Thursday, February 22, 2007
|
|
McCain and the Left Coast
|
|
Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
12:51 PM
|
|
As Hugh mentioned, Sen. McCain was in CA on Wednesday. Here's more from the LA Times story:
"As for the fight against global warming, an effort that Schwarzenegger made a centerpiece of his reelection campaign, McCain portrayed California as a model for Congress to take action. He voiced support for the kind of mandatory reductions in carbon emissions that California enacted last year."
The Flash Report counters:
"A note to all GOP contenders for the White House -- Arnold Schwarzenegger is a unique phenomenon. Reinvent yourself in his 'image' at your own peril."
... Maybe John McCain should read this.
Okay, enough policy. Here's a strategy to consider:
Every time McCain starts to gain some traction with conservatives, he goes and does something like this. It seems to me that if his staff just locked him in the basement for the next few months, he'd win in a landslide. Maybe a "Weekend at Bernie's" campaign (figuratively speaking, of course) is in order?
On the other hand, this is interesting:
"A majority of Republican voters in South Carolina believe global warming is occurring, but is a problem people can resolve, according to a new survey."
So I guess the question is: Has the conservative paradigm shifted? I know what conservative pundits think. But will Primary Election voters buy into Global Warming? If so, McCain may be ahead of the curve. If not, this is just one more reason for conservatives to question his commitment to conservative values ...
Update: 1:41 PM - Rob Bluey has a post up about how John McCain is skipping CPAC.
Update: 2:20 PM - Katie Favazza has some good thoughts on the subject, too.
|
|
Dean,
When you say "gaining traction with conservatives", I assume that you mean with conservative pundits. I've said it before and I will say it again: if McCain somehow manages to grab the GOP nomination, he will lose in a landslide that will make McGovern's loss look tame by comparison. His candidacy is a non-started for actual voting conservatives. My brother-in-law is one rock-ribbed evangelical GOP supporters and he absolutely will not vote for McCain, regardless of whom the opponent is.
For the life of me, I still do not know what so many smart people claim that McCain is the front runner. It sounds like the Bob Dole campaign slogan: "It's my turn!" Sure, he's got name recognition and the press has fawned over him because he routinely blasts his ideological comrades. But if he wins the GOP nomination, the press will turn on him, and he won't get any support from the conservative base.
|
|
|
See my blog from today- rightinsight.townhall.com |
|
Let me see if I get this straight... The guy who wants to open our borders wide, grant amnesty to the illegal alien invasion force, and allow for vastly greater legal immigration and "Guest" workers is now suddenly concerned about global warming. If McCain's vision of an America with a 3rd world rate of demographic growth becomes a reality, how can he reasonably expect America's CO2 output to be reduced? How can the doubling of our population during this century not create more global warming (if you believe in the GW hysteria as McCain apparantly does).
What about our supply of fresh water (particularly in the Western States where he hails)? What about development? waste? consumption of virgin resources? contamination? pesticides?
New technologies won't solve everything. You simply can't get past the fact that more people equals a greater impact on the land. If we desire to become the next India or China as McCain apparantly does, how can McCain stand there with a straight face and promote himself as some kind of new age environmental politician. I know that this isn't the first time that a politician has tried to have it both ways, and it certainly won't be the last. Why aren't the global warming hysterics out there crying for strict enforcement of our borders and restricted immigration -- it would hands down be the most effective step to reducing the output of CO2 in our country. |
|
John Hall has it exactly right.
Did I mention that I will never vote for McCain?
Did I mention that I tell all my friends and relatives not to ever vote for McCain?
Do you see why? |
|
Matt Lewis,
You continue to shake a mean pom-pom on behalf of John McCain. Maybe you can film your best Kirsten Dunst impression from the movie, "Bring it On," and post it at YouTube.
I must commend you for focusing exclusively on politics in this post, rather than continuing to question the religion of Mitt Romney, or the spouses of Rudy Giuliani, as you've done recently.
It's an interesting assertion on your part that McCain has gained traction with conservatives, because it establishes as a premise that he is not popular with conservatives TO BEGIN WITH---and you are right about that.
Ironically, you were whining yesterday that the President hasn't ever attended GPAC---yet your choice to succeed GWB is not a conservative, either.
Nonetheless, you cracked me up with your suggestion that McCain should run a "Weekend at Bernie's" campaign where he doesn't show his face anywhere.
Matt, John McCain has already been running somewhat of a "Weekend at Bernie's" campaign as he dodges and ducks talk radio, at every turn !
If McCain's best chance to win the GOP nomination is to dodge talk radio and stay locked up in a basement, that might suggest he's not the guy to lead our country against the Irans, the North Koreas, or....the Democrats. |
|
He may be able to win in a landslid if Giuliani, and Romney dropped out, but as it stands now he will not win, much less in a landslide, whether he talks or not.
And, this story illistrates why with a conservative voting recoed people do not trust him to be a conservative. Personally, I think he is nuts. |
|
|
|