McCain’s Christain Problem
It’s almost as if Robert Novak is an avid reader of this website. My jaw almost hit the floor this morning as I read his column in the Washington Post.
He has touched on the very points that we have collectively made here. The main point being that McCain was the major beneficiary of Huckabee’s divide and conquer strategy. At one point early in the primary season, Mitt Romney appeared ready to run the table. He was in first or second place in 6 out of 7 of the first primaries. Even as a strong supporter of Mitt Romney, I had to shake my head in wonder. Coming from a virtual unknown to such a commanding lead within the space of a year was an awesome accomplishment.
But then something very strange started to happen. Social conservatives who are very “family values” oriented, who are solidly pro life and who favor a strong military and a smaller, simpler government, abandoned the candidate who supported all those positions in favor of a glib, but shallow candidate with zero foreign affairs credibility and zero economic credibility.
If what Robert Novak writes in his column is true, then these poor souls have not learned a single, solitary lesson from their disastrous experiment in Presidential politics. They are still true believers in the man from Hope.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am getting sick of hearing the empty platitudes about “Hope” and “Change.” I will wait for 2012 when we can start talking again about “Experience” and “Competency.”
~~John Cronin~~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article
/2008/05/11/AR2008051101786.html
McCain and Huckabee were friendly rivals in this year’s Republican competition, sharing contempt for Mitt Romney. Indeed, McCain would not be where he is today had Huckabee not mobilized born-again voters to upset Romney in the Iowa caucuses. All of Romney’s efforts to overtake McCain in conservative Southern state primaries were stifled by Huckabee’s success in those contests. Huckabee quickly endorsed McCain once he clinched the nomination. They bonded publicly in Little Rock on April 24 during McCain’s tour.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Oh goody, I get to be the first to comment on this post and more!!!!
What can one say about Mr. McCain??? It is such a shame he doesn’t read this site; the man is in serious need of education!!!!
I must say John, post was very disturbing!!! It is obviously not NEW news, but I for one had hopes that perhaps JM would spiritually mature and figure out how good Mitt is. Your post once again made me want to cry for what they put Mitt through. They cheated and cheaters should NEVER get to be the winner, no matter how short lived and it will be short lived.
I find myself today completely disgusted at McCain. His speech about global warming yesterday was a grim reminder of who he is. I have honestly tried to like him, but I simply cannot! He is truly what James (Bible) called a “double minded man, unstable in all his ways”. I almost wish that Mitt had not been so good as to endorse this travesty of a leader. Humans are being tricked into accepting God’s responsibility for the weather.
Global warming is true, yes and so is global cooling. It is cyclicle people! Yesterday, I imagined McCain’s face with one of those sticks with Al Gore’s face on it covering his. In other words, we were listening to Al Gore junk science coming out of McCain’s mouth. He is probably the biggest purveyor of saying what he thinks you want to hear that I can think of. ARGH!!!
I am now kind of really hoping Mitt is not associated with him any more. I kind of hope McCain will pick Huckabee. Some one on the other post said they deserve each other, I couldn’t agree more. However, I feel it my duty to let Mr Mc know that in doing so, he has lost my vote and many others. He will lsoe the west if he does that, (it seems to me at least) and that will throw the whole race to Obama. He will likely lose Michigan and Minnesota, Wisconsin, well, I think he will lose everything but the deep south which is not enough to base his trust in Huckabee.
By the way, Newsmax is reporting Huckabee at the top of the short list too. How disappointing, but perhaps it is better for Mitt.
All that being said, who am I going to vote for? What to do? I cannot in good conscience vote for JM and MH. I just cannot do it. I hate like everything to be rude, but this is my country, the greatest country in the world and for once in my life, I trust none of the front runners to lead my country in a strong, moral, ethical way. What am I supposed to do at vote time. Every time I say I am going to write in Mitt, or someone on the radio says it, out comes the “don’t waste your vote” deal. Well, I have to vote my conscience. I cannot vote for someone that said the vile things MH said about the LDS when he came to SLC 5 (or so) years ago. And I know probably a couple of million other people who feel and say the same thing.
If McCain picks Huckabee, not only do they get what they deserve, but a large segment of America will too and the rest better believe strongly in the power of prayer… that may be all we have! KKSM
PS… sorry this is so long, I am just so frustrated! I just copied this whole letter (with a little tweaking) to JM…
May 13th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
McCain’s biggest “Christian” problem is his bonding with a pretender, which repulses both those who sincerely are and those who are not. Lose/lose, if you ask me.
May 13th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Also, did you intend the “Christain” mispelling in the title? If so, I like the “stain” part, better bold that. If not, it rhymes with “Disdain McCain”, and may be subtly subliminal
May 13th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
great comment Frozone… “Distain McCain”…. I could laugh but for the huge feeling of panic that seems to be an often companion these days….
May 13th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I hear ya, KKSM, and I feel your pain (also rhymes).
May 14th, 2008 at 1:23 am
too funny… add brain drain to the list if you please…
May 14th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Its the idea that politics, campaigns, or candidates must appeal to a person’s identity that I absolutely hate. First you have to group voters based on their identity, groups based on skin color, ethnicity, religion, etc. Then you appeal to those within the group based on what you perceive about the group. If evangelicals want to be stereotyped like this for purposes of pandering and voter appeal, than they do not know that this actually has a harmful result on their group.
Over at http://www.article6blog.com they have written much about identity politics and how it pushes groups out of the mainstream and into a “ghetto”. It isolates them from the body of voters in a place where nothing matters except what is in their ghetto, where no one goes unless they want something from the ghetto.
Can you think of a worse way to choose a VP/future president? And for Huckabee to know that he would only be picked because of his identity, not for any other reason reduces him to token status. Its just a terrible way to campaign and renders unimportant everything we hold most dear, our values, our policies, our party philosophy and exaggerates the importance of the identities. Its no way to choose leader.
I actually couldn’t care less what religious, racial, or ethic group a candidate belongs. Its their character, their experience, skill, value, vision, all those things that transcend stereotypical grouping. This idea of appealing to Christian evangelicals sickens me because its not the sort of thing a religiously neutral society should do. What about appealing to just plain old conservatives?
May 14th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Excellent thoughts KKSM - I agree 100%.
Mark Levin made a statement to the McCain Campaign on his radio show Monday night - he said “unless you choose a strong Vice Presidential running mate” I WILL NOT vote for you - and we know of his dislike for Huckabigot.
Our family has been going back and forth - we will, will not vote for McCain - after the Global Warming speech the other day - we have decided that the ONLY way we will vote for McCain is if he chooses Romney as his VP. Otherwise, we will write in Romney and vote for our state and local candidates.
May 14th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Great comments, everybody.
This is what I am thinking as well. The “Balkanization” of American politics. This is a very negative way to approach a Presidential election. Thanks for your thoughts, we are doing what we can to try to reverse some of the trends we see developing in our country.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Off topic but I have a question for all of you smart people out there LOL I’ve never been in to politics before like I have this past year. I’ve learned a lot but still have a lot to learn. IF Huckabee turns out to be our VP (Ugh) and McCain doesn’t run for a second term… does that make Huckabee automatically the Republican nominee or can other Republicans run for President still? Like our Romney? Probably a dumb question but I just don’t know.
Lori, I loved your post!!!! Great food for thought!!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Tami, the sitting vice-president becomes the natural party leader if the president does not run for re-election. In most cases, it is assumed that he will be “next in line” for the presidential nomination. But it is not unheard of for other Republicans to challenge the sitting VP. Pat Buchanan challenged George H W Bush but without success. Republicans tend to fall in line behind tradition, even if its not good for the party.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
If McCain picks Huckabee I will proudly pull the lever for Obama. Here’s why.
For me, it isn’t enough to stay home or write in a protest candidate — that kind of colossally poor judgment must be actively fought. A McCain Huckabee ticket deserves to lose no matter who they’re up against. I will never support a party that puts these guys at the helm.
Second, I trust Obama far more than Huckabee. The republicans spent this country’s money like drunken pirates for the past eight years. At least Obama is honest when he promises to spend money the same way. And with only one year of real senate experience, I doubt he will get much through congress no matter how many seats the Dems pick up.
The real cost will be foreign policy blunders and, potentially, Supreme Court justices. I don’t think Obama will hurt our foreign policy more than the current administration has (I like Bush, but I’m sure he would do things different if he could start over); — and if he does, Obama is pretty smart and will hopefully get us back on track after just one or two expensive mistakes.
Same with the Court. Republicans might be able to meanginfully change the Court’s makeup in the next four years, but I doubt the democrats can. We will effectively get another round of stalemate.
In the meantime, it will be a great day for the US to elect a black president. And, hopefully, Huckabee and McCain will be finished.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
KKSM and all,
It’s hard not to feel the same frustration that is so evident. I do feel some hope for the future when I think about this: no matter what happens in November, whether Mitt is VP or not, whether McCain is pres or not, the best thing that can happen is for Mitt to run again in 2012. But, could he do any better in 2012 than he did in 2008, if so many still hold the same misunderstandings, fears, and prejiduces toward his religion? Don’t you think that a Mike Huckabee will still be there to rally the same lynch mop that cost him the nomination this time? I just wonder if anything can be done to get people to look at the man first.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Lori, thank you for answering that question for me. That makes it even more discouraging for me to think that Huckabee could be the VP. My hope has been that well Mitt is out of the running for President now but maybe in 2012… but if Huckabee (or anyone else for that matter, I guess) is VP, then he would be the presumed R. nominee in 2012. That stinks and is very depressing to me!
I don’t know what I will do then. I do not want that man (Huck) as McCain’s VP!! I will not vote for them!!!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
And today, Mac is meeting with Joel Orton on the evang. problem.
I would perfer religion stay out of poltics. I guess Mc is determined to ring it into it. What a loser.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Ron
I too question whether Mitt can do well in 2012 now that Mike Huckabee has found his new calling in life- destroy Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee is a very hate filled man and shame on all the people who support him. We have been robbed of our only hope.
KKSM- I don’t want to vote for McCain. I have heard the supreme court argument and I have felt that I should support McCain but I don’t like what he has done to Romney and I do not like his liberal record.
Jon B makes a convincing argument about t he supreme court.
I live in Utah and I am disappointed with the republicans here. There is one up and coming that is fiscally minded and is not on the global warming ban wagon. He is not in my district but is gaining ground. I hope we can get more leaders to follow his lead in the state of Utah. I will campaign against Huntsman. He is a McCain /global warming supporter.
May 15th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Christianity has always been the problem
May 16th, 2008 at 11:25 am
If huckie is on the tickie, I will not vote McCain. Sorry, but it’s past his time if he’s too stubborn and senile to take into consideration the damage the ‘christian values’ voters have done to this country. The GOP is in a tailspin. We will in Nov be a super minority, and will be slapped around even more so than we are now. If the people want a puppet in the white house, give them one in the form of a democrate-democrate. Not a GOP democrate like McCain. That way, we can regroup, and really get this fight over with once and for all. Maybe the huckie folks will split off and form their ownparty. They can call it the “We hate everyone but us” party. Remember, we had to have a Carter before a Reagan. It looks like we’ll need an obama before a romney.