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I set it up with a different beginning, noting that several important icons of the right would be withholding their votes in the upcoming election, rather than see John McCain become president, thereby helping to elect either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, flaming liberals both…
First it was Rush Limbaugh: "I can see possibly not supporting the Republican nominee this election, and I never thought that I would say that in my life."
Then it was Ann Coulter: "If McCain is the nominee, I will campaign for Hillary Clinton."And now James Dobson: "I cannot, and I will not vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience… I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life."
While I agree that certainly McCain has been a pain in the rear-end for Republicans on some issues through the years, when I consider the lay of the land and the current reality of the public’s mood, the Arizona Senator represents the best shot we’ve got at defying the conventional wisdom that puts a Dem in the White House come January 2009.
I was "warmly" received by John’s readers. Wrote one commenter:
As a loyal RWN reader, I think it’s time I looked for another website
Ouch! Here’s another:
I can’t believe this nonsense gets posted on Right Wing News.
Additionally, while a few commenters take positions similar to mine, many agree with Rush, Ann, Dobson, et al in that they WON’T pull the lever for McCain, no matter what.
We will NOT be voting for McCain. He is no republican, no conservative. We’d rather have another Jimmy Carter in the office for 4 years (which appears to be very likely) than a RINO who will de-face the GOP.
I cannot believe that people calling themselves conservative and claim to think could possibly believe that a President Hillary or Obama is what we need to set the stage for a comeback. Don’t any of them realize the damage four years of either of those two will wreak? Once socialized medicine is introduced, and we retreat from Iraq, there is no turning back.
If we don’t stop them, the "conservatives" we elect in the out years will be like "conservatives" in Britain– impotent against the vast liberal machine. Think about it. How effective have conservatives been at dismantling LBJ’s Great Society experiment? Even Ronaldus Magnus couldn’t do it. McCain will most likely be a single term president. His veep choice will be key. Meanwhile, once we get McCain in as a block against the Dem juggernaut, we MUST groom some electable conservatives that can cut the mustard– not ones that get killed by Macaca statements or uninspiring bores like Fred Thompson…
When the Republicans put forth an electable conservative candidate, I’ll be right there at the head of the line to sign up. Alas this year, once again, Ronald Reagan did not show up on his white horse to save us. We gotta fight the battle with the army we’ve got, not the one we wish we had…
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