Greetings from NYC, where several of us are attending the Personal Democracy Forum's conference. I attended this same conference in '05 and was, perhaps, the only conservative in the audience (okay, maybe there were 4 of us). The good news is that times have changed. I'm happy to report that I keep bumping into conservatives who are attending for the first time. This is very good news for the state of conservatives and technology.
My recent debate with Rob Bluey (over online activism vs. punditry) has also been popular. I've had several folks tell me they have enjoyed the debate. Granted, the only people in the world who are interested in this topic may well be attending this little conclave ...
Lastly, I just wanted to comment briefly on the Immigration bill ...
First, I don't buy the argument that McCain's campaign is over because of this. For one thing, he has too much of an institutional advantage to crumble over something like this. For another thing, pundits keep mistakenly predicting his demise. And besides, whatever your reason for disliking McCain is -- you can probably make the same case against all of his opponents. In other words, there is no clear contrast. Rudy, Romney, and Thompson aren't 100 percent pure on any of the issues (neither is George W. Bush, whom conservatives supported, twice).
Still, I think the fact that McCain is a sitting U.S. Senator is a major problem. Regardless of where Romney, Rudy, or Thompson stand on the issues, the fact is, they aren't going to name any bills Romney - Kennedy -- or Rudy-Feingold.
There is a reason that Senators lose and Governors win. One of the reasons is that the Senate is a place where things are compromised. You've got to get a "buy in" to get things done. McCain would probably argue that this bill isn't perfect, but that it is an improvement. Well, conservative primary voters don't want an improvement or compromise -- they want things fixed.
If you're John McCain, I can't imagine how having your picture taken with Ted Kennedy and Arlen Specter helps your chances in a Primary. Being a Senator is no way to campaign for President ...
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