Time For A Reality Check
I've long been dismayed by the fury of many conservatives' attacks on John McCain. I understand why McCain is not some conservatives' first choice for the nomination, but the ongoing effort to read him out of the conservative movement has gone way too far. To assert, as some have, that there is "really" no difference between McCain (average ADA rating from 2002 through 2006 of 23%) and Hillary Clinton (average ADA rating over the same period of 96%) is the kind of never-mind-the-facts shrillness that we expect from the Left, not from our fellow conservatives.
Of the principal Republican candidates this year, John McCain was one of two (Fred Thompson was the other) who could plausibly claim to be a life-long conservative. Is he "pure"? No, but who is? Certainly not Mitt Romney. Not me, either, for that matter. There are several important issues where I part company with McCain, but to put my disagreements with McCain on a par with my disagreements with Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama--life-long liberals, both--would be absurd.
My biggest concerns about McCain relate to the economy. His uncritical endorsement of anthropogenic global warming theory, combined with his advocacy of a U.S.-only carbon cap and trade system, suggest a failure to understand the practical consequences of government actions on the economy. But, again: if we have a choice between McCain, who will need expert advice on how to translate his conservative instincts into effective public policy, and Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, whose purpose will be to socialize broad swaths of the economy and increase the power of government relative to the private sector, is it really a close question?
Moreover, the President's pre-eminent responsibility is national security. No one doubts McCain's qualifications or his resolve where they most matter.
It's sad to acknowledge, but some of my favorite conservatives are among those who have gone around the bend in their incessant attacks on McCain. Laura Ingraham has a superb radio show and has been very kind to this site. But, frankly, I can no longer listen to her bash McCain day after day. I've started tuning in to a local sports talk show instead.
Other conservatives, thankfully, are (in my view) voices of reason. No one has supported Mitt Romney more enthusiastically than Hugh Hewitt. But this morning, Hugh acknowledged that, while the battle is not over, John McCain "has a clear path to the nomination." Hugh offered seven reasons to support the GOP's nominee:
[I]t is very possible to play full contact politics without the threat of going home if your team loses. The stakes in the fall are far too high for that.
Roger Simon is not exactly a conservative, but he is with us on what I consider to be the most vital issues of our time. Today, he wrote a thoughtful piece on McCain and the conservatives, in which he suggested that when McCain attends CPAC, maybe conservatives should try to learn something from him, too:
[W]hat I haven’t seen anywhere is much interest by the conservatives in what they might learn from McCain – an odd phenomenon since he cleaned their clocks on Super Tuesday. Yet McCain is being asked to eat humble pie, not Rush Limbaugh.***
So I have a suggestion for the attendees at CPAC. You are expecting John McCain to meet you at least halfway (or maybe more) on Thursday. Why don’t you think about meeting him halfway as well? He has something to do that you don’t. He has to win a presidential election. The American electorate is in the middle. If you force him too much over to your side, in the name of ideological purity you will have elected your opponents.
See also Victor Davis Hanson's comments on the anti-McCain animus, and Bill Whittle's comments on political parties as quoted by Glenn Reynolds.
It's worth remembering, too, that since Calvin Coolidge, exactly one conservative ideologue has been elected President. In that context, the "nominate a purist or I'll go home" attitude of too many conservatives is short-sighted at best.
John McCain will not be a perfect Presidential nominee. Then again, we didn't have any perfect candidates this year. (Funny how often that seems to happen.) How odd, though, for conservatives, of all people, to be the ones to hold out for perfection in human affairs. And despite his flaws as a candidate, John McCain has at least one major strength: he might actually win.
So, let's finish out the primary season. It's not over yet, lightning could strike, and Romney might wind up as our nominee. Most likely, though, John McCain will be the Republican standard-bearer. We could do a whole lot worse. Within the party, it's time to dial down the hyperbole, quit burning bridges and start building them.
UPDATE: Bill Bennett and Seth Leibsohn have much more here.
FURTHER UPDATE: I'm fine with a McCain candidacy, but this Day By Day cartoon is pretty funny:
John McC, you gotta stop bashing those "evil" Wall Streeters and pharmaceutical companies.
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