
This whole ‘vote for McCain because he’s our only choice now’ reminds me a line I heard in the movie Pure Country….
Quoted by Ernest Tucker “The funny thing about that little white speck on the top of chicken Sh__. That little white speck is chicken Sh__ too.”
Hillary and Obama are the pile and McCain is the little white speck.
Vote for conservatives, what few remain in the GOP, yes.
Vote for McCain. NEVER.
So long as he has the anti-borders staff he has he can go straight to hell. And that’s just the beginning.
I will show up. I will vote for conservatives. And I will write-in “Mickey Mouse” for the rest.
Dude!! Mickey Mouse is a big tax and spend liberal who wants free government cheese for everyone at taxpayers expense!
Don’t Do It!
Mornin’ everybody. Glad to see that the conversation is still lively. It’s obvious that the commenters here all have strong opinions, for or against a number of things, or people. That’s what makes our democracy so great.
I would like to agree with Ordinary Coloradan in #84, and invite all of you to channel that energy into stuff that we can influence, such as planks in the party platform, or more importantly, people who share your values running for other national, state, or local office.
Look at it like baseball. Take an interest in the people playing triple-A ball in Toledo, or double-A in Altoona. We’ve got to find the next generation somewhere, or we can go make it ourselves.
I applaud your cheerleading 30 pieces of silver. One of the main reasons that I
am going to vote for McC has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do
with the ick factor. I cannot stand the thought of 4 or 8 years of Slick being the
First Lech and running loose in the White House. The next reason is, I did not
support Reagan at the beginning. He said that he would not divide the party and then proceeded to do just that before uniting it. I liked Ford. Pure and simple, I thought the party should throw its weight behind him but they did not.
As I told a Wallacite/Reagan supporter who said if Ford was the candidate he
would not vote for him…that is the difference between us. This is my first
election, but if Reagan is the nominee, I will vote for him. Do what you want
to do but I don’t want to hear how terrible HRC or Obama is afterward. As Al
Capp said in Lil Abner, He may be Jack S. but he’s our Jack S.”
You mean Mini Mouse?
No one has yet suggested that we start now finding out if Duncan Hunter or
another candidate that is conservative, is thinking of running in 4 years and
begin helping this person fill his coffers for the next race. ( I am using the
“general” he).
If the Republican party is lost, it is because the far-right members of the party are too inflexible to extend their hand across the aisle and work together with the opposition for the long-term betterment of this nation…. not because we produce candidates who occasionally refuse to carry water for the party.
I suggested this on another blog yesterday and someone immediately yelled at me, “why can’t THEY be the first ones to capitulate”?
People, this is exactly why we have such a terrible political bipolarity in this country. To many on the far right and far left, the thought of working together with political opponents is simply unthinkable.
I’m not saying that McCain is right on every issue, far from it. He was never my candidate of choice. But he’s clearly a man who can cross party barriers and during a time of war. And that is someone that I can back.
It has nothing to do with not respecting the official party platform, and everything to do with strengthening our troops on the field and winning the war against Islamofascism. I have far too large of a personal investment in the outcome of this election, to sit on the stubborn fence.
John McCain is weak on immigration… everyone here knows it. On other matters of National Security, though, he IS a bulldog. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind, that he will support our troops in the field both here at home and abroad, for as long as it takes.
A Dem win would be disastrous for this country, I think most of us here are in agreement.
Let’s work as a team to put our candidate-elect in office, and lobby to make changes from there. And while we are doing that, we can work to strengthen our Conservative presence in Congress.
The first step of that process, is to lay aside the partisan bitterness. It solves nothing.
What’s important is, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader”?
Well, Jim, my thinking is that I’m a guest in Michelle’s house and despite any disagreement I may have with her or other guests, I’m not going to “rearrange the furniture”.
I don’t know how experienced you are in such areas as managing webboards, forums, comments and such, but “cross-pollination” is generally not helpful. “Opposing” views are meant to argued within context in the comment thread in question, not to be dragged forward ad infinitum in attempts at resurrection.
I understand you may be very dissapointed. I’m the first to say McCain is a dog of a candidate and will likely be the GOPs version of the 1972 McGovern embarassment. But you don’t have to vote for him – or anyone for that matter.
I have zero interest in abusing Michelle’s hospitality to endlessly rage and vent about McCain. That train has made it’s stop here at this station and folks have expressed their outrage.
But the train has now left the station.
Folks can fume and vent here about it from now until the last syllable of recorded time, but they have to ask themselves “What am I accomplishing?”.
I am tired of having part of the country decide who my candidates will be. I never have a chance to have my vote count on federal primaries. THEY have decided my candidate will be McCain. So let THEM go vote for him. I will vote for conservative candidates locally but don’t hold out much hope (being from Portland, OR) but at least my vote will count for something. As for McCain, I don’t know what I will do at this time. At least with Clinton or Obama you have someone to rally against instead of McCain’s disingenuous conservatism. I have a feeling McCain will cause a deep despair among conservatives and turn many away from caring about politics. I feel like I have a choice, which eye should I poke out, the left or the right?
Note to myself: Must buy more seeds.
Irish Rose, please find me some examples of the Left “compromising” and giving something to the right. “Compromise,” “Maverick” and “reaching across the aisle” always end up being conservatives giving up their principles.
McCain receives criticism not because he reaches across the aisle, but because he ALWAYS reaches to them, never receives a compromise in return, and is happy to tell conservatives to go to hell.
Every “compromise” without something in return is a shift left for the entire country. How many shifts to the left does it take before the “right” is miles left of center?
The answer: 20 years worth, apparently. Because that’s what has brought us Bush and McCain.
“While McCain said yesterday he would listen, he has apparently deployed his minions to sites like this”
Yup, Rose, offering up odd conspiracy theories really doesn’t help butress one’s argument a whole lot.
Bri, you can say and complain all you want. But guess what, it’s like a broken record. I’m not telling you to say nice things about McCain. I’m asking you to LOOK TOWARD THE FUTURE.
You are wallowing in the past when you bring up OVER and OVER again issues that won’t be changed. And in the process you (and MM) are making yourselves irrelevant and much like a donkey.
Anybody still upset about the tobacco settlement? How about the Air passenger’s bill of rights? Both of those things were babies of McCain that I absolutely DESPISE. The federal government shouldn’t be involved in such things. Is this the first time you’ve heard it? probably.
You can say ‘campaign finance reform, Gang of 14, amnesty’ all you want to, but guess what. . . IT DOESN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
How does that prayer go? Lord give me the strength to change the things that I can for good, accept the things that I can’t change, and KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
Presidential elections are supposed to be about the future. All these complaints are about the past. Obama is resonating because he is offering a positive view of the future.
The only thing that the anti-McCain crowd is doing is playing groundhog’s day over and over again and only highlighting the worst of the worst. Do you LIKE nightmares? Why waste your time looking like a donkey?
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
Washington definition of Bi-Partisanship:
Democrats demonize and rip Republicans who support conservatism, demand that they capitulate “for the children”.
Republicans do secret polling, panic about the media being against them, and decide to cave to the liberals and give them what they want.
The “lesser of two evils” argument will be enough for me. Considering the type of people we are fighting in the War on Terror, we simply MUST NOT let a lefty Dem win the White House. The very survival of our country may depend on it.
#62
On February 8th, 2008 at 10:39 am, granite said:
So, the fears and concerns of only certain types of whistleblowers for their job security should be appreciated and understood…as for others, they’re just petty cowards?
Yeah, that pretty well sums it up! And there are many more cowards than whistle blowers. The act of a Hill staffer telling us that McCain “doesn’t show us respect” hardly rises to whistle blower status. Unnamed sources are no different than those anonymous bards who do their writing on the walls of public bathrooms and they have about the same level of creditability. If it’s important enough to write about, then put your danged name on it.
I mentioned before, this feels like backsliding, the Country going in Reverse not Forward. A Moderate McCain? Towards what end? He is going to take the Country where? No where he is going to toe the line, hold the status quo, continue down the path George W Bush put us down on, and I am not talking about our foreign policy now. I am talking about the homeland.
Monica Crowley ended her blog Alphabet Soup, with this statement it rings true with me. I thought we would have kicked the can further down the road by now. (This is why Obama’s statement, “We are who we have been waiting for” is resonating with so many people)
Politics is always a lagging trend indicator. But I had thought by now—by 2008—that we had finally gotten to the first election of the 21st century. I may have been wrong. (Monica Crowley’s Alphabet Soup)
And then Minnie will be running for office with that shrill whiney voice!
I am looking toward the future. A future of marginalized conservatism in America. That is bad for each and every American, whether they realize it or not.
Notice I did not mention a party, but a set of ideas promoting personal and economic freedom. It’s called conservatism. Look it up.
In my opinion, the non-conservative Republicans are the ones sounding like a broken record. “Nevermind conservative ideas and agendas, just forget that and help us win.”
I will not lay down and shut up. I resent the suggestion.
I probably will end up voting for McCain, out of the need to keep ultra libs out of the Oval Office.
There is no way that McCain will be unopposed by people with conservative principals when he strays (or betrays) those founding principles, just as Bush43 was fought when he crumpled and caved.
Save your condescending attitude for someone else.
We have a right to be angry at McCain, he’s earned it.
There are those that are of the mind that nothing less than strict ultraconservatism will redeem this country and preserve it for the future.
There are also those that are of the mind that nothing less than extreme liberal leftism will redeem this country and preserve it for the future.
Neither side is interested in collaboration for the sake of progress.
When they feel threatened on a partisan level, both groups sound like well-worn grooves of the same record. Only the keywords are changed.
I’m convinced that those two groups will never be able to work together… ever. It’s like trying to mend a broken bridge with a rubber band.
And Minnie Mouse in pantsuits!
:::shudder:::
I will show up. I will vote for conservatives. And I will write-in “Mickey Mouse” for the rest.
People, we need to keep in mind that this is bigger than anyone of us. We should remember that our troops are fighting for us overseas. If Hellry Rotten Clinton, or Barack HUSSEIN Obamma get in there, they’ll stab our troops right in the back.
The USA has survived a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, two World Wars, four presidents being asassinated, four years of Jimmy Carter, and eight years of Bill Clinton. It will survive whatever comes out of this.
Politics is a contact sport.
On February 8th, 2008 at 12:45 pm, tre said:
Well stated, and I agree.
.
Except for the part about Mickey Mouse… I’m a duck fan, myself
You are right about that. The liberals are interested in forcing the Republican Party to abandon it’s principled opposition to the liberal agenda, so they win and we all lose. The libs are never going to give the right anything. Tax cuts? Nope. Win the War? Nope. Free Market Health Care solutions? Nope.
“Getting things done” in Washington DC means caving conservatives, liberals get what they were after all along, and for a bonus the conservatives take the blame when it all goes to hell!
I would prefer nothing got done.
ROFLMAO
Also, I have said that I will probably end up voting for McCain, for the sake of keeping the libs off of Air Force One. That does not mean I have to like it.
What is making me angry here today is all this “just be quiet” stuff. The day I’m unwilling to say what I really think because of some peer-pressure campaign from my own side of the political aisle, is the day I’m in a pine box.
Once again, nice words, but absolutely meaningless when your vote has been gerrymandered out of counting.
I agree with that. And the problem is that this form of liberal “compromise” is not just representative of the extreme left as Irish Rose suggested. It seems to just be standard for most libs.
After reading the column by on Townhall “Why They Can’t Vote for McCain” by Mona Charen” really made my stomach turn.
“At first, McCain grasped Smith’s outstretched hand (Smith was in a wheelchair, recovering from surgery), but when he recognized his campaign finance opponent, he snatched his hand back, snarling, “I’m not going to shake your hand. You’re a bully. You have no regard for the Constitution. You’re corrupt.”
As a Human, a Christian, a Texan and an American I find what Senator John McCain done was despicable. I’m not surprised though considering how he cheated on Carol who was crippled, then left her for Cindy.
He has no morals and he thinks he’s above all.
No I won’t be quiet.
On February 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pm, Brian72 said:
See, this is what it always comes down to Brian.
The leftists have all the faults, and the right wing conservatives have none.
The liberals are all a bunch of selfish swine, and the righteous right is wearing a halo.
Until we begin to see the fault lines within our own party and move towards cooperation, instead of the old status quo, we can forget about having any kind of political process in Washington.
If conservatives refuse as they almost always do, to see the cracks in our own mirror, we’ll never have any kind of bipartisanship in this country.
As long as we are always jumping up to demand that the other guys “do it first”, nothing is ever going to be accomplished.
And I could say all of these things to our liberal friends, but they wouldn’t hear it either.
I wouldn’t characterize the conservatives on this site as ‘Ultraconservative’. Is it ULTRAconservative to want secure borders? (as I recall, even the majority of Democrats wanted that)
Is is ULTRAconservative to want free speech? McCain-Feingold squelched that.
Is it ULTRAconservative to want to keep the money I earn (in the form of permanent tax cuts)? Which McCain voted against.
The majority of people on this site are just your normal everyday conservatives. We’re not fanatics espousing a one-world order of Religious-like rules and strict adherance to dress codes, behavior, artistic-expression, etc. We’d just like to see our supposedly ‘conservative’ Party stick to the ideals it was founded upon and quit trying to force a man on us who is significantly less than conservative, just because he’s a little better than the other option.
So, who gets to define what it means to be a “normal, everyday conservative”?
Just asking.
I don’t think anyone should tell you to “shut up”, Brian. But somewhere along the line folks will have to come to grips with the reality; barring some very unlikely and/or unforeseen circumstances McCain will be the GOP nominee for President.
It’s like buying a lotto ticket. After the numbers are called and you find you didn’t win the 100 mill $ you can (grudgedly) accept the outcome or not. Neither course of action changes the outcome.
But if a person keeps complaining about losing the lotto, don’t you think it’s reasonable for others to expect the person should get over it and move on?
Just wanted to share.
Perhaps I’m way off base here, but I haven’t been paying attention to politics for very long and something here is confusing me. I guess I just don’t see why we should be aiming for bipartisanship. I can’t see why a compromise of values and ideals on either side or both sides is a desirable thing.
I don’t agree with liberal ideals, but that doesn’t mean they should just be dropped. Likewise, why should I concede on something that is important to me?
All we are doing here right now is discussing the things that we do or do not support in a candidate. Why is that a bad thing?
Sincere question: Why should I want a “moderate” candidate who will “reach across the aisle” and work toward “bipartisanship”?
Another thought……
Conservatism is the American philosophy of governing. It was born here, from us, for us. The founding Documents are it’s source.
Liberalism was imported from elsewhere, alien to American Democracy. It does not belong here, it is incompatible with the personal freedom our founders had in mind for us. Liberal activists believe that the biggest threat to their power is conservative governing philosophy.
They are right, because limited government limits their power over you.
What are we to do about this classic philosophical clash? Do you think it does not matter in the face of “common challenges”? Do you think yourself so haughty that you are “above the nasty fray”, “better than this unpleasant conflict”, “rise above it”?
This ideological battle must not be forsaken, there is too much at stake. How do you maintain a strong military if the socialists strangle the economy that sustains our top-notch defense?
It’s all related. You can’t give up on taxes, to win on defense. You can’t give up on liberty to win a short term hollow victory. Some things are more important.
Let me be clear also, I do not “hate” Senator McCain. He has earned much distrust from people like me. He could go along way to fixing that by really taking it to the libs on the war, and the economy, and the ideological divide that the liberals promote and exploit to their benefit endlessly. He could use his “bipartisan” reputation to shame the libs into giving up on trying to take over my life from DC.
But will he???
You will find your answer to that question with:
McCain:Feingold
McCain:Kennedy
McCain:Lieberman
It’s time for another episode of Conservatives Eating Their Own!
Just in case B.H.O. is nominated… whick seems likely at this poiitn..
bumper sticker suggestion…
VOTE MCCAIN NOT HUSSEIN!
Accepting and liking are two very different things. No one here (that I saw) is failing to accept that McCain will be the Republican nominee. No one is demanding a recount or anything like that. We are just voicing our concerns and discussing how we, as individual concervatives, will move forward from here.
Personally, I think I will just have to vote for McCain (not that I like it.) Although, I have read many compelling arguments here for the damage that McCain could cause and reasons not to vote for him. But when it comes down to it, too many people have fought and died for our right to vote (amongst so many other amazing rights) for me to just throw that away.
And that’s where you’re completely wrong. Jesus NEVER advocated compromise, he commanded “pick a side”, “you’re either with me or against me” and “if you’re lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth!” The GOP is either true conservative or NOT. With McCain as the choice, I refuse to give the GOP any validation, PERIOD.
Claps for Brian72.
What’s the reaching across the aisle business about? Are we to believe that if we don’t reach across the aisle that things will come to a grinding halt in Washington? If yes, then I am all for bipartanship.
You give an inch they take a mile. No, thank you on the bipartanship stuff. It sounds to PC for this “ultraconservative’s” tastes.
I’m not convinced it will survive 8 years of Hillary with a large Dem majority in congress. I’m voting McCain, albeit reluctantly. The people that refuse to do this should try imagine the state of this country after 8 years under the heavy hand of Democratic Socialism. If Hillary wins this election the Hillbillies will have the system so rigged, the judiciary loaded with libs and so many interest groups running the govt. bureaucracies there will never be a fair election in 2016 or for a very long time afterward. This is our chance to get rid of the Clintons once and for all. Seeing Hillary go down in defeat would be a consolation prize that would help make up having to vote for a RINO.
No, it’s time for another episode of Beltway Republicans selling out the movement that put them there to appeal to the people who always oppose conservatism.
Great way to motivate the base.
The Democrat base.
Hiya 30pcs!
I think a brief citation from Ace Of Spade’s blog entry and a link to it might have been a better route to go there.
to irish rose:
wanting freedom of speech is ultra conservative
keeping my hard earned cash is ultra conservative
keeping the countries sovereignity is ultra conservative
these are the principals of the republican party (or so they say it is). so how is that ultra anything?
no, the republican party has moved significantly left. it moved to the left with a moderate Bush and now with McCain it has gone across the center from moderate to liberal. the only difference between mccain and the dems is that he has an r behind his name.
liberal (d) or liberal (r) those are the choices come this november. no thanks, i am a conservative first. i will find a conservative to vote for top to bottom (federal, state and local).
Hiya purple,
Thanks for tip. You filling in for Rick?
Think about this, too.
McCain tacks to the right to consolidate the base, and is only marginally successful. In the process of doing that, the media turn on their favorite Republican and drive half of his independents back to the Democrats, and either Democrat will crush McCain.
See, I am looking to the future:-)
Irish Rose
I’m convinced that those two groups will never be able to work together… ever. It’s like trying to mend a broken bridge with a rubber band.
___
See, this is what it always comes down to Brian.
The leftists have all the faults, and the right wing conservatives have none.
The liberals are all a bunch of selfish swine, and the righteous right is wearing a halo.
Until we begin to see the fault lines within our own party and move towards cooperation
That’s all quite touching and high minded of you. If you’d be so kind as to remove yourself from the pedestal you’ve climbed onto so as to preach down to the rest of us, I’d love it if you’d quit the rhetoric and address what I posted.
All this high minded dreaming is sweet and all, that we all grab a Coke and teach the world to sing, but you’re ignoring the fact that McCain’s compromises are always steps to the left with little or no return.
You’re confusing compromise and capitulation.
Brian72
LOL..EXACTLY!!! You have seen the future all the way to November!!
I’m hanging my future insight just on that fact the MSM will do what they always do, as they are so predictable!
Find them yourself.
I did my homework, you do yours.
The drive-by media are gassing up the convertible, loading up the ammo clips and heading for McCain Street.
Watch the chaotic carnage of McCain’s Independent support when they are targeted relentlessly.
Not for nothing, but where is Bear909 when we need him? Anyone know?
When I vote for a conservative Republican, I expect him/her to be as partisan as h—! I dont’t vote for Republicans and then accept them when they act like liberals. Stop with the “can’t we all get along” thinking! We are sending these people to Washington to speak and act for us–they work for us, not the other way around. I have watched in dismay while Republicans have “reached across the aisle” trying to be bipartisan and receiving a slap in the face from very liberal Democrats! This is ANOTHER reason why we need to support conservative Republicans who will push for term limits!
hey, irish, the commentors here have learned you come prepared to provide your proof. throwing out a comment to hope that it sticks without your facts or links to facts to verify your comments shows your lack of responsibility to verify your point.
prove your fallacy with fact or it remains as such.. a fallacy.
Probably doing something constructive. I hope.
And this is one voice from Arizona who is calling for him to step down. When I go to work I have to actually work to receive my paycheck. I can’t vacation from work and expect my employer will continue to pay me. I call on Senior McPain to refuse his paycheck as long as he is on the road neglecting his job
getting amnesty for illegal aliens.McCain is old establishment and is part of the problem not part of the solution. We may be stuck with him but we don’t have to like it. From my perspective the dems have lurched so far left dragging the R’s with them that what was once mainstream conservative thought is now considered far right. It’s a puzzle to me how Americans can shut down the whitehouse switchboard over McCains sponser of the biggest illegal alien give away but then nominate him for CIC.
Brian 72, we generally agree, but you are WAAAY over the top here. McCain isn’t as conservative as I’d like either. But he is just ONE person. His positions aren’t going to change your mind, and they aren’t going to change my mind either. I’m conservative. I disagree with McCain too. But I would have been as unhappy with any of them from a CONSERVATIVE point of view. The problem is not your criticisms, it is that they are over the top.
Disagree and that’s fine, I disagree with McCain too. We disagreed with Bush too on amnesty. We disagree with Reagan on amnesty too. We disagree with Romney using illegals to do his yard work.
And they would have done it to any R. Your constant harping that you disagree with McCain and McCain represents the end to all that is good and right in the world is HELPING the ‘drive-by media’.
Disagreement is fine. . . how about showing a little more disagreement to Hillary and Obama? Don’t make the drive-by media’s job easier for them to take out the R nominee.
Maybe it’s just me, but whenever I see the MSM giving any Republican a lot of press (and most of it favorable), I get real, real nervous. Seems to me, the MSM really wants McCain to be the Republican nominee. As someone who really distrusts the MSM, I am extremely reluctant to vote for McCain until I know what these liberal journalists are up to!
On February 8th, 2008 at 1:48 pm, uhangtight said:
Sorry, I’m not your waterboy and I don’t respond to provocation.
Do as I say, not as I do? Well that’s a novel approach, IR. You had better be careful though. Folks might look at that as a cop out or something.
Ross Perot has told us all about McCain’s treachery against his first wife. McCains deliberate resistance against rescuing American POWs from Vietnam and the USSR is a matter of public record.
McCain has asked to be judged by the company he keeps. By that standard, McCain is a freaking liberal who is more dangerous than the Clintons or Obama HUSSEIN.
Besides, the only hope for the resuscitation of the Republican Party is a landslide victory for the Democrats.
A suicide voter is one who enters a voting area with a vote intended to destroy the candidate of his/her party.
Sorry folks, I’m not going to kill myself.
At the coming Republican convention, someone will stand up on stage who we can all say “Wow, that’s our guy.” That is what I expect. Could it be Romney – we will see. But there are others out there just waiting to speak for us and I expect that he or she will show up.
However, I am getting tired of Republicans picking old war heros for Presidential nominees. We have lost every election since Eisenhower when we have trotted out one of these guys. Even Bush 1, who was handed the Presidency, managed to squander what he had been given.
If we are going to pick a war hero, then let’s pick someone with a little less grey and a more positive outlook. The nation wants someone who has a hopeful vision and can lead positively, not someone who constantly complains about problems.
Jim M. thanks for your service. 20 years. NCO. Started as a 19. Panama “Operation Just (Be)Cause” on mop up. Desert Shield/Storm. Haiti. KFOR (CF). OEF.
So I know a bit about battles too. And I know that if we quit we LOSE. Tell those people who say to quit now what Anthony McAuliffe said at Bastongne: “NUTS”. We have to hold whatever we can, becasue we will nto be on the defensive forever.
So there are things worth fighting for even if you are not going to vote for McCain.
Just to let you klnow where I stand personally, unless McCain demonstrates that he is worthy of the vote, he will not get mine. And as it stand, with Hernandez at his side and hollow promises, he is not worthy. He needs to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
As for whats left?
We have already lost a lot – to sit here whining like a buncha REMF pouges is not going to make things any better.
We can still fight for a conservative party platform as a basis to build from for 2012.
We can still fight for conservative legislators, near our homes or in critical districts and states to mitigate the impact of a liberal president be it Obama Clinton or McCain.
We can still fight to get a conservative like J.C. Watts to balance out McCain, instead of another one of the Beltway Boys and their Country Club buddies.
Those are battles worth fighting. They mitigate some of the impending damage. And more importantly, they prepare the ground for retaking congress in 2010, and retaking the presidency in 2012.
As for “Irish Rose”, all you had to say was “STFU”?
Is that all you got? How well it speaks for you. Gutless, and stupid. What a combo you demonstrated. Afriad to argue the poitns, so you stoop to telling me “Shut the **** Up” instead of joining the fight? I guess I hit a nerve, eh you coward?
You call yourselve conservatives.
Wrong.
You’re a bunch of wimps.
Useless as DailyKos posters.
Show me ONE thing all your whining here has acomplished other than to show how spitefully angry you are at McCain?
You are throwing tantrums liek 3 year olds.
You will not fight where it counts, and you spend more energy tearing up McCain instead of trying to prevent the damage he or HillBama will cause.
With people like you Conseervatism needs no enemies.
You should be ASHAMED of your conduct.
Well, this has all been entertaining but it’s time for me to retire.
Peace out, folks.
Publius… This what you have in mind?
Petraus-Jindal in 2012
hahaha! Nope. I just remember his “suggestions” on such things, lol.
I know a lot of good people have strong differing opinions at times, I’m hoping we try to be as respectful as possible (not always easy, I kow, lol). Good people sometimes just disagree and we shouldn’t take it personally. All things shall pass.
(not that you were at all disrespectful there, 30pcs!)
Over the top? He’s just ONE person? Rip Obama and Hillary instead? End of all that is right and good in the world? (I never said that)
Let me ask you something:
Who is it on the (R) side that has done more to “help the drive by media”, me or Senator John McCain, Captain Compromise?
PP – I am not experienced at running
webboards. I did read the Terms of Use, and frankly do not see any area that I may have gone astray of. I take it that you do have some experience with these matters, and it you will share your decoder ring, perhaps we can all be on the same page.
As for carrying something over, I think I very clearly pointed out that the carry-over was initiated by the “Shut Up” crowd. They have carried over their same comments from thread to thread.
One of the main points of my posts was that those supporting McCain are doing significant damage by their words and attitude to McCain. His message yesterday was that he was open to listening to points of view contrary to his own and indicated a willingness to perhaps change his views if he was presented with information that supported those dissenting views.
McCain’s message has been followed by a chorus of condescending commentary from his supporters telling people they have no choice. Unfortunately for McCain, they do have a choice, and unfortunately, folks taking a position on the basis of principle and values are not going to be swayed by attempts to silence them or fear mongering. Many people who did not support McCain are now looking for a reason to support him. A substantive positive reason, not the “you have no choice” or “the world will end otherwise” reason.
Yes, McCain is the Republican frontrunner and looks like a lock for the nomination, unless he lapses into a “Howard Dean moment”, the odds of which are not exactly remote. But that is only a nomination to represent the Republican Party, which right now has distanced itself from its conservative base. So, while McCain may represent republicans in the general election, he does not necessarily represent conservatives.
McCain stated pretty clearly he is going to attempt to unite the Republican party, and he made an initial effort to do that with his speech at CPAC. But, if his idea of uniting the party is consistent with the behavior of his supporters here, his words were hollow and disingenous. Such a method of unification may have worked for the Nazi party, but it has no place in a society that claims to prize freedom and liberty.
And the more we hear from the “shut up” crowd, who have been consistent in their comments from thread to thread over the last 24 hours, it will become increasingly unlikely that any unity will come to pass.
I am here darn near everyday, I may disappear for a couple of day’s but I do usually schedule a couple hours a day to this site, I know those that I have seen on here on a regular basis. I usually read all of the posts and I have been reading posts way before I ever was allowed to post here. I see more and more come on here and I say to my self who is that, never seen them before, maybe your new maybe your a once a monther or maybe a quarterly poster but the fact is this, I see more and more come on here criticizing, admonishing the host of this site calling her a liar, untruthful, disingenuous amongst other things, remember the site is called Michelle Malkin, that is just an undisputed fact, it is her site she is entitled to her opinion, just as you are, If you have hard facts to back your statements up then post them and show everyone where she is mistaken or sit down and have a hot cup of STFU, because personally I have had enough of your vitriol, If you have a cognitive statement to make then make it, if you have an opinion then state it, but attacking others for their opinions does not make what you are saying valid in any way. I personally ignore it and go on to the next post and read something valid.
The supposed Conservative Republicans tell me I should vote for the nominee because he is the Republican candidate. Well some may be able to flush conservative values down the drain but I refuse to do so, will I stay home? No, I will write in my vote for a conservative and conservatives in the House and Senate. But I will not be bullied into voting for someone I do not trust or believe in.
Another argument McCain will win the war; Hillary will pull the troops out. Yes I believe he will keep troops overseas till the war is won but so will the two Democrats and I say this because it will take at least two years just to get our equipment out of Iraq and another year for the troops to exit that’s three years, that leaves one year for anyone who is President to say “See I told you I would win the war” or “See I told you I’d bring the troops home”.
Another argument is he is a heroic Vietnam War veteran. Yes he was the key word is, that does not qualify him to be President now.
Another argument he will keep us safe and secure. I don’t feel very secure, when the southern border is open to anyone that wants to come over it. Mexicans, Chinese, Arabs come over the southern border daily. I think that maybe Al qaeda could come across our southern border and hide in our country? Well John McCain said he would secure the border first. To late Al qaeda is already here and waiting for a target of opportunity. Their two tankers missing they are looking for today, the question is, is this some guys that just wanted some gas or is this terrorists that have a plan or has it been forgotten what blew up the barracks in Saudi Arabia. Boy I’m feeling safe, the DHS is nothing more than another bureaucratic behemoth, I really believe McCain’s pledge to close the borders after he has shown he has had absolutely not intention of closing the border in the past.
Another argument is he is a fiscal conservative, he will cut taxes and stop pork, I’m to believe him when be voted against Bush tax cuts and he can’t distinguish the difference between waste and worthy pork.
If some have a valid argument besides these regurgitations of the party then make them and quit telling me or anyone else that I will be giving my vote to Hillary, that is not enough to make me vote for McCain. Some have strayed from their conservative principals or they are just fair weather Republican, it is pathetic, it is pathetic that people will give up what they say they believe in so readily, because the party tells them so. I’m from Missouri “The Show Me State” if you want me to vote in November for John McCain then Show Me facts and actions that McCain has done to deserve my vote, but it had better be facts and not rhetoric or I won’t be convinced.
Go Brain…Go Brian…Go Brian…
Why is it when a liberal is being passed off as a conservative and the conservatives call him to the mat we are called right wing fringe lunatics? Is there anyone more lunatic than a conservative who accepts this as the norm and that we should all shut up and vote for the liberal who stuck an (R) behind his name?
No! Our “representatives” have sold us – the conservative base – out and we know it. I will wait and see who McCain selects for VP before I even think about voting for him. My bet is still with Rudy or someone who is just as liberal. McCain will “unite” alright, the center with the left. Not what we need – not what conservatives want.
Oh, please don’t go the route of good ol’ SouthernBoy who kept the “I speak for JESUS” rhetoric going until he got the boot. Shimanuma2 has it right – compromise is not the order of the day if your want to speak about the LORD.
By the way, it was just a month ago that I was one of the “vote for McCain no matter what” people. That was when the poll was phrased in a manner that I would select him and there were still some conservatives in the race. Now, McCain is being forced upon me and there are some who think:
He is not liberal.
He is.
He is better than BO or Shrill.
Just better but, better manure is still manure
He will be strong on the GWOT.
Talk is cheap. He will capitulate to the liberals when he needs something that has been his pattern.
**********************
His service record aside (and I admire all who serve and have served – we have a son in Afghanistan) he is not the leader we need – IMHO.
Rest and recouparate well, Rose!
Rhetoric like this is ridiculous and wrong. Bush 1 lost to Clinton because of Ross Perot. Bush 1 didn’t ’squander what he had been given.’
It’s downright amazing to me to see people who ‘love this country’ and ‘love their party’ completely trash successful people within the country and party who HAVE fought for you.
I wouldn’t want to be in your party anyway. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
My guess… they are purposely pushing the weak candidate. They get him the nomination, and then when the elections come he won’t have enough support and the
socialistsdems can slip right in.The question is how many times are you going to call him to the mat? You aren’t fringe lunatics for calling him to the mat, you are fringe lunatics for doing it ad infinitum.
We all know that McCain has many liberal positions. If that makes you vote for the other person, fine. But try making your case for voting FOR the other person.
On behalf of baby killers everywhere, thank you Michelle and you other ideological purists. And to think we’re only one vote away from Roe v. Wade being overturned!
Enjoy explaining yourselves to the unborn in the next life.
It brings to mind a line by Clint Eastwood’s character, Gunnery Sgt. Tom “Gunny” Highway, in Heartbreak Ridge:
“Don’t go away mad, just go away.”
Give us all a break on calling somebody a purist. McCain has NO litmus test. He is not interested in overturning Roe vs. Wade.
My argument for you Blind Mule (from someone who I guarantee is more conservative than you) is this is fine.
Vote for your conservative candidate. Who pray tell might that be, and please let me know why you think that person will be a good candidate.
That’s how a campaign is supposed to go. It’s supposed to be ‘my guy will make the future better for this great country’. Instead, with all these blogs and talk radio and cable channels, the process has become can you believe the other guy is so bad?
So what this nation comes to is a nation full of whiners who eventually vote for people that everybody hates. If you expect someone worth voting for to come into this process the way it is, you are kidding yourselves.
The reason we get candidates like McCain is because good candidates don’t want to have to put up with the whiney ungrateful population who will come up with reasons not to vote for the other person rather than reasons to vote for them.
I’d never run for office because of the ridiculousness of our ‘democratic process’.
Where are the calls for a third party conservative? Nowhere. The only thing we get is McCain is a liberal. Oh woe is me. . . McCain is a liberal.
That doesn’t advance the debate.
The war was won years ago.
Two things. That is precisely what conservatives have been saying about McCain! With a buddy like him, who will sell you out to the liberals each and every time he sees an opportunity for himself, who needs Democrats?
#2. Would someone explain to me if “bipartisanship” is soooo important, WHY WAS JOE LIEBERMAN RUN OUT OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY FOR SUPPORTING OUR MILITARY?????
Why haven’t the Dems nominated Joementum to REACH OUT TO US???????????