The American Spectator

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Mood Swingin'

3.7.08 @ 12:01AM

KIND OF CONSERVATIVE
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell's Media Mood Swings:

Kudos to Mr. Tyrrell not only for his prescience, but vision in founding The American Spectator.

As for the Democrat candidates "leadership prowess" and foreign policy "experience" if condoning genocide, accepting millions of dollars in campaign contributions from dubious and unnamed foreign sources, advocating surrender in Iraq and the War on Terror, wanting to play nice with totalitarian dictators, allowing U.S. policy to be dictated by European whims and stiff arming America's neighbors and leading trading partners ranks as "foreign policy experience" then Obama and Clinton have it in abundance. Their carbon copy domestic agendas are just as unimpressive -- massive tax increases on working Americans, destroying health care, increasing pork spending, allowing decrepit and corrupt labor unions to set economic policy and an idolatrous "cult of personality" masquerading as wisdom and leadership. Whether it's Hillary "Obama" or Barack "Clinton" they both promise an "Obamanation" for the U.S.

To his final question, "What kind of conservative would reject him (McCain) and allow either of the Democratic contenders to preside over our foreign or domestic policies?" -- the same conservatives who blithely chortled "we can afford to throw away an election or two" in 2006 and regularly pimp Reagan's name to undercut President Bush and Republicans to the benefit of Democrats.
-- Michael Tomlinson

"What kind of conservative would reject him and allow either of the Democratic contenders to preside over our foreign or domestic policies?"

Possibly the kind who can't forget McCain-Feingold or McCain-Kennedy or Comprehensive Shamnesty or the gang of 14 or the Keating 5 or the latest travesty, McCain-Lieberman, as our fearless candidate endeavors to lead us back to a greener more primitive 17th century.

Or maybe the kind who feels that the damage a Hillary or Obama can do isn't all that much worse than the damage an open borders McCain can do. And a Democrat can't terminally damage the conservative cause.
-- Robert Randall
Nashville, Tennessee

I am watching the Media Mood Swings concerning John McCain. Mr. Tyrrell states that Mr. McCain has to shore up the support of the conservative base in the Republican Party. Maybe. I suspect that one of the reasons Senator McCain emerged victorious in this primary season is because his plain speaking appealed to many who dislike that conservative base. To wit, I think McCain was correct when he called Rush Limbaugh a "circus clown" and called Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and, by extension, James Dobson "agents of intolerance." I applauded when he investigated the waste and corruption of the Boeing Tanker lease deal. No, Mr. McCain doesn't need to shore up the conservative base. The conservative base needs to start walking the talk. McCain can win in November with the help of Independents, but he won't get that support by pandering to a clown, agents of intolerance and politicians who preach fiscal responsibility and governmental efficiency and deliver the opposite.
-- Mike Roush
North Carolina

I find it rare indeed that I don't share the bountiful exuberance and optimism of Brother Tyrrell. His concluding query in today's column though, provokes one of those infrequent moments. He asks "What kind of conservative..." would disdain Mr. McCain and thus open the fetid possibility of an Obama or Clinton election. Well, the kind that is offended by Mr. McCain's backstabbing and consistently shabby treatment of truer conservatives. The kind who adheres far more consistently to conservative principles than does he, the kind that dislikes him as much as he dislikes us. That kind and I'm just warming up. Don't misinterpret this screed -- I quiver at the thought of the bilious Hillary and the utterly vacant Obama winning anything, but just because choices one and two are awful doesn't perforce make number three any more savory. Prove it Mr. McCain.
-- James C. Eaton
Chetek, Wisconsin

THAT'S THE TICKET
Re: Quin Hillyer's The Ticket for McCain:

This article is irrelevant to John McCain, thank goodness. Picking a VP for Mr. McCain is not about pleasing "conservatives"; it's about pleasing AMERICA. Mitt Romney, a faker and a demagogue, belongs on no list other than the Oblivion List. Good choices for VP would be Tim Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, Tom Ridge, Rudy Giuliani (if Hillary is not the Democrats nominee), and Tommy Thompson.

Can I add that if these picks help to expand the Republican party toward the "middle," that's a good thing? The "conservatives" day is over. They did their thing -- including a racist, nativist, anti-immigrant stink bomb, and it has left an odor that is unpleasant and must be air wicked away.
--Bryan Martinez

I wholeheartedly disagree with you that Mitt Romney "had every advantage this primary season and just couldn't make it work." John McCain had the large and early advantage of running in very liberal Republican states (except Iowa) and had the luxury of crossover votes from Democrats.

I posit that if John McCain had been forced to run in conservative states in the early going, he would be back in the Senate -- and I would be a happy woman!
-- Judy Beumler
Louisville, Kentucky

Cox obviously satisfies the Reagan Conservative Wing but who is going to bring in the Evangelicals of which I am one. The VP must be a Conservative and an Evangelical. There is no way we win in Nov. without the Christian Conservatives. That leaves Sanford or Pawlenty.
-- Rich Saron

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Foreign Policy, Health Care, John McCain, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Television, Iraq, NATO, Alaska, Unions