Not a Snowball’s Chance in Hell

Hey Word: This is just in from Victor Hanson:

“It is understandable to lament the absence of conservative purity, but ahistorical to suggest that any recent Republican president would have met any of the litmus tests now demanded, given the dependency of the middle class on entitlements and its touchy-feely worldview.

Reagan, and Bush I and II all adjusted to that unfortunate reality. A Democrat did not appoint Souter, O’Connor, or Kennedy, nor raise payroll and gas taxes in the 1980s, nor sign amnesty and de facto open-border legislation in 1986, nor, later, increase federal spending well past the rate of inflation, or offer amnesty again in 2007. Tax cuts were great, but without caps on spending they were unfairly slurred as revenue reducers once deficits soared. Recent Republican congressional scandals mirror-imaged some of the Clinton-era roguery.

Reagan’s pragmatism on taxes, amnesty, new federal programs and government expansion, was continued by both Bush I and II. In that regard, McCain seems a continuum, not an abject disconnect. His problem is mostly temperament — when he strayed he was blunt about what he was doing and sometimes gratuitously offended his base in a way that neither Reagan nor the Bushes dared. That is a legitimate concern of tactical aptitude, but not one so much of ideology.”

I agree Huck’s got no chance, but he’s got strategic reasons for keeping the campaign afloat. He knows McCain’s more qualified to lead the country against the forces of evil arrayed against us, and he’s basically endorsing McCain’s credentials by staying in the race until after Super Tuesday clarifies matters.

The Dems are already using the new bombings in Iraq to say the surge failed. We need strong leadership on the war. With all respect to Romney’s supporters, saving the Olympics isn’t the best qualification for what’s facing us ahead.

Hey Douglas!

Yes, I’m well-aware that Victor Davis Hanson has been sympathetic toward McCain (as have I, in terms of the hyperbolic McCDS that has gripped the conservative base).

Thanks for the info on which way Huckabee’s aligning himself.

Saying that “saving the Olympics” isn’t a qualifying factor is no better than someone saying that serving in the Senate is no better as a qualifier for the office of the President, either, for “what’s facing us.” I’d say overall, governorship is a better qualifier for an executive position of leading the country the experience of being a lawmaker.

In 120 years, only 2 Senators have become president, but that may change in ‘08, with Obama on one side….hopefully not another Senator on the other.

I’m not trying to get people riled. We’re all good conservatives, right? Don’t we need to pull together?

Mike’s a Reagan man, no? You’d think he’d come up with something better than hammering McCain supporters. Address the issues. Conservative purity’s killing the GOP. Look at the Malkin-tents, Coulterites, etc.

Romney’s a good man, but with respect, the far right’s running to the tall grass, as far as I’m concerned.

But don’t take it from me. Listen to some other respected voices on the right side of the blogosphere.

Here’s 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?…

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.”

Curt: Mike’s campaigning like a wildman against McCain. I haven’t seen him denounce Malkin, Coulter, Rush. Sorry for being out of the loop, but if you’ve got post links to correct me, please provide them.

There’s a counter-movement brewing.

Sure, I understand that things depend on Tuesday’s results, but even Romney, who’s refused to sink his own fortune into TV ad buys around the country, sees the writing on the wall.

What good does demonizing McCain supporters serve? Mike’s America ridicules pro-McCain arguments as “kindergarten.” That sounds more like cognitive dissonance to me.

Again, with all due respect, I’d like folks to pull together. No need to demonize anyone on the right.

Who said we weren’t campaigning against him? I sure am. I said if he becomes the nominee we will vote for him but he isn’t there yet and until that happens I will do my best to make sure he doesn’t get in. Don’t like him, don’t like his policies, don’t like his record, don’t like his beliefs. But he is better then Hillary or Obama by 100 times.

Hells bells, my husband and I are seriously considering Ron Paul!

Blasphemy. Don’t even kid about that. The man is a loon.

Clearly, Huckabee has cut a deal with McCain.

The things that Huckabee is saying in his fund-raising e-mails are delusional.

Huckabee says, “We can win. We will win.”

He can’t mean that. There is no question that he’s working in conjuction with the McCain campaign.

In my opinion, that shows a truly disturbing lack of integrity by Huckabee and McCain.

AmericanNeocon: Several times you have refered to conservative opponents of McCain as members of the “Irrational Right.”

Here’s one of your posts on that topic:
http://americanpowerblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/john-mccain-irrational-right-and.html

As you know, I am a Reagan Man. Are you now describing Reagan Conservatives as “irrational?”

The attitude you are expressing in your posts on this topic are the exact same reason many of us cannot stand McCain. I’ve mentioned before the small group meeting I had with him at house here in SC last November. After asking him about conservative criticism on 1. gang of 14, 2.”torture” and 3.immigration he made it very clear to me that if I disagreed with him on those issues (though primarily gang of 14) I should not vote for him. “I’m not your candidate” he said, standing about eight feet away. Then he added I should “tell my blogging friends” the same thing. He said this THREE TIMES.

The post I wrote describing that event was fair and balanced:

http://mikesamerica.blogspot.com/2007/11/john-mccain-visits-mikes-america.html

And now, we’re being asked to suck up all our profound differences with McCain and get behind him.

At the very start of this season I made my pledge to vote for the eventual nominee. But after viewing this chart from the Florida exit polls I am qualifying my support:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/mikesamerica/mccain2Bliberals.jpg

McCain has openly disdained conservative support and may be on his way to the nomination on the basis of votes from moderates and liberals. So perhaps these folks can also be counted on to do the basic grunt work and put up the yard signs, make the phone calls, go door to door and donate the money. Of course moderates and liberal Republicans are notrious for NOT doing any of the grunt work. But why should I knock myself out when the candidate has said he intends to pursue a range of policies I find highly objectionable?

And while I would prefer McCain as President over Hillary or Obama, there’s a downside as well. With “Maverick” McCain in the White House, our already weak congressional leadership will be hard pressed to hold the GOP together as McCain forces us to accept his way or the highway. It’s likely we would not be able to regain control of either chamber and suffer additional setbacks.

bottom line: I’ll vote for him. And I may speak up in support when his positions and performance contrast favorably with the Democrats. But that’s all. And I sure as hell won’t sit here and keep quiet on the issues over which McCain and I disagree.

If McCain was a Conservative or even 1% Republican, than I could see arguments of demonizing, but seeing nothing like that is present fire away. I’ll never give up my dignity for a scum like McCain.

“But he is the candidate of the majority of registered Republicans.”

Based on what Cent? Opinion polls that have been notoriously WRONG all year?

Rudy Giuliani was the clear favorite in opinion polls all last year and has nothing to show for it.

And based on exit polls of actual voters, McCain never captures a majority of Republicans and certainly not among conservatives. Here is the breakdown of the Florida exit polls:

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j191/mikesamerica/mccain2Bliberals.jpg

They say you can tell a man by his deeds. I haven’t found the first good deed McCain has done. I CAN fid a lot of bad. And he’s 100% correct. He isn’t my candidate. Never has been. Never will be.

I really don’t care who’s endorsing him. I’m not. My vote counts too, but it won’t be in his favor.

Another thing, CENTFLA, I cannot get past the fact McCain tried to sell American Citizenship at $3k a head to *illegal* immigrants. THAT by itself is unforgivable. It put a price on the lives of our soldiers who shed their blood or died defending the rights of the *legal* citizens of this country.

It takes gall to come on someone else’s blog and tell us that we have to vote for your candidate when he clearly is not our candidate of choice. I don’t follow directions very well, especially when it comes to faceless names on a blog. I can research for myself, vote for myself, think and speak for myself without relying on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or a whole host of others to tell me how. I don’t have to have you tell me to follow the crowd. I don’t follow. I lead. There’s a difference.

As usual the point goes ignored. The point is, Melissa, that you should change your mind because any specific person endorses him, the point is that many, many, many mail-stream conservative Republicans are endorsing him. You are in the minority and on the fringe of your party if you do not endorse him. I don’t care who you vote for. But McCain represents the majority of the party whether you like it or not.

And another point that was ignored was when I said “you all may …” not you Melissa or any one person in particular. That paragraph was clearly pointed at a much broader target than just you. If you are sensitive to it because it hit close to home then that is your fault but I did specifically aimed that toward a broader target.

And another point that goes ignored over and over again is what I put in 18

Reagan raised taxes in 1986 which was I believe the same year he passed an amnesty bill and just a couple of years before cutting and running in Lebanon. Anybody saying he was not a conservative?

Why so much hatred because of a couple of pieces of legislation that you disagree with? Did you share the same vitriol for Reagan or could this be the dreaded McDS that many on this site suffer from.

Melissa if my posts bother you, then you do not have to respond to them or you may call me names, it’s OK, I am a former Marine. I can take it. But this is a pretty open site and the moderators have always endulged my rantings. I don’t mean anything personal by them. You are wrong. It takes no gall at all to come into a web page and type the things that I have typed. It takes no courage at all from any of us. It should not “gall” you so much.

And finally, how clever Curt to change the subject when you do not have a reasoned response… So very unlike you

Change the subject to what CENT? Theres a point to your McCain fanoi diatribes? Could of fooled me. But don’t get your panties in a bunch, just warning her about you. Regulars all know about your BDS.

Melissa you may have been in HS in 1986 but you are not now. Do you believe that Reagan was a liberal given the legislation that I pointed out? You must think that way since you do of McCain.

Mike I am not comparing the two, although I have voted for each of these men twice now – Reagan the first time in a HS thing I was too young but my first actual vote was for Ronnie. As for the comparison it is not between the two men but between Republicans. You response to McCain’s legislation like the three pieces that you have mentioned and the three pieces of Reagan legislation is what I am talking about. Reagan passed a tax increase, amnesty and cut and run.
Again everyone – I am not comparing the men but the reaction by the party to their legislation. They just don’t match up.

Mike I guess you can either check with Curt or take my word for it. I volunteered for the McCain campaign back in 2000 and will do it again during the general. My support for John McCain is not new, nor is it because he is the anti-Bush. Believe it or not I think he is right on the majority of the issues, it is as simple as that.