Posted by
Glen Albrethsen on Monday, January 28, 2008 3:03:54 PM
There is a lot of goodwill afforded John McCain. He is a war hero. He fought for the surge. He has fought relentlessly against pork barrel spending. He has led the charge on many issues.
His war hero status can be attributed largely to being a prisoner of war, where he underwent torture for several years, without giving away information to the enemy.
That was more than 30 years ago.
Now it is 2007. The number one concern among the voters is the economy. Number two is the security of America, or the war on terror. Third is immigration, and fourth, thanks to the surge, is the war in Iraq.
In recent days, McCain has been trying to paint his main rival in Florida, Mitt Romney, as a liberal on the war and on other things.
Why?
Because McCain loses the battle on everything else. Despite what he said at the last GOP debate, by his own admission, he is weakest on the economy. He doesn't like talking about immigration. He doesn't like talking about the fact that he has sponsored some pretty liberal legislation. He doesn't want to confront the conservatives. He wants to win in spite of them. He wants to marginalize and fight with them, because they don't go along with him or agree with him on everything.
The United States needs a leader who can unite, bring people together to do what is right for America.
In my mind, that requires someone who can do so, without adopting liberal policies on many important issues.
McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, McCain-Lieberman.
These are some of the larger and most recent signature pieces of McCain legislation.
Instead of reaching across the aisle to implement conservative values, McCain has moved to the center, if not the center left, to sponsor the three bills I've mentioned.
If you are not happy with where we are with the economy and government during the George Bush years--remember, Republicans were in charge in both the White House and Congress for a good portion of the Bush Administration. McCain has said more than once, part of his straight talk has been, "We came to change Washington, but Washington changed us."
Does that sound like someone who will uphold conservative values? Does that sound like someone who will fight to end illegal immigration? Does that sound like someone who will put federal economic policy back on a conservative tack?
If such is the case, then I urge you, Florida, to vote for McCain tomorrow. You will get exactly what you pay for. More government, not less, more spending, not less, more regulation, not less, more center to center left polices, not less, more divisiveness and score settling and bickering and fighting, not less.
Why?
Because that is what has happened with McCain in Congress, particularly over the last seven years. Liberals consider him their friend. He's adored by moderates and Independents. Liberal newspapers endorse him. He has not received a plurality of the conservative vote. And despite what Democrat strategists say, he is not the scariest Republican in the general election. He is their second choice, if their nominee cannot win the White House.
He will not be endorsed by the same liberal papers in the general election. He will find a way to tick off conservatives between now and the fall, so that they do not support him. He will not unite for the good of conservative values, and thus the country. He will unite under what he thinks is right.
Is that the kind of president, conservatives, that you want? Then you might as well vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, because their kind of presidency is most likely what you're going to get.
That means, more of the same ol' Washington we have now.