3 posts tagged “john mccain”

Perhaps the most effective point this article makes is it's last, that the first votes of the upcoming election are 9 months away. Anything can happen from now until then, McCain pulling ahead included. He's still my favorite Republican (probably due to the lack of other candidates, at least in my mind), but I can no longer see myself voting for him come '08. I used to say that McCain vs. Hillary would be a no-brainer, and that I'd take him due solely to his integrity over her any day, but now that match up seems like one long headache I don't want to have. Here's to Obama - fresh and headache-free.

I used to really love John McCain, and I still do. But his campaign in this upcoming election is going to disappoint me, I know it is, because it already has.

I know he has to pander to certain interests to win the nomination. I know he is a conservative. I know many, if not most, of his positions directly oppose mine, not the least of which his pro-war stance.  But man, I miss the McCain of the Straight Talk Express, the McCain who stood up to Falwell and Robertson, and the McCain who put his principles before politics. But that McCain was unelectable, I suppose, so now he's decided that politics rather than principle should take highest priority.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe he is being honest and principled, and I simply don't agree with him. But I doubt it.

He is, indisputably, a man of great character and honor. That alone could win my vote should it come down to him against Hillary. But I just don't have the same enthusiasm for him that I once did. I would hate to see him turn into just another politician come '08. But I fear that he will.

Please, Senator, prove me wrong.

It's been a bad year for the Republicans, and I don't feel bad for them. But they have some tough decisions to make if they want to hold on to the White House in 2008.

#1 : Who will the Republican candidate for president be?

The field is wide open, but the last poll I saw had Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich as the most viable names. Rudy is far too moderate and reasonable to satisfy the GOP's fundamentalist base, and his personal history wouldn't make them happy either. Mitt Romney is in line with their issues, but he is a Mormon, which could very possibly scare off much of the base. Newt Gingrich, who ranked lowest in the poll, would bring alot of new and interesting ideas to the table, but also a goldmine of baggage that even an amatuer could exploit with success. John McCain, whom I greatly admire, has been courting parts of the base he previously alienated, apparantly successfully, but there is still a lot of distrust on both their parts. The GOP's best bet may be someone who doesn't seem to be interested in running : Condi Rice.

#2 : What are their main issues?

Clearly, the gay-marriage-guns-abortion stategy is no longer working. People want to hear about things that truly matter to them, like a new Iraq strategy, raising the minimum wage, fixing Social Security without abolishing it, reining in healthcare, ending DC corruption, etc. . If they want to win, they will stop listening to consultants and start listening to the people. Yes, I dare to dream.

#3 : Who are they?

Are they true small-government conservatives, or are they ambitious neo-conservatives? Are they constitutionalists or do they follow the whims of what seems right at the moment? Do they value privacy or the government's desire to invade it?

All of these issues they must sort out if they are to remain relevant. It's time for soul-searching and a renewed commitment to a healthy , innovative, and idea-driven debate. As a liberal and a believer in a two-party system supported by an honest debate, I'm pulling for them.