Some observations:
1. Why John McCain?
First, I believe we all need to realize up front that, though we’d care to think we are, we are not representative of the general population or even the bulk of the Republican party, if that is your association. And by “we,” who do I mean?
I mean you, me, any of my dedicated readers or anyone just dropping by. I mean those who listen to Conservative talk radio, who hit the internet for news stories, who will choose something for a particular political reason, who purposely choose certain venues of communication and media.
I believe it is we who are out of the mainstream — of the bulk of people comprising the Republican Party.
To us, the things wrong with this country are readily apparent. We can identify the problems, we see them, they possess a hot, reflective glare and we have any number of solutions which, we believe, are consistent with our vision of Conservatism. My vision is mine; yours is yours. But despite, there are some consistent running threads.
We need be cognizant of this one massively important thing, applicable not just to the bulk of Republicans but to bulk of America: most couldn’t care less about politics. They don’t have the time, the inclination or the caring. They give perhaps ten minutes’ thought, or less, about the votes they make prior to stepping into their voting booth or marking their absentee. I’ll wager they’ve chosen their party on much of an original whim — because it was what their parents were, their friends were, or how they were “moved” by whatever emotions existed for a given candidate when they cast their very first ballot in their very first big election.
I believe this is how and why the bulk of Republicans seem to be walking behind John McCain — for these simple, simple reasons:
- 1. He’s a Vietnam vet,
- 2. A former prisoner of war;
- 3. He’s older, looks kindly, looks genuine;
- 4. He has the (R) behind his name,
- 5. Therefore he must be a good man;
- 6. Something resonates on the emotive trust factor;
It is not because these people have read his Senate voting records or identified his liberal tendencies. They haven’t seen the photos of he and Hillary darned near embracing. McCain-Feingold could be the name of his former law practice. Most Republicans, I submit, are going with their Emotive Trust Gut and not by knowledge. They don’t know and further, I submit, they do not care. Where do you suppose, when they acquire any media input as it happens to randomly pass directly in front of their face, what media is it? TV or the occasional newspaper. Another note in passing: why did McCain take Florida? Hello? Cubans? Amnesty? Anyone connecting dots?
Those are the common threads to the trend that we are seeing, I believe.
Given the two GOP choices, now McCain and Romney, what are people thinking by way of their ETG about Romney? Some of the things already expressed here and in other blogs: he’s too slick for his own good and he’s a Mormon. Oh yes, yes, not me, not me, I don’t disparage religions, that doesn’t even factor for me. But for the bulk of America? Bullshit. It factors.
So who’s left (literally: Left)? McCain. And in my opinion, that is why.
McCain has a potential 300 delegates wrapped up. Romney has to completely take Illinois and California. And yes, Romney did win the Simi Valley GOP debate. McCain is broke. McCain cannot bring Conservatives together. And McCain cannot beat Obama because (you can lay thousands of dollars on this): it will not be Clinton; it will be Obama. It simply gets down to ETG: Obama is more likeable. And even if it is McCain, John McCain will be a “lame duck” from the second he crosses into the White House.
Between the two, though, to whom should your vote go? Romney! And if you think that staying home or voting for Mickey Mouse in November expresses your anger, then you are simply daft. Demorats will simply bankrupt this country and give it away. The writing is on the wall to see — but only if you can read English.
2. First Remedial Steps?
For me, it’s a thing I’ve been doing since May of last year, a response to my insistence that President Bush protect this country by sealing our borders, building a complete 854+ mile fence and no amnesty for lawbreakers: no more checks to the RNC. The only thing that seems to acquire anyone’s political attention is money — or the lack of it.
I suggest to you: no more checks to the RNC. All support begins at home. We need to completely throttle the neck of the RNC. Pass the word. Let the money well simply dry up.
3. No One Is Perfect!
All the GOP candidates seem to be falling over themselves with an attempt to be “Reaganesque.” Newsflash: no one is “Reaganesque” but Ronald Wilson Reagan. And there will never be another RWR.
Knowing that, knowing that Reagan, of course, wasn’t perfect (Lebanon, immigration, to name a few items), one has to triage one’s priorities. There are any number of different Conservatives with any number of priorities. None of us will ever find a candidate espousing all of our individual button issues in precise lockstep. Never. Therefore, knowing that:
4. Question For You:
— and the answer of which you should already know if you’ve given any consideration to this campaign:
If you had to triage your issues, which one would you “give up” first?
BZ
P.S.
I can already hear the complaints formulating. “How can you do that?” etc, etc. But we’d best, again, wrap our minds around this known: there exists NO such thing as ANY perfect candidate because there is NO “universal concept” of what comprises the Perfect Conservative.
I sort of ended up here at the end of your last posts comments. you’re right, most of the electorate simply don’t give a rat’s ass. our schools have seen to it, civics and history are not even taught nowadays, talk to your kids/grandkids and be shocked at what they don’t know. this apathy is the future collapse of our country, I hope all realize this.
BZ,
This is one of the best post I’ve read so far on this election and it’s candidates.
Well done, now let me think about a response.
Well, I just watched the debate and I have to agree with you BZ, Obama will be our next President.
They were civil towards each other, not like last night with all the bickering. I think the people are fed-up with the bickering and I think the Democrats made some head-way tonight in that respect. They answered the questions asked, not like last night where they answered everyting but the question asked.
We just don’t have the candidates this time around to beat them.
At least that the way I see it.
Obama could suddenly be overcome with guilt at snubbing Hillary at the state of the union address and suffer a deep depression, then take a walk in fort marcy park with a handgun and….you know….shit happens.
I’m going to vote McCain if he’s nominated, he at least does not want to surrender to a few terrorist thugs, that puts him one up on Obama and queen Hillary. but he is more of the same thing we have now, no doubt.
Obama stakes the claim as the voice of change, but, unlike Newt Gingrich, never outlines any plan or course other than whine and snivel about current goings on. whining does not make a plan of action, so even though he might well be the Dem. nominee, he is completely unproven on any issues. since issues are not talked of in DNC debates what is the guy going to say when asked about a real issue? what ya gonna do about Iran? the border? etc?
BZ, I wrote a similar post colled “Welcome to the Rabbit hole” about who actually elects our presidents, I truly believe it’s the uneducated voters, that hear things the media wants them to hear…
That said, I might actually vote for Hillary, if McCain is her opponent, I might actually vote for Ron Paul if he goes indy, if McCain is on the ballot as well… I will not vote for McCain. < -- that's a period. I hear all the hoopla about tonights debate, the dems didn’t fight tonight… big whoop, they fought the last time the debated, the Rep’s had a couple of very cordial debates too… it’s all about media time and press… If you never fight, it becomes a kissing match, and no one watches, they are scripted to fight once in a while so folks will tune in to watch. It is a media drive presidency, they want McCain because they know Obama or Hillary can beat him.
BZ,
This is an excellent post.
I don’t think even Reagan would be Reagan enough, for some voters, today.
There’s something about Romney that just rubs me the wrong way, and has me worried about the electability factor. He just doesn’t seem to connect with ordinary people- which is evident by how Huckabee Finn can get outspent 20 to 1, and do well, whereas Romney gets very little bang for his buck.
I don’t know if he has what it takes to beat Obama, unless voters look beyond the “Likability factor”, and see that on policy issues, Romney has substance and Obama is just hollow rhetoric, and very far to the left, despite his calls about unity. For unity to happen, Obama needs to come to the center; not the other way around. And that’s not going to happen.
I agree that even though I think McCain has a certain kind of electability over Romney (war hero, more name recognition from media exposure over the years…), in this election, I don’t think he has what it takes. I think his age is an issue when the mood of the country seems to be one of freshness and youth; of getting rid of the “old establishment”.
McCain is too watered-down of his conservatism even for me. I wince when he berates pharmaceutical companies, big business, talks of global warming…it smacks too much of liberal talking points. But even though this gives him drawing power to independents and moderates, he can’t “out-liberal” the uber-liberal: Obama. All he can do is disgruntle the conservative base.
So I will throw my hat in for Romney, and hope substance in future debates can expose Obama for the empty shell that he is; that Obama trips up and makes a mistake. And that Romney doesn’t fall victim to his own petty weaknesses, which I feel are apparent whenever he engages in petty bickering with his GOP rivals. To me, the way Romney goes about it, it just comes across to me as being too insecure to just “let it go”. He can’t help being Romney, I suppose, anymore than McCain can’t help being who he is. I just think they both hurt themselves in the eyes of ordinary Americans who want to see them act presidential, and not small and petty with their personal attacks. That’s just me.
Anyway, good job on this. Very well thought out.
I find it immensely frustrating that I, my readers, and the circle of media I frequent, ARE the exception and not the rule. THE smartest man in politics and economics, CA Senator Tom McClintock, ran against Arnold and lost Big Time, only to see Arnold pull a McCain and — oddly enough — who is Arnold endorsing? Take a Big Hairy Guess.
This has been a very frustrating week for me; I’ve been home with the flu, weak, aches, etc. It’s snowed more in the past week than I’ve seen in the past two years, I’ve only got half my deck cleared, much less dug a path out the gate, and the snow plow truck plowed my car in. And then, a minute or two after having published this post, the power went out for three hours. Completely missed the premiere of LOST. I’m crossing my fingers that power holds for Sunday.
Heavy sigh. A lot of damned shoveling to do tomorrow. It’s 11:45 PM. I’m going to bed.
BZ
“And if you think that staying home or voting for Mickey Mouse in November expresses your anger, then you are simply daft.”
*****************
Nice to know what you think of some of us…
I guess you’re just not a ‘protest’ kind of person…
Ya know, sometimes you have to GIVE if ya want to get, and IF McCain IS the one for the Repubs, I will vote for Micky Mouse, daft as it may be, you won’t insult ME again, last visit here…
Politics can damn sure make for some hard feelings…
America is about to get a nasty shake-up of its political landscape as the last of the Cold War parties melt away. Those supporting ‘open borders’, ‘open labor market’, ‘free trade’ and such are being joined by those who want the US to be ‘just like everyone else’, uses ethnic/religious/racial/gender views to divide populations, and wishes for a government that will ‘take care of people’.
That last usually ends up in the mafia hitman role.
Those two core transnational ideologies are *fusing* in this election, along with transnational terrorism and transnational organized crime. Russia is a harbinger of one form of this, where industries are State, Private and Criminal owned and operated in roughly equal thirds. The socialist decay of Western Europe gives us another view in how trusting everything to government gets you high taxes, low birth rates, low social mobility and a high influx of foreigners to do the jobs the locals won’t do, having voted themselves a welfare state.
There is far more in common between these transnational ideologies on the Left and Right than there are of the Nationalist ones that these two have been going against for a couple of generations. Being ‘strong on defense’ requires more than supporting the military, but in supporting the people here legally, enforcing the laws of the land and ensuring that our enemies are addressed.
I see very few of those running for President this cycle.
I have a very few problems with Mitt Romney, mostly on his executive experience in the realms of investment, private organizations and public affairs. Those are miniscule compared to the high level and depth of problems I have with Sen. McCain. Mitt Romney has the opportunity to explain himself and talk about those parts of his past, and has demonstrated ability to ‘think on his feet’ and learn. Believe it or not that is *high praise* this year in comparison to what is left.
I will not be voting for a transnationalist, Right or Left.
And I will wait and see if there are enough Nationalists left in the R party to make a difference. So far the grade is failing and that spells an ill time and future for the republic.
A Jacksonian,
maybe barring Reagan, haven’t we been voting nothing but trans nationalists into that office since the ’60’s? …Hummmm?
Johnson
Nixon
Ford
Carter
(even Reagan was big on free trade, though perhaps not part of the world order idjits)
Bush 1
Clinton 1
Bush 2
All BIG trans nationalists, excepting Reagan.
why is THIS election the “stand for every last principle” one?
understand me, NOTHING worries me about my kids future more than this globalism issue, but since ALL the candidates on both sides are trans nationalists, why stand against McCain now?
I think I’m beginning to talk myself into the need for a third party, a genuinely conservative one, unless, that is, we can find another open continent on this rock to emigrate to.
Great post. I think I agree that the “Republican Establishment” is not where I want to be.
Uninformed is NOT where i want to be either. Too many of my dear friends are very UN-informed and I am amazed at the crud they have bought into. These are real conservative friends of mine. I see them softening on some issues and buying into the liberal propoganda such as Global Warming caused by US.
Honestly, I am pretty jaded when it comes to politics anyway. I loved Thompson, but I also know that politics is politics and jockeying for position is what it is. I am concerned Thompson will back McCain as well at some point to jockey for a position in his administration. I hope I am wrong, but one never knows. It doesn’t make sense to me that a candidate would vote consistently conservative except on “McCain/Feingold”, then turn around and back a liberal.
The people who have my respect are people like you BZ, and people like Rush, Sean, Ann, and Mark Levin for sticking to their principles and NOT abandoning them for the sake of the Republican establishment.
Fred: I can understand your anger. I’m pissed too. But there are some actual differences between, say, McCain and Hillary or Obama. I completely understand the strategy of “let’s step back and let the Demorats kick McCain’s ass, take control and then, when the country tanks, we can all point our fingers and decry ‘it wasn’t the GOP that did this’ at that point.” I understand that completely. But I think it’s much more. It’s up to 4 SCOTUS appointments. It’s about McCain being a little less over-the-top than Clinton or Obama Osama. Because it will get down to that. If it ends up being McCain, Romney can’t pull it out, then McCain loses to Obama because, in my opinion, in the final run it will be Obama. And Obama will fall for any lame-brained idea suggested from the MoveOn.org Leftist/Socialist crowd. He is that proverbial empty vessel and, I fervently believe, the Left WILL fill him with their country-killing ideas.
I just can’t do that to my country, step back and let it tank in that fashion because we will all pay. “Leadership isn’t trying to get 12 Boy Scouts to go to Pizza Hut. It’s getting 12 Boy Scouts to stay home and do homework.”
I’ll hold back cash, gladly. And don’t mind a GOP smackdown. But not at the expense of my entire country and, moreover, my OWN pocketbook and YOURS.
The reason I write that is because there simply isn’t any plan or strategy in place to make any cogent transition. There is no alternative in place — a third party or another viable candidate, for example. What I advocate is, in fact, going the “lesser” route then doing your damnedest to cobble up another plan.
I’m sorry you feel it’s personal, but it isn’t.
BZ
A win by the dems would be didasterous for the country as a whole because the SHEEPLE who cant think for themselves will be hearing nothing but the MSM saying how bad off conservatism is and that liberalism is the way of the furture. The sheeple will believe this and what we now see as to the left of center will be moved to the right of the “new” center. I for one am NOT AT ALL willing to let that be the future of this country.
A VAIBLE third party is obviously needed since the line between republican and dem is pretty much gone if you judge by the presidential candidates still in it.
BZ, this is a totally astounding post! You were very inspired when you wrote this, and I agree that we are not representative of the general population. I wrote a post on that quite awhile ago. I know people who will vote Democrat simply because parents were Dems. They’re about as politically informed as the wild hogs roaming around our woods at night! No, I take that back. The ones I know have been informed. They won’t listen!
Well… at least I tried.
People who stay home because they can’t have it their own way are daft, there’s no other word for it. Thanks for a great post!
Correction: there are other words for it, but “daft” does get the point across. 🙂
BZ, I don’t consider myself Daft, However I might be stubborn.
I will have to abstain from voting for McCain under any circumstance. Those of us living in Mexifornia, or Mexas, or Arizona (couldn’t think of one) understand the reasons why.
I can’t vote for McCain, and GOD willing I won’t have to make that choice in November, there is still time to throw some support to Romney or Huck, those I could vote for ( holding my nose)
McCain couldn’t beat Obama, or Hillary, that’s why the media wants him to be the nominee…
You guys that keep putting it out in print that voting for the more moderate liberal, is ok because of the risk, are giving the McCain and Republican camps false HOPE. They need to know that we will not settle for clinton light. We should shout it from the rooftops so they know THEY ALSO HAVE a responsibility to US.
Great post BZ. The debate over McCain is a moot point though; his voting record is clear (as liberal as most demorats).
If he DOES become the Republican candidate, it’s going to present a very tough choice to conservatives. He’s far from a conservative and, as others have pointed out, is about as good as a demorat.
As Bushwack pointed out, the SCOTUS noms are another matter entirely; who would shrillary or obama nominate? Pretty scary.
I’ll participate in my nation’s political process and, if it comes down to it, I’ll vote for McCain before I vote for shrillary or obama (lack of caps is intentional). McCain might be piss-poor, but the demorats are far worse; always have been, and always will be. I’ll be doing some heavy cussing if McCain gets the nod from the primaries. He does indeed suck, to say the least. I guess it will come down to which “crooks-in-suits” get nominated. Once again: pretty damned sad.
Well, check this out, from Rachel Lucas:
“Just what in the hell kind of crack are Ann Coulter and lots of other conservatives (even the normally brilliant Michelle Malkin) smoking when they say they won’t vote for him if he’s the Republican nominee? Coulter actually said last night on Hannity and Colmes that she would campaign for Hillary instead. Granted, she probably didn’t mean that, but good god damn!
I’ve read several dozen blogs yesterday and this morning, and there are even comments on my own blog, saying that if McCain is the candidate, they won’t vote at all. ARE YOU PEOPLE SERIOUS?
Let me get this straight: you’d rather have Hillary Clinton, a bona fide socialist, liar, all-around bad person, as president. You’d rather have Obama, the senator with the most liberal voting record, as president.
Really? I throw up my hands in disgust. I truly do….
And I don’t even have enough curse words in my brain to communicate my opinions about McCain-Feingold. Jesus on a muffin, that is some bad, bad stuff.
BUT.
Seriously, people. Seriously. You’d rather have Hillary? You’d rather have Obama?
I don’t even know you.”
Good posting, BZ!!