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Conservatives should support McCain

Submitted by D. Ferrell on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 12:59
in

 

First, some disclosures. I can't decide if I'm a paleo- neo-, libertarian, or some combination of the three. And I served in the military, including a stint in Iraq. For those reasons, I may not have the same reservations as many conservatives show in voting for McCain. But there are two things I think people of all stripes should keep in mind when considering whether to vote or stay home.

1) Character counts, and McCain is a man of character. Chalk this one up under intangibles, but I think McCain shows tremendous character. Yes, his positions have changed, as others have pointed out. But when the Senator speaks, he has an authenticity neither of the Democratic candidates can match. It's often an exasperating authenticity, but it's real nonetheless. Maybe it's too much Straight-Talk kool-aid for me, but I'll take him over the other two. 

2) If conservatives only vote for true conservatives, have conservatives ever had an occasion to vote? Again, I concede McCain does things I dislike (campaign finance, gas-tax demagoging, etc.). But don't conservatives often vote for the so-called lesser of two evils? Do we really think we're that much different from liberals in that we will rarely get an 'orthodox' candidate?  

Staying home gives a two-vote swing to Obama/Clinton. Look at the Congress he'll work with, the judges he'll appoint, the war that can't be retroactively undone, and consider what the next president will work with in the next four years. McCain is the best scenario, even if he isn't the future of conservatism.

 

 

 

 

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Comments

And now for the Democratic Response

Submitted by karasoth on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 13:05.

#1) Character does County. The wife who stood by John McCain as he rotted in hanoi he left her foir a Rich Wife with a politically well connected father who gave him a job to run for congress with. A father-in-law whose buisness ties and connections to Barry Goldwater are why John McCain got into the Senate. A father-in-law and wife whose buisness connections lead to the worst Scandal in John McCain's political career as he went to lobby to bail out their major buisness partners. in 2000 John McCain refused to go to Bob Jones University citing their racial and anti Catholic positions. Alan Keyes who is a certifable Lunatic but (a) A Catholic and (b) a African American went there in 2000 and excoriated them.John McCain made no effort to reach out to conservative activists until he needed them. John McCain attacks republicans when they don't agree with his ideas. This is the character of John McCain and its lacking. He refused to do what Alan Keyes did which could have won him South Carolina because he lacks the moral courage he likes to tell us he has. Instead of addressing those in his own party who disagree with him honorably he attacks them. Those are signs of a lack of Character.

#2) When Conservatives have needed John McCain he has often been on the other side attacking us. Why should we be with him now assuming a change in opinion?

Well...

Submitted by D. Ferrell on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 13:11.

1) I expect McCain to be resolute as a decision maker, Keating Five and adultery notwithstanding. Character in his personal life is not the selling point here, as your points demonstrate.

2) Because we're hurting ourselves, primarily. We can hope for a Carter-like presidency to usher in a new era of conservative revival, etc. Or we can put in a Republican who will appoint judges whose opinions on abortion, civil liberties, etc. are much more relevant than those of McCain himself. Our aim should not be to elect an ideological purist, whatver that would mean for us at this point. We need to win this war, and we need to put more judges in the Supreme Court, and that is reason enough for my vote.

 

Forget the Adultry

Submitted by karasoth on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 13:17.

The fact of the matter is when a woman stood by day by day fighting for John and other POWs he abandoned her to get a wife which improves his political and social standing. He upgraded to his own advantage. He may love her but the fact is he gained a huge personal advantage to it. And we see with the Keating 5 mess he fought for that same Wife and Father in laws money. Thats negative personal character. Furthermore his sense of being morally sainted with his own rather unsainted life behavior shows moral hypocracy on his part

 

as for the later point why should we vote for some one who when we need him to stand up and be counted is never there. How do we know he will stand up for us on the issues that matter to us. He's shown in his political career he won't