For those conservatives coming to grips with the prospects of a
John McCain nomination, I would suggest the following approach. In
a recent column, Jim Antle advised conservatives to keep McCain at
arm's length. I agree, but would put things slightly
differently. I propose abiding by the McCain Rule.
The McCain Rule, simply stated, is:
Do unto McCain as McCain would do unto
you.
What I mean by that is for years, McCain has often been on the same
side as conservatives on issues such as spending and the surge, but
often against them on other issues such as illegal immigration,
taxes, and campaign finance reform. McCain always argues that
people may not always agree with him, but he'll always put
principle ahead of politics and fight like hell for whatever he
believes is best for our country.
Conservatives should take their cue from him. That is, when he
is taking a position they agree with him on--such as opposing pork
barrel spending or pursuing victory in Iraq--they should rally
around him, but when he is pushing policies they abhor, they should
oppose him fiercely and put principle ahead of loyalty to the
leader of a political party.
topics:
Taxes, John McCain, Iraq, Immigration
