The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Gang of 140

1.28.08 @ 12:02AM

(Page 2 of 8)

I have only one response to Mr. Wallison's article on John McCain; he must be kidding!

I am a conservative but I have already decided that if McCain is the Republican nominee I am going to vote for Hillary just to keep that SOB out of office. My extended family and many of my friends are either committed to or contemplating doing the same.
-- Paul Martell

Mr. Wallison should spend a bit more time studying what Mr. McCain does, rather than what he says.

At every turn when he's had a chance, McCain has gone for bigger and more intrusive government: limits on free speech, resisting tax cuts, ensuring that the bench remains liberal, activist, and intrusive.

To portray McCain as an adherent to the principles of President Reagan is to utterly misread McCain.

To suggest that he can gain the support of the "Reagan coalition" is to indulge in fantasy.
-- Ralph Kalal

The article written by Peter Wallison is an insult to Ronald Reagan's memory. McCain couldn't shine Reagan's shoes. McCain whether by bravery or by chance when he was a prisoner of war became brain washed and somehow embraced authoritarian socialism. When you look and the things that he has embraced, McCain Feingold (the attack on the first Amendment) Kennedy McCain (the attack on America in favor of Mexican invaders) and the rest of his betrayal of trust and oath of office, the only similarity between McCain and Reagan is that they both were humans, both spoke English, and had the same physical attributes such as, arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose, mouth etc., etc. After that, NOTHING!

Please don't begin to denigrate your magazine with stupidity such as Wallison's absurd comparisons, they are plebian and without merit, he should be writing for Slate or perhaps the New York Times.
-- Tony Managan

Please stop trying to tell us that this anti-second amendment, Republican-in-name-only liberal is like Reagan. He is clearly a Liberal, has always been one, and no matter how many silly arguments you put forth this fact will not change. Surely you do not think that we buy your specious argument put forth in this article. You sound like a mouthpiece for the mainstream press. The article is insulting. Reagan had charisma, chutzpah, and a strong dislike for the press. John McCain has none of those qualities. Reagan had the ability to lift up the hearts and minds of America, and he led us into some of the greatest conservative gains that we have ever had in this country. He lead by his heart, McCain is publicity driven. He couldn't hold a candle to Reagan. Wake up, a McCain presidency will set back our freedoms, destroy our party, and dumb-down conservatism until every liberal will call themselves conservative too.
-- Tom Everett
Hubbardston, Massachusetts

One disadvantage Romney has is that he is unknown nationally. Romney is the new guy -- the outsider so to speak. Thus he needs to make a good impression with every appearance. On the other hand, McCain is well known. That is one reason McCain takes heavy flak from some on the far right. Having been an active Senator for over two decades it would be a miracle if he had not displeased some people occasionally.

On Friday, Rush Limbaugh attacked McCain for almost the whole three hours of his show. One of his prime arguments was that if the New York Times endorsed McCain, then McCain could not be a conservative.

Whatever your view of McCain is, its hard to deny that he (a) passionately opposes earmarks, (b) is the most qualified to support national defense, and (c) is honest in the sense the he tells the truth.
-- Rod Hug
Santa Rosa, California

Romney being Romney is the first step in getting elected. (To quote the Bard, "To thine own self be true, and it follows as night follows day, thou canst be false to no man") Too often when Romney spoke, no matter how eloquently, and often because he was so eloquent, he seemed phony and his principled stands appeared simply to be positioning. (A maturing view point is not flip flopping: only two types of people never change their minds: dead ones and fools.) American have a long history of respecting men of business -- as long as they earned their money honestly. By brandishing his ethical business successes, he, like Senator McCain, can make a claim of honorable service. Romney's honor does not come from military service, but not everyone is given an opportunity to serve as bravely as Senator McCain. The reverse is equally true: very few can claim to have created and distributed wealth as Romney did when he was a venture capitalist. No, Romney is not Reagan, but that mantle hangs poorly indeed on McCain.

Mr. Wallison writes, "John McCain is like Ronald Reagan in the most significant respect of all: he is an authentic person, not a confection designed by consultants." He is correct on this point, but Senator McCain's authentic beliefs are antithetical to Conservative and Libertarian ideals. While he may take an authentic and principled stand on amnesty for illegal aliens, Social Security credit for illegal aliens, criminal trials for terrorists, stem-cell research on human embryos, nonsensical global warming legislation and free speech-crushing campaign-finance laws, this does not make him a Reaganite, let alone a Ronald Reagan simulacrum. Simply stated, Senator McCain, no matter how principled and authentic, is no friend to those who believe in the least intrusive government and freest of societies.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

I've read the pro-McCain commentary this past week and most of it seemed pretty desperate. He is the only Republican who can win the election (didn't work for John Kerry). Then he was the seemingly lone Republican voice that supported the war and the surge (not true). I experienced a chill when I read about the peril the Supreme Court would be in if a Democrat moved into the White House and failed to warm up to Senator McCain's gang of fourteen participation that cut short the PR gains the President was making at the time. That group didn't gang up against the explosive spending and earmarks of the last few years so I am left combing my memory for efforts other than grand statements by Senator Electable.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Education, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi, Business, Earmarks, Social Security, Religion, Environment, Global Warming, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, NATO, Socialism, Communism, Conservatism, Immigration, Energy