The American Spectator

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It is true that Nixon came away the loser in that debate, but only to those who viewed the debate on television. To the smaller audience of Americans who listened to the debate on radio, Nixon came away the clear winner.

This would indicate that Nixon's misfortune in that debate was almost solely the resort of his poor optics, and not due to the messages he delivered that night. His political instincts were correct, but his pale and shifty optics distracted the television audience from what he had to say.

That does not mean I'm a fan of John McCain's constant giving in to the Democrats, because I'm not. The world has changed since 1960, and America has changed along with it. However, I think it entirely possible that, just as America in 1960 had tired of conflict overseas and at home, as well as the constant fear of nuclear confrontation with Russia, and was looking for a candidate who was willing to reach out the other side as a means of bringing peace and stability to their lives, so America in 2008 may be just as tired of constant conflict at home and abroad, as well as the fear of becoming involved in more confrontations with Iran and Russia and China, and may well be looking for another candidate who is willing to reach out to the other side in an effort to bring peace and stability to their lives.

p>Though I hold a significant level of disregard for McCain, he may ironically turn out to be the strongest candidate the GOP could have nominated for this particular election year. br> -- David Blackmon /p> p> Why vote for McCain? He is just another Democrat in RINO's clothing. In November we will have 2 Dems running for President. McCain has always shown disdain for Conservatives, but now he needs us -- why? He always has touted that he didn't! All you have to do is take a look at who he surrounds himself with: Juan Hernandez, Kennedy, Leiberman, Grahmnesty, Clinton, the list goes on! McCain is only out for McCain -- something he has done for years. br> -- Kathy br> Arizona /p>

McCain was inevitable thanks to the self-inflicted crack up of the conservative movement and the fracturing of the Republican Party. Rush Limbaugh predicted this when many conservatives started bashing Republicans and cavalierly handed Congress over to Democrats in 2006. Sadly, his listeners weren't listening and he's forgotten his own prediction. Worse yet, some conservatives swallowed liberal propaganda saying it was ok or even better for conservatism when Republicans lost an election or two. How does handing power over to the most liberal and radical Democrat party since the 1970's make things better for conservatives or the nation? Do some conservatives prefer being in the minority, because they'd rather gripe than govern? Does anyone still naively believe the myth that "blue dogs" are "conservative Democrats?" Learn the lesson -- there are NO conservative Democrats.

The tragedy is that conservatives have won only pyrrhic victories on issues that heated them up in the last three years. This is best illustrated by the hysteria over Arab DPW owning a few US port terminals. Many conservatives, following the lead of liberal Chuck Schumer, went ballistic and stopped the deal or so they thought. The reality is DPW still owns the terminals and will for years to come. The downside is they will own them without modernizing the facilities or allowing the US to set their international standards for protecting ports against Muslim terrorism. The only victors were Muslim terrorists, their fellow travelers/Democrats and labor union felons working at U.S. ports. Pick a topic where much of the conservative base has either castigated President Bush and Republicans and I will show you a hollow victory and Democrat's being the big winners -- immigration, earmarks and Federal spending being the most obvious.

Who was it that masterfully crafted a successful big tent GOP coalition made up of Republicans (conservatives and moderates), independents and less liberal Democrats? It was none other than pragmatic Ronald Wilson Reagan. If it was good enough for Reagan might it not be good enough for McCain too? Have conservatives grown so far from Reagan that they can blow off the Gipper and his model for political victory? I know many conservatives prefer style over substance, but have they also fallen for the Democrat lie that a defeat for the GOP is a victory for conservatives? That is not only bad political strategy it is wrongheaded thinking.

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