Thread: How John McCain Lost Me

Political Machine Blog:
How John McCain Lost Me
By Eric Schulzke
Jan 29th 2008 9:37PM

Those who have been following the Political Machine for awhile know that I have become a defender of Mitt Romney. I am an ambivalent defender. He is a fine man and a great manager, and would easily be the best managerial president on either side in the field. I recognize his weaknesses, and even wrote a piece a few months back entitled "Plastic and Elastic." However, I concluded after working through the viable candidates that he was the only one who had a chance whom I could support on the GOP side.

I'm a lifelong Republican. Only voted for a Democrat once, in a House race where the Republican nominee was a crook. But if McCain does become the Republican nominee, I will not vote for him. Why?

Cuz I've seen this movie before. In 1991, I worked for a GOP Congressman from California when he and several other conservatives sought an audience with newly elected "moderate" GOP Governor Pete Wilson. I remember the response clear as day . It came from Wilson's spokesman Dan Schnur, who still kicks around California politics: "The conservatives are f---n irrelevant." Later, when Wilson wanted to be president, he tried to court the conservative vote with insultingly pandering anti-affirmative action and anti-illegal immigrant measures. He was never trusted by the base -- and never understood us.

But you don't forget a quote like that. Nor will Senator Coryn (R-Texas) ever forget when John McCain screamed "F- You" at him in a Senate committee room, when he had the audacity to disagree with McCain on immigration last spring. Nor would any of the other colleagues and staffers who have gotten this treatment from him.

Nor will I ever forget being called a racist by McCain and his sidekick Lindsey Graham, when they both demonized everyone who disagreed with them on illegal immigration. There are many other things I won't forget. The list is long. But that one was a deal breaker for me. I will not support someone who tells those speaking for me in Congress to "F Off," any more than I would support someone who calls me "F'n Irrelevant."

I will not vote for someone who takes pleasure in punking me and the rest of the Republican base to get the adulation of liberal editorial boards. And I will not vote for someone who spitefully and unapologetically twists another's words from their obvious meaning. Is it still "straight talk" if it is off by 180 degrees?

I don't think I'm alone. If McCain does cruise to the nomination, this will test the base's willingness to hold its nose and, as his Mom said, vote for her son whom they despise. I, for one, won't be doing it.

I think many do not understand what leadership is. Leadership is not saying what is popular at the center. Leadership is moving the center. Leadership is representing your side's ideals -- in new ways, perhaps, but in ways that are consistent and resonate with the base, and with the country as a whole. A leader respects his followers, and speaks with them, rather than badgering them.

McCain is not such a leader. If it comes to it, I think the party better off taking a pass. Let the Democrats be responsible for their own policies for a change. Let us retool and find a leader who respects his base enough to lead lead the base, rather than treating it like an embarrassing country cousin whom he taunts to the squeals for laughter from his thuggish friends.

You can dis me, and swear at me, and taunt me. But don't then presume to lead me.

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Update: Patrick Ruffini, till tonight a Rudy supporter but as of now a Romney supporter, captures my sentiments about McCain very well here.

Mitt Romney gets that you don't win by retreating. You win by winning. There will be no pale pastels on the Democratic ticket this fall - and I would not want to go up against them with the sense that we somehow had to trim our sails, to elevate our party's most ardent internal critic, in order to remain in office but not in power. At best, this is a reprise of how Clinton hollowed out the Democratic Party (see how their hearts are with Obama), and what Bush and the Republican Congress did with respect to spending. McCain would reclaim the spending mantle, but would surrender on all other aspects of domestic policy.
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2 ... n-lost-me/

I was not sure,I thought I would make the decision when the time came in the voting booth (because of nominating judges)when it came before voting between hillary/obama and mccain I might hold my nose and vote for mccain.After reading this,If mccain wins I will not vote for him.His F U comments to the texas senator is F U TO ME ALSO.

Nor will I ever forget being called a racist by McCain and his sidekick Lindsey Graham, when they both demonized everyone who disagreed with them on illegal immigration. There are many other things I won't forget. The list is long. But that one was a deal breaker for me. I will not support someone who tells those speaking for me in Congress to "F Off," any more than I would support someone who calls me "F'n Irrelevant

I know he lost me then. Lazy Americans who won't pick lettuce even if they were paid 50 bucks an hour......has anyone ever heard anything as a result of all the applications he received? Just curious if anyone even got an interview.

As a lifelong democrat ( until a couple of years ago) I am used to not having my candidate win.
I also have standards ;I would not vote for clinton the second time; he betrayed working poor women in the us by using them as scapegoats
with his welfare reform.
note how he viciously kicked them off of AFDC and at the same time
illegal Mexican "baby-makers" were coming in by the millions to take their places.
but that was okay, cause the middle-class and upper classes were doing well and so let's hire the illegal ethnics to clean our houses etc.

then I voted for Gore and he was too good a man to fight for the election which was stolen from him. I know he won it, and he should have fought tooth and nail for it.
so that was it for me: I will vote for Donald Duck rather then chose between one evil or another.
we have staggered along for eight years with an insane president , who started a war we cannot win and who took away our rights . How could it get much worse?