McCain Hasn’t Betrayed Conservatism; His Party Has.
Posted by supercynic on May 12, 2008
I was going to blog about this, but Mr. Rauch beat me to it; and in a much smarter, better researched, and thought-out fashion. He gets paid. I don’t. But seriously, what do conservatives want? If McCain’s not conservative enough, then one of 2 things is apparent: (1) modern day conservatives are fascists (which I don’t truly think they are) or (2) we have to re-define what we mean when we talk about conservatism.
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larue65 said
Excellent article. I think that Republicans suffer from the of the same diseases that sunk the Democrats in elections past. Their extremists continually, and sometimes effectively, hi-jack their party’s message. Extremists on both sides ignore the fact that many Americans are middle of the road and often will elect the candidate that is closest to the middle regardless of party affiliation. I don’t believe the sheer nuttiness of a Cindy Sheehan, Al Sharpton, et al helps Democrats one bit on a national scale. Republicans trotting out proposed constitutional amendments for banning same-sex marriage and attacking all anti-war viewpoints as unpatriotic doesn’t help theirs. As for Ronald Reagan, he’s spinning in his grave over the expansion of federal government under a Republican president.
Sully said
I got a kick out of the latest Republican-McCain slogan, “The Change You Deserve” which coincidentally (or not) is also being used in an ad campaign for the anti-depressant, Effexor!
Almost as funny as Stephen Colbert’s analogy to Larry King that Obama is “passing his Hope Bong around the drum circle of young America” and inviting people to take deep tokes from his Bong of Hope!
supercynic said
I chose the nickname supercynic b/c of the legal and political landscape in which we find ourselves. And each election cycle does absolutely nothing to make me less cynical.
Yack said
I look at the remaining candidates and want to get on anti-depressants.
supercynic said
So you’re pro-anti-depressants?
Honest to God, a lady recently interviewed in the newspaper said she was for a particular candidate because he was “pro-anti-terrorism.” Is there really someone out there running on the platform of being “pro-terrorism”? And when did everything get boiled down to pro/anti labels? Yack, I’m not talking about your use of the term “anti-depressants”; that’s an obvious drug class, but these days you hear that this candidate is “pro-gun” or “anti-gun.” “I’m the pro-prayer in schools candidate.” It’s getting ridiculous.
I guess because I hate Major League Baseball that makes me anti-pro baseball. A band-aid is anti-profuse bleeding. In the winter, I’m pro-anti-freeze. You get the picture.
C. Ray said
I am definitely pro-Auntie-Em.
Anti-Pro-Am golf
Pro-Antidisestablishmentarianism
Anti-acid
Pro antacid
anti-prophylactic, (but only when helping single moms get their start.)
Pro-anti-lock brakes
Anti-prozac – for recreational purposes
Anyone else wanna chime in?
anti-pro-bowling
pro-anti-aircraft weaponry
does pro-choice mean anti-life?
does pro-life mean anti-chioce?
I got a ‘D’ in German at Belhaven for asking my teacher that one…
supercynic said
Yeah, screw Auntie-Em. I’m pro-screw Auntie Em, too.
In Vegas, they wouldn’t let me play poker b/c I’m anti-ante.
If you’re pro-carpe diem, I guess you’re anti-prospective.
If you’re for something before the Civil War, I guess you’re pro-antebellum. However, I thought the Civil War was ill-advised, so I would have been anti-antebellum. Or b/c I wouldn’t have been for the war (bellum) to start with, I guess I just would have been anti-bellum. But then that would have confused people. “I’m anti-bellum.”
“But there hasn’t been a bellum. Is a bellum approaching? Are we on the brink of bellum? If so, I’m for it. Count me in as a pro-bellum. I’m a bellum hawk.”
Why do I feel like I’m in a Monty Python skit?
Finally, I’m pro-dead horse beating and pro-running this joke into the ground, and anti-stopping.
Yack said
I’m pro:
anti-virus
anti-biotics
anti-serum
anti-spam (especially out of the can)
I’m pro-life or anti-death, I’m pro-gun but an non-owner, so I guess that makes me a pro other people gun owner as long as it’s not a mchine gun while I’m in a super stop.
I’m pro-arms raised high but not anti-McCain.
Who’s on first?