TALKIN’ THE RIGHT TALK: “I believe today, as I believed 25 years ago, in small government; fiscal discipline; low taxes; a strong defense; judges who enforce, and not make, our laws; the social values that are the true source of our strength; and, generally, the steadfast defense of our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which I have defended my entire career as God-given to the born and unborn.” - John McCain at CPAC yesterday
People, people, people. I was merely reporting what happened at CPAC yesterday with McCain’s speech. He didn’t win me over with this one speech, but the reality is he’s the GOP’s nominee vs. Hill-Billary or B.O. That has a lot of conservatives now rallying to his side, and others remaining opposed or undecided.
The fact is, McCain gave a terrific conservative speech yesterday (see John Fund’s report below). Does he really believe it? I don’t know. Will he follow through on it? I don’t know. Will he continue to hold a grudge against conservatives who have opposed him on issues such as illegal immigration and campaign finance reform over the years? I don’t know. But you can’t ignore the reality of the fact that he IS now the alternative to the whomever the Democrats nominate. Like it or not.
Huckster supporters, please put down the Kool-Aid.
It’s a long way ‘til November. A lot can happen. A lot of minds can be changed. Others, not. Some conservatives believe it would be better to let Hillary (or B.O.) send the country to hell in a hand-basket and thus usher in a new Republican governing majority in two-to-four years. Other conservatives don’t believe we can afford even one term under Hillary (or B.O.).
Both camps have legitimate arguments. The issue is open for debate. The fact that I present both sides shouldn’t be seen as my having made a decision one way or the other. Frankly, it’s too early. In the meantime, feel free to take one position or the other, but please don’t shoot the messenger.
- Chuck Muth, Editor
McCAIN TURNS IN BOFFO PERFORMANCE
“Democrats, and even a few Republicans, have suggested that John McCain may not wear well as a candidate, with many making comparisons to Bob Dole, the former war hero and longtime senator who was the uninspired GOP nominee in 1996 against Bill Clinton.
“But Mr. McCain put many of those doubts to rest yesterday with a thundering speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. He couldn’t have asked for a better platform — Mitt Romney had just used the same stage to suspend his candidacy, thus giving Mr. McCain a chance to present himself as the de facto GOP nominee to the party’s most enthusiastic activists.
“Mr. McCain knew he was addressing a crowd with whom he had many policy disagreements — from campaign finance reform to global warming. He didn’t pretend to paper those over, but instead asked his audience to ‘examine the totality of my record.’
“He pointed out he has consistently voted for pro-life causes for a quarter century, pledged to appoint judges who would strictly interpret the Constitution and laid into the departed GOP Congress for tarnishing the party’s fiscal conservative credentials. ‘I will not sign a bill with any earmarks in it,’ he said to thunderous applause. He then roused the crowd again by pointing out that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would set an arbitrary timetable for withdrawing from Iraq.
“He clearly won over a lot of skeptical conservatives. I was in the green room where many prominent CPAC speakers had gathered to watch the speech, and where Mr. McCain had mingled prior to mounting the stage. ‘It was a great speech, with a perfect tonal pitch,’ said Don Devine, a former Reagan administration official who is normally a dour pessimist when it comes to GOP electoral chances. ‘I think he could beat Hillary.’ Ken Blackwell, a former GOP candidate for governor from Ohio, called the speech ‘the start of a great conversation with conservatives and much better than I expected.’
“Even Tom DeLay, the former House Majority Leader who has clashed often with the Arizona senator in the past, grudgingly acknowledged that he might bring himself to vote for Mr. McCain in the fall — a major concession from someone who has publicly stated that the party’s new presumptive nominee has been ‘the most destructive force against [the GOP] of any elected official I know.’
“John McCain strode into the toughest imaginable audience of conservatives yesterday. While he didn’t exactly conquer them, he left them feeling hopeful that he will run a spirited campaign based on their fundamental principles. ‘He said all the right things, and if he now delivers, we have a chance to unite the movement,’ concluded Richard Viguerie, a conservative who spent much of the last few months denouncing most of the GOP field for apostasy.
“Even a week ago, I couldn’t have imagined John McCain leaving such a positive impression on the hard-bitten conservatives at CPAC. But he did, and he now has a real chance to lead a united party into the fall campaign.”
- John Fund of Political Diary, 2/8/08
LET IT BE SANFORD
“At age 71, John McCain certainly needs a running mate, and picking a solid conservative could help him win over some of his skeptics within the GOP. At the top of nearly every list is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Even Karl Rove mentioned him on Fox News as the Super Tuesday results rolled in.
“Mr. Sanford is nearly universally loved by conservatives for good reason. Now serving his second term in South Carolina, he has made himself famous for his unremitting war on pork, even though his own party controls the legislature. A few years ago, he drove the point home by carrying two squealing pigs into the state capitol. Typically he vetoes about 100 bills a years (though his fellow Republican frequently override him). Last year, he vetoed the entire state budget.
“Mr. Sanford understands the power of symbolism but also how to work the machinery of government. Sitting on my desk is a copy of an executive budget his office published a few years ago — the first comprehensive budget a South Carolina governor ever compiled. Previously, governors simply reacted to spending bills as they came along.
“Mr. Sanford’s record also bespeaks a commitment to policy ideas that conservatives hold dear — expanding school choice, pushing through a broad-based property tax cut and proposing a phase-out the state income tax. One key achievement was enacting a voucher-based state Medicaid reform — a model for overhauling entitlement programs for the 21st century.
“As a member of Congress in the 1990s, Mr. Sanford gave every indication that he wasn’t interested in becoming a permanent fixture in Washington. He never bought a house. He slept in his office and commuted home every weekend. He ran on a self-imposed term limit, and unlike some others, actually honored it by returning home to run for governor in 2002. He has consistently reached out to conservatives, making the state capitol in Columbia an important stop for party activists.
“After supporting Mr. McCain for president in 2000, Mr. Sanford stayed neutral in his state’s important primary this year. That’s another reason for conservatives to be enthusiastic about the governor of South Carolina. His agreement to sign aboard the McCain ticket would be seen as conferring real comfort about Mr. McCain’s conservative bona fides.”
- Brendan Miniter of Political Diary, 2/8/08
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size.”
- Barry Goldwater in “Conscience of a Conservative”
“The Democrats intend to expand the size of the federal government; I will reduce it.”
- John McCain at CPAC yesterday
“I won’t sign a bill with earmarks – any earmarks – in it”
- John McCain at CPAC yesterday
“He (McCain) moved me much more than I expected. He showed humor, humility, and honesty. If he continues, he could actually secure the support of the conservative movement.”
- CPAC attendee Colin Hanna of Let Freedom Ring, NewsMax, 2/7/08
“I ran my ad campaign (stating that McCain was as liberal as Hillary Clinton) when we had an option. Now we have no option. I’m a fan of not falling on the sword, and a Republican president is better than Hillary or Barack Obama – especially with the war, which is what matters.”
- CPAC attendee David Bossie of Citizens United, NewsMax, 2/7/08
“He (McCain) understands that the main issue is the war. And social conservatives should be happy, because he is pro-life. He could pull together a new conservative coalition, a winning coalition.”
- CPAC attendee David Horowitz of the Center for Popular Culture, NewsMax, 2/7/08
“This speech made a difference. It changed my mind.”
- CPAC attendee Dave Wallace, NewsMax, 2/7/08
“I talked with dozens of conservative leaders after McCain’s talk, and every one of them thought the Arizona senator sounded the right notes in his speech and said they felt inclined to support him.”
- Columnist Ron Kessler
Posted on February 8th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: National
As I have said before, he still has about six months to demonstrate his sincerity.
Blaming others for his inability to carry forward a conservative agenda will not wash, he’s seeking the supreme leadership position, POTUS!
Let’s see what he does, actions, not words.
Without action, I still intend writing in Ron Paul.