The American Spectator

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Dear John

2.6.08 @ 12:01AM

NO McCAIN IN TEAM
Re: Jeffrey Lord's A Conservative Team of Rivals:

Yes, Mr. Lord, in answer to your question, yes McCain could put together such a Cabinet.

Alternatively -- or as preparation for handling that collection -- he could take up herding rattlesnakes.
-- A.C. Santore

A thoughtful article, Mr. Lord. However, assuming that McCain is the last man standing for us at the end of today, your article still presumes way too much. From my readings on Messrs. Reagan and Lincoln, both men were graciously humble, principled, and intellectually honesty. Most importantly, both men genuinely admired and respected ordinary Americans and the form of government that placed power with these same people. They trusted and believed, as imperfect as we are as citizens, that it's the people, tethered to the Constitution, that govern, not the politicians. I have never seen these traits in either Hillary or McCain.

While you accurately point out that Reagan did not always faithfully apply conservative principles, a point often made by writers & readers alike at TAS, nonetheless, Reagan never felt malice or animus towards conservatives and our principles. Lincoln, sandwiched between political enemies and timid and incompetent generals, that perilously endangered the very survival of the Republic, still governed with a greater dedication of purpose to and for the very principles that helped form the Republic. Lincoln's acknowledgement of his stewardship for the survival of the American experiment, was never more evident then when Lincoln was required to apply draconian measures in order to ensure the survival of the Republic. Compare that to McCain's and Hillary's iron-fisted approach to universal health care and Immigration, enough said.

So, Mr. Lord, don't expect a Hillary or a McCain presidency to embrace political foes of different backgrounds and beliefs; neither one has the political temperament to embrace such diversity. That, I'm afraid, requires a sense of purpose to and for something greater than oneself, which neither is capable of. As to whether conservatism can survive either Hillary or McCain, that's a question I'm not ready to contemplate quite yet.
-- A. DiPentima

Mr. Lord is correct, "...conservatism and conservatives will sail on with -- or without -- McCain in the White House. Conservatives can help him get there." His article, as always is insightful and thoughtful, but there are too many unknowns that appear to have indicators as to what will really happen. Could the Senator effectively 'hire' his rivals, sure, will he? Ha, I sure don't think the evidence supports that conclusion. But if he gets the nomination and actually wins the race we will find out who he selects. Personally I wouldn't trust him to do it even if he said he would, I'd have to see it actually happen. Does anyone really believe he's committed to border enforcement first at this time? Hell, he doesn't believe it from listening to him.

We ALL know Republican Senators and Congressmen don't have the ability to regularly stand up for conservative principles and carry through with them. Having a Republican President McCain as head of the party and continuing to propound his less than conservative ideas in regard to Guantanamo, immigration, manmade climate change, freedom of speech, drilling for our own oil, et al, would be a further disaster for the Republican Party as we know it today. Those weak kneed Senators and Congressmen would rightly be predisposed to helping their President get the legislation and direction he wanted. All that would happen is an acceleration of the party's leftward march because there would be so little, if any, effective conservative opposition. At least with an admitted liberal or Democrat as POTUS the very same weak kneed Republicans would understand and carry out their necessary "loyal opposition" more often and with better effect I believe.

I don't believe I am alone in never voting for a Democrat in a general election but I never vote for just any and certainly not all "Republicans." So it may be in 2008. Perhaps Senator Dole, Speaker Gingrich, Senator Gramm and Governor Schwarzenegger will prove to be right and they can fashion a win with enough center and left center votes to make up for voters like me. If so, I'll be in the first wave of those to admit once again I am not apparently main-stream for this party, but I suspect without my vote, and others of like mind Senator McCain can't do it in November any better than Senator Dole did, and the sad thing for the Senator is that nothing he says at CPAC will extract my vote for him.
-- Roger Ross

Jeffrey Lord writes an excellent article which states my position on McCain exactly. I am not a Republican, I am a conservative. I will remain a conservative and remain true to conservative principles whether or not McCain is nominated by the Republican Party.

I won't vote for him and I won't support him. What he says to the C-PAC meeting is irrelevant. I'm confident he will stand up and espouse his "Regan Revolution foot-soldierism" and point to all the ways he is conservative. To all that, I say, "Well, John, you can call yourself a rutabaga, too. That doesn't make you one."

John McCain has spent his entire political career slapping conservatives in the face, calling those who espouse conservative ideas racists, bigots and worse and doing everything in his power to subvert conservative principles. I will not reward those 30 years of mischief by voting for this clown.

Certainly I cannot vote for either the Marxist Clinton or the Marxist Obama. I will simply stay away from the polls on Election Day while muttering, "a pox on both your houses."
-- Keith Kunzler

Taking the Administrations of George W. Bush, his father and Ronald Reagan, 20 years or Republican rule, the Federal budget has been balanced just once. This is a stunning and reprehensible record for a party that used to be economic conservatives. No longer can the GOP claim to be economic conservatives though, rather fiscally irresponsible, negligent and wasteful. Between the 20 years of Presidents 40, 41, and 43 there have been 4 recessions, one surplus budget, the 2 worst stock market crashes since the Depression, stagflation of the '80s, and probably the worst aspect of Republican rule, the huge growth of the Federal government. Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, although rather vile individuals are spot on with their criticism of John McCain as unfit for the GOP nomination. If there is any Conservatism left in the GOP, and we now know there is no longer foreign policy and economic conservatism, the Republican Party must nominate Mitt Romney.
-- Nathan Maskiell
Melbourne, Australia

Juan McCain: Counterfeit Conservative. A good fit, don't you think?
-- Frank Traynor
Tulsa, Oklahoma

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