September 27, 2005
"You should have higher aspirations for your son"
I don't like Senator McCain. So it seems fair to put up a bit of the pro-McCain case, which was posted by Rich Lowry at The Corner...
McCain is an ardent free trader. I’ve seen him make inroads with some voters who think China/India/Mexico are destroying the country. A mill worker in New Hampshire whose place of employment had closed shop, told McCain that free trade meant his son would never have the security he once had. McCain’s response: “You should have higher aspirations for your son than the same job you had. Trade helps make those aspirations possible.” Tough message. Tough crowd. He was applauded. He thought the steel tariffs were Bush’s first huge mistake.
He’s committed to Social Security reform that includes personal accounts. Were he the President, we’d be under no illusion that Democratic opposition would melt away, but he might have a little more luck making his case to the public and persuading a few Ds to go along.
His tax cut proposal in 2000, while about half as generous as Bush’s, was a half a trillion dollars. He wanted to use the rest of the surplus for substantial defense increases, and help pay much of the transition costs for SocSec personal accounts. I understand that’s not the supply side position. But it’s also not tax-and-spend liberalism....
....He’s a strong believer in robust nuclear energy industry – even beyond the 20% of the grid it now provides (but soon won’t).
He’s solid on tort reform. School vouchers. Pro-life. Against race based remedies. Other than gun-show loophole (not exactly a major move toward gun control), he’s solid on the 2nd amendment and voted against assault weapon ban....[there's more]
That's not bad stuff. The cons are, that's he's a member of the McCain Party, not the Republican Party. And the McCain-Media Movement, not the Conservative Movement. And he's old, and he's a Senator, and has never run anything. CFR is the abomination of our times, and his immigration stance stinks...and can we add Gang of 14...
Posted by John Weidner at September 27, 2005 02:16 PM | TrackBackIt's nice to be reminded why McCain allows himself to be associated with the GOP and vice versa. But McCain's loyalty is on a par with his loyalty to his grocer or health club. It's a matter of convenience.
Post-election, a president will face issues never contemplated or debated during a campaign. As a voter, I need to have a sense of the candidate's worldview. I know what a Democrat's worldview is, and I know the talent pool from whom he will draw. The same is true of a Republican.
It's not true of McCain. He's a Party of One. In unforeseen circumstances, he might do anything. He might call on anybody. He's a blind choice, a pig in a poke. For me, that disqualifies him from consideration.
Posted by: lyle at September 27, 2005 10:46 PMI find it incredible that a man once seriously considered as a running mate for John Kerry can be promoted as the Republican nominee.
I also don't believe for a second that this guy is 'pro-gun'. He's exactly as anti-gun as most democrats now, talking soothingly while pushing for the next step in stricter gun control. Once the gun-show 'loophole' is closed, what then? Well, then he'll be pro-gun except for the .50 caliber ban he'd like to pass...
Posted by: Mike at September 28, 2005 07:04 AMWhile there are many particular differences between them, John McCain and Bob Dole have in common a key liability: neither are attractive enough to draw the maximum vote from core Republican constituencies, and neither will galvanize the non-committed voting block enough to make up for the deficiency.
Posted by: Luciferous at September 28, 2005 01:47 PM
