Thread: McCain's delicate dance with Republican conservatives

McCain's delicate dance with Republican conservatives
Published: Saturday February 9, 2008

Core conservative Republicans are trapped between denial and grudging acceptance over the rise of John McCain, as the party's presumptive 2008 presidential standard bearer.

Viewed as a political heretic by many on the right, the Arizona senator and some conservative power barons are nevertheless swapping tentative advances like longtime foes thrown together on a political blind date.

McCain, 71, told activists at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week that they should close ranks in the wider cause of beating Democrats Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in November.

But many conservatives despise McCain, and analysts wonder whether an anaemic turnout by conservatives could hamper his general election hopes.

Ironically, McCain has a solid conservative voting record, and has been a long-time opponent of abortion, the top issue for conservative voters.

But the Vietnam war hero is reviled for his stands on immigration reform -- seen by conservatives as an amnesty for illegals, campaign finance reform and for initially opposing Bush's massive tax cuts.

After his failed 2000 presidential bid, he hammered some leaders of the "religious right" as "agents of intolerance" before latterly trying to mend fences in preparation for a 2008 campaign.

The high priest of conservative radio talk, Rush Limbaugh, last week took aim at McCain, after he emerged from the Super Tuesday nationwide nominating clash as his party's certain White House nominee.

"After ten years of Senator McCain reaching out to the left and embracing the left in order to stab the back of his own party, he's asking us to do what he has refused to do for the last 10 years ... to put aside our differences and support the Republican Party."

Conservative provocateur Ann Coulter went further, warning she would vote for Hillary Clinton, who conservatives decry, if he won the nomination.

Evangelical leader James Dobson said he could never vote for McCain, backing his last rival Mike Huckabee, who has little chance of the nomination.

But some key conservatives are trying to ease tensions, knowing that a Democratic electorate envigorated by Clinton and Obama may make easy prey of a disunited Republican Party.

"We can nurse our hurt and disagreement because God darn it, our guy didn't get there and, sit it out," said former congressman Dick Armey, who wrote "Contract with America," the 1994 document which powered a takeover of Congress.

"You have to deal with what is there," said Armey, calling on conservatives to get behind McCain and try to shape his positions.

Another conservative hero, former senator George Allen, admitted "John and I have strong disagreements on some issues" but called on his fellow travellers to support McCain as the best possible war leader.

McCain has assembled a honor role of reliable conservatives to back his campaign, including senators John Thune and Tom Coburn and former senator Trent Lott.

But he is yet to win everybody over, even after his top rival Mitt Romney's decision last week to quit the White House race.

Romney narrowly beat McCain in a straw poll of CPAC activists released Saturday, even though he has left the race.

Talk show host Laura Ingraham expressed suspicion of McCain's attempt to walk in the aura of ex-president Ronald Reagan, the ultimate conservative hero.

"I don't think it's enough to say you were a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution. I think the question is 'what have you been doing for conservatism lately?'" she said.

The McCain candidacy will likely provide a test of whether the "religious right" -- the alliance of evangelical Christian leaders and millions of worshippers, which had an open line to the Bush White House, retains its power.

Exit polls from the 21 Super Tuesday contests on February 5, tell the tale of McCain's limited appeal to conservatives: he won the backing of 32 percent of the bloc and 19 percent of votes from "very conservative" voters.

According to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public life, exit polls showed Bush won 78 percent of white, born-again Protestants in the 2004 election.

So, if the 2008 election is just as close, any falloff of evangelical voters for McCain could have serious consequences.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/McCain_s_d ... 92008.html

Delicate dance indeed. And I'm still upset at Huckaphony, who is NOT a conservative in many ways. And since he won't win, he has helped knock the more conservative, Mitt Romney, out of the race. See this CNN report:

"Kansas was one "of the contests where we've gone head-to-head with Sen. McCain," Huckabee told reporters after the results were in. "When we've done that, we have overwhelming conservative votes."

If Romney, who unlike Huckabee had a legit chance to win, had been able to go one-on-one with McCain, we wouldn't be in this mess now. Instead we'll be stuck with McCain and a demoralized conservative base.

Thanks Huck, enjoy your ride.