Thread: McCain malaise

McCain malaise
Area conservatives cast wary eye on front-runner
Sunday, February 10, 2008
BY BRETT LIEBERMAN
Of Our Washington Bureau

While some in the crowd of 1,200 cheered and others jeered, Don Ely sat glumly through most of U.S. Sen. John McCain's address to the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Ely, of Sunbury, had been supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who announced Thursday at the conference in Washington, D.C., that he was dropping out of the presidential race.

Ticking off a list of conservatives' grievances with McCain, Ely finds it hard to get excited by the likely GOP nominee.

The Arizona senator teamed with Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy on immigration reform legislation that critics say would give amnesty to illegal immigrants in the U.S., Ely said. McCain teamed with U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., on campaign finance reform legislation that restricts contributions and, critics contend, free speech. With U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., McCain proposed legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions. McCain also has proposed closing the Guantanamo Bay prison camp for terrorists, Ely said.

Despite all that, "I guess I'll have to vote for him," Ely said with a sigh.

His reason: "The alternative [of Democratic Sens. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama] is so bad."

That wasn't the case for another conservative, Jeffrey Goldberg of Chester Springs, who told Ely he won't vote for a presidential candidate if McCain is the GOP nominee.

With the Republican nomination all but a formality, McCain has turned his attention to courting a GOP base that questions his conservative pedigree on key social and fiscal issues.

In a straw poll at CPAC that was conducted before and after Romney's announcement that he was suspending his campaign, Romney edged McCain 35 percent to 34 percent.

McCain won the portion tabulated following the announcement by five points, but it was not quite enough to overcome Romney's earlier 17 point lead.

To allay conservatives' concerns, GOP leaders, including former Gov. Tom Ridge, point to McCain's "courage, conviction, character."

"The conservative movement in many more respects is more about principles and advancing principles and the cause rather than seeking power," said Michael Geer, president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute.

Ridge and state party leaders spent days lobbying for McCain, culminating with a state committee vote to endorse the senator during Saturday's meeting at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Their pitch boils down to highlighting aspects of McCain's record that are likely to appeal to Republican voters, emphasizing his record of conviction and pressing the need for unity.

"If you want to win in November, we're going to have to be united as a party," Ridge, the McCain campaign's national co-chairman, told central Pennsylvania members of the Republican State Committee.

Some religious conservatives are dismayed by McCain's rise, but there's no unity on what to do in November: stay home, hold their nose and vote for him or consider the Democrat.

"It puts us in a quandary," said Diane Gramley, president of the American Family Association of Pennsylvania. "We'll just skip that part of the ballot and not vote for president."

Steve Becker, who talks politics with fellow conservatives at Christian Life Assembly of God in Lower Allen Twp., held out the possibility his reservations could be overcome.

"I do respect him personally. ... I hope he hones a conservative message," said Becker, 54, of Dillsburg, owner of a produce company. "I wouldn't say I could not vote for John McCain."

But Jim High, a retired restaurateur who has helped run voter registration drives at Christian Life, dismissed McCain as a "wandering minstrel" who votes against his party and shows weakness on conservative issues.

"I've been disappointed in his lack of backbone," said High, who cited illegal immigration as a major issue.

What might prove to be Republicans' most potent motivator is the yet-to-be decided Democratic nomination.

"Hillary Clinton is an amazingly divisive political animal," said Luke Bernstein, executive director of the state Republican Party. "She's going to motivate Republicans. That can't be underestimated."

To counter Obama's popularity, Republicans are casting him much as Clinton has -- as a gifted but untested orator who isn't ready for the domestic and international challenges the U.S. faces.

Opposition to Democrats might motivate some, but there's still an onus on McCain to address his support for the campaign finance law, immigration legislation and votes against a marriage protection amendment, Geer said.

"There are many things in Senator McCain's record that conservatives have reason to be concerned about," Geer said.

Still, there's plenty of time between now and November for those issues to be resolved, he said.

McCain needs to highlight his work in the Senate, where he has strong conservative credentials, including an anti-abortion voting record, a reputation for fiscal responsibility, fighting government corruption and opposing congressional earmarks, party leaders said.

Saying that McCain is "certainly not my choice," choosing a solidly conservative running mate such Romney would be a strong gesture, former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey said.

Saturday's Pennsylvania GOP endorsement is mostly a formality because the Republican contest likely will be decided before the state's April 22 primary. But the decision allows the state party to start organizing and use resources to help McCain.

"We cannot afford discontent in November," Ridge said.

"If Republicans stay at home, we're going to elect Clinton or Obama," said Sen. Arlen Specter , R-Pa.
http://www.pennlive.com/printer/printer ... xml&coll=1

Their pitch boils down to highlighting aspects of McCain's record that are likely to appeal to Republican voters, emphasizing his record of conviction and pressing the need for unity.

"We cannot afford discontent in November," Ridge said.

My alligence is to my country, not to a political party.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. (William Tyler Page, The American's Creed)

I've been a Republican for over 20 years, after switching from Democrat. I vote my convictions, not party. McCain is the absolute worse the GOP could have pinned its hopes on and I will not vote for him. I will not vote for Huckster either. If Paul stays on, he will have my vote.

Added to Home Page
http://www.alipac.us/article2943.html

To allay conservatives' concerns, GOP leaders, including former Gov. Tom Ridge, point to McCain's "courage, conviction, character."

Character???? Yeah, Says F you to Sen. Cornyn, calls Sen. Grassley a F'in jerk, after returning home from Vietnam cheated with any willing woman and dumps his loyal, injured wife for some babe with bucks.
Yeah, Ridge, if you think that describes a man of character, you are one sick puppy.

I know this question has been posed 100 times already--how could anyone not know McCain's position on all the issues??? Iraq aside, I am hard pressed to see that he is a Republican.
And how come William Gheen's message about the size of the Hispanic voting bloc in about 5 years and the radical changes (and not for the better) we will experience is not hunderstood by a large majority of Americans??
We will not be able to go back after we cross that divide.
Well , at least when we get stopped for speeding or doing drugs, we can offer "compensation" to the police officer. It's just a matter of chenging our culture to theirs.

Press "2" for English---Spanish will be the accepted language of the USA.

I will note vote for McCain, which leaves me with who? Unbelievable what has happened to this country since Bush stole the election. Congress is a joke...and now my choices are McCain? Hillary or Obama? If ever there was a time SCREAMING for a 3rd party candidate, this is it!!

But Jim High, a retired restaurateur who has helped run voter registration drives at Christian Life, dismissed McCain as a "wandering minstrel" who votes against his party and shows weakness on conservative issues.

"I've been disappointed in his lack of backbone," said High, who cited illegal immigration as a major issue.

Thank you Jim High for the work you do. I agree with what you have to say against McCain.

John McCain thinks that his "straight talk" will get conservative Americans to unite and vote for him. Well, MY FRIEND JOHN, you are nothing but a loser. Real Americans will never vote for you.