The “grumpy Republican” problem; Update: E-mail from a Texas GOP convention attendee
Scroll down for updates…e-mail from Texas GOP convention attendee…
The Texas GOP convened its party convention this week. It’s finding the same problem plaguing the party in other states and at the national level: Disgruntled grass-roots.
The Houston Chronicle quotes GOP officials calling disatisfied conservatives “grumpy” and “grouchy.” These leaders seem to believe the grass-roots have left them. Reality check: It’s the other way around. From the piece:
After a decade of political dominance, the Texas GOP is opening its party convention in Houston this week with a troubling prospect: Grumpy Republicans may not turn out to vote this fall.
Many of the grass-roots Texas Republicans see presumptive presidential nominee John McCain as not conservative enough. Others still support presidential candidate Ron Paul. Some are unhappy over immigration, high federal spending, a sagging national economy and rising gasoline prices.
“A lot of them, and rightly so in many cases, are mad. They’re concerned,” said Roger Williams, chairman of the Texas GOP’s voter turnout efforts this year. “What we’ve got to do is alleviate those concerns and get them to vote.”
…Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters in Texas say the state and nation are on the “wrong track.” He calls them “grumpy Republicans” who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
“I’m concerned about the wrong-track Republicans opting not to vote,” Baselice said.
Baselice said Republicans in 2002 had a 6 percentage point advantage in Dallas County voting and an 8 percentage point advantage in Harris County. He said neither party now has an advantage in Dallas, and the GOP holds an advantage of about 1.5 percentage points in Harris County.
He said that partisan shift could give Democrats a great boost if a large percentage of Republicans don’t vote.
Baselice said Republicans who vote can be counted on to vote up and down the ballot, but he said the GOP stands to lose ground if the “grumpy” Republicans stay home.
Former Republican Chairman Tom Pauken said politicians and party leaders need to reassure the Republican grass-roots workers that their efforts matter for conservative causes.
“The grass roots has withered up and died,” Pauken said.
Au contraire. From what I saw at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference of grass-roots conservatives recently and from what I see in my e-mailbox every day, the Right’s grass roots are alive and well. It’s principled conservative leadership in Washington that has withered up, died, and been replaced by invasive weeds.
***
Related note to the White House: Signing lame-duck executive orders on immigration enforcement doesn’t count as principled conservative leadership.
***
Update: Just received an informative e-mail from a Texas GOP convention attendee…
Michelle,
I’m a Republican in Texas, and will be attending the state convention this week as an alternate. This is my third state convention serving the party in some capacity, and I have to say, this year I’m expecting very little good to come out of it.
My reasoning is that the “Ron Paul” crowd, which represents about 1/3 of the delegates attending the convention this week, have caused a great amount of trouble and stress for doing nothing more than standing up for their beliefs. Meanwhile, conservatives who supported Thompson, Hunter, or another candidate have the same issues with the party. We’re worried, and I believe rightfully so, that we will be tarred with the same brush as those whose goals are to disrupt and wreak havoc. It’s a huge mess; while most conservatives have no wish to be affiliated with the “liberaltarians” who have infiltrated our party, there are other Ron Paul Republicans who ARE conservative and that means that all conservative efforts to change things will be stomped upon.
What we’re disgruntled about in our state is an utter lack of leadership at the state party level; we have a governor who has publicly disregarded the voice of the grassroots and the platform, a state chairman who issues press releases on issues contrary to our platform, and massive electoral issues that trickle down from the highest levels.
Thank you so much for posting on what is happening down here. We are sure that there are other conservative Republicans across the country who see similar problems. The question is, do we make tentative alliances with anti-war, pro-choice factions in order to gain any kind of success?
Michele Samuelson
National Committeewoman, Texas Republican Assembly
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#94 - The Democrat’s need not worry if they cause this country to go downhill. After they create the mess, they will re-write history with their revisionist propoganda and convince the country that it was the Republicans who caused the problems with obstructionism and the like.
Ever hear them own up to the social security and welfare messes they created? They’d have you believe it was a Republican travesty every step of the way. Then they bring out the big guns and scare the pensioners that the Repub’s are going to take away their ss.
Plus, don’t forget the “blame Bush” mantra. That should work for a few years.
Oh….I meant to add I was just musing over my coffee…
Wise_Man, I am a Conservative. I don’t call myself a Republican anymore as the Rep.Party does not represent true conservative views any more, so do NOT threaten me. Actually all you are doing is firming my resolve not to vote for McCain, so on second thought, keep up the threats, you’re only confirming what many have already said, that McCain hopes to win not by being a Republican representative, but by threatening non-democrats into voting for him.
I WILL NOT SUBMIT. You hear me? NEVER.
I will be true to myself when I take part this november in helping to keep a democrat out of office. My belief is that I don’t want this sham of a person Obama and his mindless followers to win. because of my actions, I will sleep very well at night knowing that a democrat won’t be in control of my country beginning in 2009.
It’s a shame the same can’t be said for you.
Re; # 100 Actually, I kinda do Blame bush here…
Today he gets around to ordering contractors who work for the federal gov. to check the legal status of their employees… he could have acted like a conservative what?, 7 years ago.
Spin?
Obviously, I’m not the only one that picked up on your tactics…
It seems that Joy picked up on it too. But, just to be on the safe side, let’s look at your orginal post that started that conversation about me needing to fall in line and vote for McCain, no matter what. Shall we?…
Okay. In paragraph one, you insinuate that John and I are “delusional“.
In paragraph two, you intimate that John’s and my positions on the election are “emotional feelings, not from logic.”
In paragraph three you proceed on to equate the prior in paragraph two to “idiocy” and that we are “deranged“.
So, you…
Right. So, what were you saying, if you “didn’t say that?”
I’m just telling you, it is a failed marketing strategy to come in and try to strong arm me into voting for your guy and completely disregarding my views and then casting dispersions my way.
But, then again, I’m just “grumpy” and “grouchy”.
Wise_man, we heard you. We don’t agree with you. Accept it and move on. Please.
I don’t know what game you are playing and I am not interested in participating.
I believe both will destroy our country and voting McCain will finish off the R’s to boot. So no, I don’t want an Obama Presidency, but I don’t want a McCain one either.
Yes. One of few left apparently.
Yep. Bring it on since we have no real choice.
No you’re not.
Yes, you are. They are now Socialists, so that makes you a Socialist too. Is that what YOU want?
There IS going to be a Dem, because both B. Hussein and McCain are dems. Don’t forget McCain threatened TWICE to defect to the dems.
No, it isn’t. We get it just fine.
Wow. You have a toadie. Congratulations.
Good post, Joy.
No, you aren’t voting for someone, you’re voting against someone. You are betraying these “conservative” values you supposedly embrace. As I said, it’s a shame that one cannot say that you stick by your principles and cannot be true to yourself.
Are you capable of doing the only two things I have seen from you this afternoon, shilling for the Socialism-lite candidate (John McCain) and berating other posters? You really should try to broaden your horizons some.
# 100….
I do agree with your assessment of the democrat’s tendency to revise history and use scare tactics around hot-button issues to intimidate voters.
But I see the republicans using the exact same tactics to garner votes for themselves.
It smells of coercion either way.
Yes, I am. I’m also disgusted with just about all of you people here who want Obama to be the next president. I hope you don’t get your wish. Keep making crap up about me while I try to speak the truth you you, if that’s what you want to do. Knock yourselves out.
Bingo! Thanks Khan, Joy, Barry F. for making it clear the difference of voting for conservative values vs. holding your nose and voting for the lesser of two evils.
If you and the others get your way, then you will rest assured that the hated McCain is not president and you (as well as myself) will live under Obama for the next years. I am betraying nothing. You are deluding yourself out of hate for McCain. Don’t bother to try to misrepresent me again. It’s not going to work.
LOL! Why make it up when the truth suffices? You truthspeaker you.. that’s delusional.
You are acting like a troll.
Oh. I think you are doing a bang up job all by yourself, wise_man. You don’t need our help.
“Oh. I think you are doing a bang up job all by yourself, wise_man. You don’t need our help.” Barry F
Oh he needs help alright, just not the sort we’re qualified to provide.. lol
Me? Acting like a troll?
Now, that’s rich!
And, you referred to John and me as “delusional”?
Republicans are also grumpy because Bush supported the first ethanol mandates in 2005 - when we still had a chance to stop stupid crap like that. Check out this CHART of corn futures since this legislation took effect. Of course the MSM plays this off as “speculation on weather.”
It’s a shame that you have to rely on intellectually bankrupt strawman arguments. No one is misrepresenting you or your positions at all, nor does anyone here want Obama to be president. No one is making up anything about you.
Since you continue to act like an internet troll, and apparently are enjoying this, I can’t do anything to make you not act like a troll.
I sincerely hope that you will loose, and Obama won’t be the next president. Go giggle until you are out of breath, Barry F.
McCain further alienates evangelicals, by refusing to meet with Billy Graham.
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/mccain_graham_meeting/2008/06/08/102779.html?s=sp&promo_code=63EB-1
I really wanted to stay out of the wise_man debate that’s evolving on this thread.
But the “being able to sleep” at night kinda rankled me.
I’m leaning toward the idea of not voting at all. But I will make that decision around November.
If I stick to the principle that my vote is worth something, even if only to me, then I can choose to withold it if the system no longer gives me choices that I can agree with.
And if I choose that recourse?
I’ll sleep just fine.
Well, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express one night.
Wow wise_man, a pretty visceral reaction to your comments here today. I understand your position, but can’t you see some of the long term gains the conservative movement could make with an Obama presidency? Not only do we get to set up a fall guy from the (D) party, but we get to shun McCain with a strong showing against him.
Juan S. McCain ‘08 - Conservatives? I don’t need no steenking conservatives!
Know whats sad?
The Colorado GOP is pretty much in the same boat.
Bill Owens and his buddies Bob Beauprez, Pete Coors and other Denver Country Club types were the WORST things that happened to the Colorado GOP. They took a good RED GOP state and turned it Purple and now BLUE, with their limp-wristed moderatism, abandonment of conservative principles for “go-along, get-along” and their “Country Club” elitism with the “Its my turn now” version of generating candidates.
In a period of just 5 years, they lost the governorship and all but one state wide executive offices, giving up majorities in both the state house and state senate, and giving up *2* congressional seats and a senate seat (and they are about to give up the other one as well this year).
All this while NOT building a bench either - tons of Democrats run unopposed.
The Colorado GOP is a mess, and the country club morons will not let go and let us grass roots rebuild it. They’d rather control a minority than have an uncontrollable majority.
On June 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pm, wise_man said:
And what happens when the idiots in the this party you love so much get a candidate even more liberal than mcamnesty for the next run. Look, it is ridiculous thinking like yours that has left us where we are today. The GOP beleives the winning strategy (and that all they care about)today is to move further left. No real representation for conservatives. Just “we are not as bad as them” nonsense. I refuse to vote just for this POS candidate just to “keep obmummer out”. And if mcamnesty gets amensty passed, it really won’t matter what his other issues are. The country will never recover from such an immigration disaster. And I know obummer is no better, but he is not any worse than mcamnesty on this issue. Either the GOp needs to straighten up and get back to conservative roots or we need to look for a 3rd party.
At least have the b*lls wise_*ss to admit you support and agree wiht mcamensty’s left of center ideology. Anyone who supports him obviously does nto consider illegal immigration a serious matter. And unless you are a party hack (party above all) or agree wiht his platform there is no way you can be such an avid defender of mcamnesty.
You just fail to get it, wise_man.
I have already lost. I am left with Barack Obama and John McCain as the two top contenders for POTUS in November. That leaves us with Socialism or Socialism-lite.
Nothing about that situation makes me want to…
I am a Conservative. Neither of those choices appeal to me as a Conservative.
You are happy shilling for McCain but he is only slightly better than Obama.
Heck. McCain was just barely right of Hillary Clinton.
RealImmigrantChick #125:
Good link. McCain appears to be going out of his way to alienate the evangelicals. John Hagee and Rod Paisley, one might understand his distancing from. But Billy Graham? Might be he went too far distancing himself…
This site would be so much more enjoyable with fewer trolls, lying about other members of this site.
McCain does seem pretty avid about it, doesn’t he? But, can his logic really be to completely distance himself from the evangelical base? That is a pretty risky gamble, even for “The Maverick“.
The time has come for Americans to take back our Nation.
http://www.patriotparty.info/index.php
O’ sage of the blogs, tells me what I regular posters here have done to earn the moniker of “troll” from you.
On second thought, never mind. I’ve got to go, for now. Maybe I can check back in after while for the list of my shortcomings.
Barry F. #135:
Many politicians have made some bonehead moves thinking it was the right thing to do. Time will tell if it was a political calculation, bad advice, or just plain dumb.
Look at all the dumb moves Obama and Hillary made when one had the upper hand on the other.
I have to protect our military. I have to vote against Obama, and for McCain. The thought of what Obama would do to the best of Americans, frightens me to death. Secondly, Obama’s foreign policy is also very scary.
Then I’ll keep supporting conservative politicians. We some good young conservative coming up through the ranks. We need to support them and find more of their ilk.
So wise_man, you aren’t ransoming your “conservative” values to vote for a non-conservative?
wise guy - I suggest you go back through the thread and re-read your comments. Maybe you’ll see how they come across and realize that no one misrepresented you.
Maybe after that take a walk or something and calm down.
I’m voting Bob Barr. I was going to write in Thompson but on second thought I’ll go for Barr.
Good move. Thumbs up.
OOops.. I apologize wise man for addressing you as wise guy… probably a freudian slip, but I shouldn’t have said it.
Hey Barry F, thanks for your posts. Wise Guy is going for the lead in getting those McInsane Brownie points. Good Luck on that Wiseman.
maybe you can win a seat at the annual meeting of LA Raza?
I’m not voting for an Amnesty freak. I’m writing in Newt Gingrich. I’m for America before being for any party.
On June 9th, 2008 at 4:22 pm, John Ansell said:
Hey Barry F, thanks for your posts. Wise Guy is going for the lead in getting those McInsane Brownie points. Good Luck on that Wiseman.
Go tp blazes, troll.
Let’s see. MM obvioulsy does not like mcamensty and it is her site. Oddly enough, you show up only when a mcamnesty bashing article is posted (and rightly bashed he is) telling all of the posters how ridiculous they are for not voting for mcamensty when 99% of all posters hate mcamnesty. You bully, call names, tell us to fall in line and vote “R” or suffer the consequences, and attack fellow posters. Yep, that makes the 99% of posters here trolls and people liek you regulars. Got it. But help me understand why you come to a site that obviously is contradictory to your views on the GOP and bash everyone? Kind of liek LGM and few other “non-trolls” like yourself. I don’t go to the daily kos site because I disagree with them vehemently.
JT said: #138, that’s a good reason to vote for McCain. I will not call you an idiot for chosing to vote that way, either. It’s probablly the only reason to vote against Obama. Still, it doesn’t say much about McCain.
John - I’m just wondering if a person would still get their McPain Points if during the course of the thread they get their heinie handed to them on a platter…
Curious in California
LOL I’m the troll. HA HA HA HA HA, You didn’t say anything nice about MCInsane. Keep your points adding up, hurry, say something nice about McAmnsety, you can still win that seat next to McCain when he speaks to La Raza.
You’re right. We have to accept that he is a (not very conservative) Republican. So let’s agree that he’s just like a Democrat, the way they used to make ‘em.
Maybe, unless you discount the masses of Hillary supporters who claim they will vote for McCain. Sounds like a split to me.
LOL Joy. I’m in Torrance and this Illegal problem is very dear to me. 12 dead over the weekend. But, they are here to do the work we won’t do and McCain says they should get amnesty? Nope, not voting for him.
JT - I understand your thinking. I wish I could believe McCain would look out for them, but he’s going to strip us of any way to interrogate terrorists and give the terrorists access to our civil courts.
In my opinion that will weaken the WoT and place our best in more jeopardy. He also made a comment in a speech that the Iraq war is was only about ‘oil.’
That really fried me. If it was, then where are the lower gas prices from all the oil we took? And it also says to our best that oil is all they’re sacrificing for.
Personally, I simply can’t find any tiny little reason to vote for him. But as I said, I do understand why you are.
That’s a valid question - sacrifice one’s principles to go with the flow or stand your ground. In the immortal words of Richard Dawson - “Survey says?!”
I’m in Texas and it is about the same here. I swear, I would vote for McCain if he would take up a strategy of Attrition and no amnesty ever platfrom. But that is not going to happen, so I refuse to support him.
After reading 150 posts I think both parties need to be taken down so that they can rebuild with new people. Still can’t find anything on the South Carolina primaries. Are they being held secretly?
I hear you Weary Citizen. Why MCinsane has Juan Hernandez on his payroll is a joke. The second McCain learned of Juan’s statements, he should have dropped him. But he needs the Latino votes (Legal or not).
Survey says
43 - H@ll no!
26 - NO!
17 - I don’t think so.
14 - Duhhhhhh… I wuv McCain…
JT, I wouldn’t think of belittling you for voting for McCain. It is each individuals choice and the concern for our troops is a very, very valid one. I am not 100% convinced that McCain will be that much better for our troops. His position on waterboarding is one of the first things to come to mind. I also have grave concerns on how he would manager the GWoT. Would he let the generals actually lay out efforts that would work or would he, in his infinite wisdom, decide how it would go down. Yet, I do believe he would be better for our troops than Obama would.
As for McCain being strong on defense…pfft. Sure he will.
Remember this, by the way:
“Among the first to criticize [the Swift Boat Vets for Truth] ad was Republican Senator John McCain, a Bush supporter, Vietnam veteran, and former POW. He said, “I condemn the [SBVT] ad. It is dishonest and dishonorable. I think it is very, very wrong”.
“It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,” McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, comparing the anti-Kerry ad to tactics in his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.
Khan - I forgot about that one! Thanks for the reminder!
Have a good conversation everyone. I’m off for a while.
Oh, wait! I know. I’m supposed to “Shut up”, “Fall in line” and all those other things I’ve been told. That’s quite a marketing strategy the bullies on this site has adopted - Tell me I can’t think for myself and that they know what is best for me and I just need to go along with what they have in store for me.
y’all may disagree, but I’m voting for the RINO, or Democrat Lite, over the full blown Marxist, because given four years Obama will probably give us a 5-4 or 6-3 majority of openly partisan Democrat justices on the Supreme Court, who will veto any legislation passed by a Republican President who might be elected in 2012.
I don’t think McCain would appoint real conservative judges, even if the Senate had a Republican majority, but ‘moderates’ like the recently retired O’Connor or Anthony Kennedy can be counted on to vote correctly at least part of the time.
Both are global warming hysterics, although Obama’s plan may cripple the economy even more than McCain’s.
Both favor amnesty.
But at least I think McCain won’t unilaterally surrender in the war on Islamic terror, I don’t think McCain will socialize 10+% of the nations economy for national socialist medicine, McCain generally votes pro-life, and I think, that although he lapses into class warfare babble, and opposed the original Bush tax cuts, McCain won’t be in a hurry to jack up the income tax and capital gains taxes, and expand the welfare state like Mr and Mrs. Obama.
If people really can’t stomach voting for the RINO instead of the communist, I wish they’d at least vote on the undercards, so the Dems don’t have a filibuster proof Senate majority.
June 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pm, wise_man #84
I agree with pretty much everything you said here and below. I’d join the debate but I’ve been through this over and over again for almost a month now on different blogs and I’m just tired of it.
I’m tired of people who want to “send a message” to the GOP or the country that doesn’t agree with them by handing America over to a pacifist, pro-abortion socialist. They are going to show how much they love America by handing it over to a party that will take away their rights and their money, stack the Supreme Court with liberal justices and lose the War on Terror for us.
I’m tired of hearing about how they are the “true” conservatives and I’m just a lib, or stupid, or a sellout, or a GOP sheep, or whatever.
There is no point to this argument, so I’m out of it. They use the same kind of logic that gave us eight years of Clinton and eight years of constant complaining about how Clinton is ruining the country. They don’t want to fix anything, they just want to complain and prove how much more conservative they are than the rest of us.
Or they say that four years of Barry will be like four years of Carter and give us another Ronald Reagan. Of course they choose to completely forget the damage that Carter did to the country in those four brief years.
Or they’re bitter because McCain beat “their man” in the primaries or because of his stance on illegal immigration or because he once said something mean about them.
I don’t vote for what’s best for conservatives, or what is best for the GOP. I vote for what is best for my country.
I’m not in love with McCain, in fact I don’t agree with his stances on immigration, the environment, “torture,” or domestic oil drilling. But to say that he would be no better for our country than Obama is just foolishness.
Nevertheless, the RNC and American Republican leaders brought this on themselves. I hope they learn the lesson before the election, but I doubt it.
But arguing against the McHaters is like arguing with a petulant, pouting child. For people who comment on a blog that regularly displays the headline “suck-it-up,” they do an awful lot of whining.
The election is a choice between tuberculosis and metastacized lung cancer. And if you choose not to choose, a choice will be made for you.
And they can cure tuberculosis, usually, with enough antibiotics over a long enough period of time.
But the end stage Marxist lung cancer may kill this country as a representative democracy with a capitalist economy.
Well, if you feel you must, who are we to tell you to try to stand on principle or something.
Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:
I’m voting Ed, so the undercard is safe on that count. McCain is going to kill our sovereignty and I don’t want that blood on my hands. When/If McCain wins and grants amnesty, I can proudly say “I didn’t vote for him, don’t blame me”.
Thats all. Sure, I’m biased because my wife followed the laws to become a citizen and amnesty is a smack in her face, but nobody will try to scare me into voting McInsane.
You forgot bitter.
I think we agree that pretty much everyone here think McCain sucks.
The true debate is over whether he sucks so bad we’d rather let Democrats weaken and nationalize the country in the hope of a true conservative coming forward in 2012.
Even Reagan couldn’t undo all the damage that Carter wreaked. One of Carter’s biggest blunders was undermining the Shah of Iran which gave us the Iran of today. Obama will sit by and let Iran get nukes which would severely limit our ability to counter their actions. Iran will use them for terror and intimidation of their neighbors, gradually gaining in power and influence.
Over how many decades will our children and grandchildren have to deal with the consequences of ticked-off (and rightly so) conservatives not voting just to spit in McCain’s eye?
Is your righteous indignation going to comfort you when you start glowing in the dark?
I wish they would. I don’t think they will. I don’t think that a protest vote will be taken seriously. I’d like to see my party more conservative. Part of it is to blame the RNC, the GOP as a whole. The other part is to blame the idiots who vote for McCain in the primary. I don’t know who is going to win this election. I suspect its going to be Obama. When Bob Dole was running, I didn’t think he had a chance in hell. I didn’t blame the GOP, I didn’t tell everyone I knew that we should tear down the republican party because the candidate I voted for in the primary lost to Dole.
I am a realist. I also thought that there was no way in hell that Americans would re-elect Bush - but then the democrats blessed us with John Kerry. And the democrats lost. Thank God.
Again. This is now down to two people. Complain all you want. Trash talk McCain all you want. Act exactly like a democrat as you try your best not to get McCain elected all you want. I know in my heart that what i believe in and I wish for my country to do better, not worse. I hope that Obama won’t be elected. I hope that all of these people here who don’t want McCain, and as a direct result will get Obama will loose. It’s going to be a very, long, five months.
Glad to see you didn’t lower yourself to the point of injecting something into it, 29Victor.
But, at the risk of seeming like…
…there are a lot of folks on this blog that are ready to…
…, vote on principle and let it shake out as it may.
An attempt at mockery, poorly done however. Since we are not trying to get you to shut up and fall in line and vote for some Socialist-Light candidate. All “we” (in the we that want conservative values that are expressed in Joy’s 12 points but certainly not limited to those 12 by any means) want is a real conservative candidate to vote for.
Being how there is none, we have either the choice to:
1. Hold our nose and go with McCain to keep Obama out of office.
2. Stick to our values and vote for our values by writing in a candidate that exemplifies those values or by not voting at all.
And you, in your infinite wisdom (no pun intended) are berating those conservatives like me who are standing up for conservative values.
I would rather when asked “who did you vote for?” in November be able to say I voted for the man/woman who promised to uphold the values I espouse. (Which atm means I would most likely be inclined to write in Sarah Palin.)
You, woefully, argue that by people like me writing in Sarah Palin we are helping Obummer win. I am doing no such thing, McCain is helping Obummer win by leaving conservatives out to dry. He would rather pander to the left in hopes to get more left-leaning voters that would normally swing for Hillary and to get the illegal vote (and before we dig up that can of worms, google states that don’t enforce ID’s at the polls). So by his own actions he seems doomed to lose. Not because I stuck up for conservative values by voting for a real conservative.
I’m not “grumpy”, I’m f*cking pissed off!
Where in the hell did all these Repuberals come from anyway? Did Bush bring them up from Texas with him?
A couple of questions for all grumpy, the-party-has-left-me conservatives: When GWB was re-elected in 2004, everyone knew that he wouldn’t be running in 2008. Who began work then to begin moving the party back to its conservative roots and to begin grooming a truly conservative presidential candidate?? Not me - any of you? Don’t you think that if there had been a real groundswell at that point, the party bosses would have paid attention by now?
What did conservatives do in 2006 other than stay home and let Democrats take over Congress?
I think that, sadly, we conservatives are reaping what we have sown here.
I agree with you Joy, Barry F., and many others too numerous.
It was refreshing to find Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul finally admit that McCain is an “old school democrat”…which means McCain’s values really do not bother him, and yet he claims somehow Obama will be worse??.
I won’t vote for McCain for the simple reason he is supposed to represent conservatism and yet he is a gleeful sell-out to the same.
Good post, alaskangrizzly.
You still don’t get it? How is this possible. Come November 2nd, there will be two names on the ballot. The time for picking others ended 6 months before that. A majority of people voted for Obama and McCain. If you write in a name, you will be repeating the time honored act of suicide by giving your vote to the person who you most likely don’t want to be in office. Surely you must be smarter than that to realize this. Don’t you remember the democrat lawyers who successfully sued to get Ralph Nader’s name off the ballot for John Kerry? Don’t you know that Ross Perot was a puppet to make sure that George Poppy Bush lost to Bill Clinton?
You can’t be this stupid not to understand that by doing something like this, you are by default helping Obama?
I want to vote for George Bush again - even though he is NOT a conservative, and even though under him government spent more and grew more and we the people lost more freedoms, and even though under him the Republican Party declined…he would still be better than McCain.
McCain is even further to the left of President Bush! Does anyone think he’ll be as conservative, or more conservative than Bush? No way!
I want smaller government, less spending, lower taxes, border security, no Gullible Warming nonsense - who do I vote for, for that? Obama or McCain?
None of the Above…
I too am a conservative and NOT a Republican. When Republicans “walk the walk” then I will vote for them again.
I am tired of people who say I MUST vote for McCain. Fortunately they don’t control me and can’t force me to cheapen my vote by voting for someone who does not represent me or my principles. If no one represents my conservative principles, no one gets my vote.
Those who think that what’s best for the country is to help it slide further left by voting for either Obama or McCain are wrong. I hope for and will work for gridlock for the next four years so Congress and the President can’t ram their socialist schemes down our throats. That sentence applies no matter who gets elected President.
I am also convinced that the question as to whether or not to vote for McCain is becoming an endless debate with probably most people have already made up their minds.
The million dollar question is what do we do to best foster our influence (conservatism) after November?
I just don’t get the mantra of “He’s better than Obama!” What kind of endorsement is that?
Is a translation of that, “Our candidate sucks but theirs sucks worse?”
I realize that McCain is the only option people have, if they are deadset on beating Obama. But, that option still sucks.
John Ansell
Not trying to scare anybody. Both choices suck, but one sucks worse, and we’ll have to live with the results, one way or the other, so I will personally choose the less sucky choice.
BTW, if the Dems do win big in November, it is awfully optimistic to think the Republican leaders won’t draw the wrong conclusion, that the country has moved left, and go that way as well.
Personally, I have no reason to think McCain will choose a principled conservative as his VP, but I’m hoping he does, he wins, and he serves no more than one term.
Who said it was an endorsement?
I am mad at McCain/Huckabee sandbagging Romney. I am mad at Fred Thompson for not making an effort. Leaving us in the predicament we are in. An I am mad at the MSM for basically picking our candidates.
I will feel more comfortable with a conservative VP. This is the last time I will put up with the lesser of two evils.
I get physically ill when I think of that lying, no good marxist, taking the oath.
At least McCain has boys serving in the Military. I think the Pentagon and the powers that be can talk him out of Gitmo closing. He comes from a long line of military heros in his family. I gotta believe he’ll respect our military leaders. The surge worked because Bush listened. Now they’ll clean up Afghanistan too. McCain would be a fool not to listen.
Can you imagine how much bolder Iran et al. will be with Barack in charge?
I don’t want to see it. I saw what Carter did. Barack will be worse.
My feeling is to vote for McCain, and fight him on everything else. At the same time support grass roots conservatism with everything I have. So that from 2008 on we have better choices.
Too many just don’t get it. WE don’t do anything but vote, but HE is the elected official. It is up to him to win or lose. WE give ideas on how to win but HE chooses which ones to follow and not follow. If HE loses, it is not our fault, especially since HE is not our guy.
Here is my suggestion from the beginning, make the GOP the third party. Everyone says a third party can’t win and I agree, so make them the third party.
There will be more than two names on the ballot come November. When you sell out your principles, you have nothing left.
Oh, your logic and charming ways are winning so many over to your point of view…
Surely you can see that McCain himself is the main one “by default helping Obama”? Why vote for Democrat Lite when you can have real Democrat, is the way many will see it come November.
I’m certain the same thing was said to those who voted Ross Perot in ‘92 in response to a George Bush who had misled people with his “No new Taxes” pledge along with screwing the NRA.
The difference is we already know this is what awaits us with respect to McCAin
If McCain’s VP is not a worthless sack of crap like McCain is, then I’d like to see McCain bow out after 4, and let this man or woman run for office, against a full slate of republican conservative candidates. If they are truly a good VP, and prove themselves then they might deserve a chance at being considered for president in 2012.
Sucks, but that is the choice we have this year.
If only Giuliani hadn’t chosen his disasterous “all the eggs in the Florida basket” strategy. If McCain hadn’t been the only candidate RINOs, independents and Dems crossing over voted for, than maybe a conservaive, or at least, less RINO, candidate may have won the nomination.
There you go thinking my post related to your pro-McCain arguments this afternoon.
It was a generalized statement, not directed at anyone in particular, not even you.
Great Question, I know I was over on Newt’s site way back then. McCain/Feingold kept Newt out of it. Another reason I can stand the guy.
Oops Can = Can’t
Truth hurts, eh?
No. McCain is not “helping Obama.” If you want a real democrat, then by all means, vote for Obama. And many who see this come november are full of crap. And living in a fantasy world.
Longbow, good for you! And many of us feel the same way. These same people telling us to vote for McCain are the same moderates who were telling us last year at this time that we had to vote Rudy because he was the only hope we had to beat Hillary. Where are those two by the way?
So I’m not allowed to respond to your comment? How rude.
I was one of those that pulled the lever for Perot in ‘92.
I don’t know about your ballot, but there will be more than two names on mine. There will also be write-in ballots.
What we really have here is those who wish to vote by party and those that wish to vote by principle. If I call myself a tomatoe, can I then claim to be a real tomatoe? Apparently in your book I can. In the book of those with principles, it just makes me a vegetable wanna be.
ROFLMAO. That’s it? You accuse everyone of misquoting you or twisting what you said. So wise_*ss show me where I once said “fall in line”? I asked a legit question why you come on this site when you are obviously opposed to everyone’s views here. Something typical of the “troll” you call everyone else. Instead of answering, you set a strawman. Pathetic!!! I sure hope the gop or mcamensty camp isn’t paying you much, otherwise, they are getting hosed. You must be a liberal screwing with us since only a liberal can have such hypocritical/duplicitous rationale and arguments.
For the two thousand, five hundred and thirty ninth time ….
This election is now down to two people. If you write in a name, you are making a mockery of our political process.
Not every vote for McCain is a vote for McCain. And every vote for Obama and every vote that could have beed added up against Obama that wasn’t counted, is a vote for Obama.
I’ll repeat this again for those of you with a skull so thick it hasn’t sunk in even yet.