Remarks by Morton C. Blackwell at the California Republican State Convention's Executive Committee Luncheon, San Francisco, February 22, 2008

Well, if Sen. Clinton doesn't win big March 4 in both Texas and Ohio, it looks like we'll finally be rid of the Clintons, bag and baggage. Bill is the baggage.

But Barak Obama, in a remarkable achievement, would almost certainly be worse.

Like Gen. Patton in the movie after he beat Rommel in North Africa, "I read his book." Barak Obama's writing gives an appearance of objectivity, presenting both sides of many questions. But he always comes down on the hard-left side of every issue.

Let me talk briefly about our 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

It's a matter of record that my first choice was Fred Thompson. When he dropped out, I supported Mitt Romney. Now it is obvious that our nominee will be John McCain.

As Virginia's Republican National Committeeman, I'm an automatic delegate to the national convention. I shall vote at the national convention for John McCain and work to elect him in November, for three reasons:

1. It is important to unite our party for the November election.

2. John McCain won Virginia's binding, winner- take-all primary on February 12.

3. John McCain would, as President, be almost infinitely better than either Sen. Clinton or Barak Obama.

Sen. McCain is working hard now to unite our party and the conservative majority coalition which won the presidential elections of 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004 and so many congressional, state, and local elections in this period.

But many people in that coalition are still upset over what they see as Sen. McCain's imperfections, his departures from our normal, governing conservative coalition's positions on several policy questions.

I shall pass over those imperfections and refer by analogy to President George W. Bush.

President Bush has achieved many things for conservatives. Some examples:

1. I believe it's incontestable that President Bush has done the best job of nominating conservative judges to the federal bench of any president of modern times. He has done a better job in this supremely important category than even our sainted Ronald Reagan.

2. President Bush has done a superb job for our country on taxes. He not only stopped new taxes, he cut taxes again and again, which produced an exceptionally long period of economic growth for our country.

3. He responded decisively and well to the vicious, mad attack on September 11 and promptly overturned the Taliban government of Afghanistan which was hosting Al Qaida. He has a healthy understanding of the menace of Islamic terrorists to our nation and to our civilization.

4. Regarding traditional values, President Bush has, for example, kept the faith on the important and motivating issue of life, as have his Republican predecessors in the Oval Office. He has adhered to the clear positions on this issue contained in so many consecutive national Republican Party platforms.

On the other hand, President Bush has diverged from conservative positions on a number of issues. Some examples:

1. Increasing the role of the federal government in primary and secondary education.

2. Creating new and costly entitlements in Medicare.

3. Signing the McCain-Feingold bill.

4. Cooperating with Republican Congresses in increasing federal spending in many, if not most, areas of non-defense spending.

5. Pushing for ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

One can be forgiven for wondering what President Bush's approval ratings would be today if he had adhered to the conservative positions on such issues.

However, let me ask you a question. By show of hands, how many of you voted for President Bush in 2000 and 2004?

Everybody.

Now, how many of you believe that the United States would be better today if Al Gore had been elected in 2000?

Nobody.

And how many of you believe the United States would be better now if John Kerry had been elected in 2004?

Nobody.

Now let's consider John McCain in this context.

I submit to you five propositions:

1. The judges nominated by President McCain would be far better for our country than those appointed by Sen. Clinton or Barak Obama.

2. President John McCain would resist increasing non-defense spending more effectively than any President since at least President Reagan.

3. President McCain would be enormously superior to Sen. Clinton or Barak Obama on issues such as traditional values, the right to keep and bear arms, and compulsory unionism.

4. President McCain would not neglect the defense capabilities of the United States.

5. If most conservatives do not unite to support our Republican presidential nominee, we could have a disastrous election across the board. This could create all-powerful, leftist Democrat majorities in both Houses of Congress.

Imagine what would happen if either Democrat were President and we didn't have enough U.S. senators to maintain filibusters against any number of leftist power grabs.

Make no mistake about it. Leftists in absolute control of all three branches of the federal government would use that power to grab more power.

They would use that power to cripple all sources of conservative political strength.

Does anyone doubt that a party now dominated more than ever by extreme leftist groups would do all in their power to shut us down forever?

Let me share with you briefly what I believe to be the real nature of politics:

Being right in the sense of being correct is not sufficient to win. The winner in a political contest is determined over time by the number and effectiveness of the activists on the respective sides.

The number and effectiveness of the activists on a given side is determined by its use of political technology, which includes organizational technology and communications technology.

Most political technology is philosophically neutral, which makes it inherently unattractive to people who are motivated by their philosophy. Nevertheless, you owe it to your philosophy to study how to win. You have a moral obligation to study how to win. Continued...