Jan 30 2008
Initial Talk Radio Reactions To McCain’s FL Win
Chris Corr (sp?) seems to have figured it all out this morning. He noted that McCain is the probable GOP nominee after his win in FL and really questioned those who would sit out and let Hillary become president. He also took Rush and Hannity to task for their demeaning comments about independents and those who reach out to us in order to create a governing coalition. While talk radio - initially this morning - is heading the warning not to continue to alienate natural (if imperfect allies) the ‘base’ is upset and still screaming “RINO”.
Laura was also interesting this morning and trying to moderate her comments. Sometimes her anger and frustration broke through, but she did recognize there is a force out there that supports McCain on earmarks, Iraq and (this stunned me) comprehensive immigration reform. She understands the civil war between the moderates and the amnesty hypochondriacs was becoming a losing effort and was damaging the conservative movement. She did make the comment it was time to determine which way the party was going, and whether the Reagan revolution was dead. I hate to tell her this, but that determination has been made as we can see in McCain’s continued rise.
I and many others (like The Anchoress, Harriet Miers, etc) are products of the Reagan Revolution. He brought moderates into the conservative fold. It was the ugly and demeaning actions of the far right which broke Reagan’s 11th commandment and broke the coalition. Former dems were not trusted. The impure were badgered and heckled. “RINO Traitors” was the call that told moderates Reagan’s welcoming message was gone and a new, angrier GOP had risen from his optimistic and open views.
Those who who became ugly and told their allies they were un-American, frauds, traitors for following El Presidente Jorge Bush (and McCain, Kyle and a bunch of other life long Republicans) are now stunned they have no allies. OK, sometimes it takes a 2×4 to the head to wake some people up. The answer to rebuilding Reagan’s coalition is to bury the egos and dump the hate and treat allies with respect. Learning to lose with class would be a critical element to rebuilding the coalition. Is the conservative community capable of this? We will know soon enough.
48 Responses to “Initial Talk Radio Reactions To McCain’s FL Win”
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Great post AJ. Right on the money. There’s also a great article at the American Thinker on the Liberal Mommy Fascism. Insightful, imho.
AJ, I do not know if you listen to morning show prior to Chris Corr. They have a moderate in Fred Grandy (Gopher) and a hard right Andy Parks. Parks like many on the hard right is totally trashing Reagan’s 11th commandment “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican”. Parks also like many on the hard right is refusing to vote for McCain no matter what. In the very next comment the hard right will also say how Republicans need to return to the Conservatism of Reagan. What a nonsensical circular arguement. Fred tries in vain to make Andy see the foolishness in his thoughts. It is hilarious to listen to.
So, If I understand the argument and I do struggle with it, we are better off with Hillary because she will cause the Right to recoalesce around a more hardline right platform? I do not think so. The Clinton’s and Obama will immediately move to the center after the primaries and with a little rephrasing of positions could well occupy the middle for a long, long time. Politics is all about getting what you can get today and hoping to live till tomorrow. It is a rough and dirty game and purity is about impossible to acheive.
Every now and then I have to haul myself up short and remember that Rush Limbaugh is one of the main reasons I developed any interest in politics at all. I clearly remember being up in Northern Wisconsin for a Fall weekend, 16, 17 years ago, shopping with friends. In one gift shop owned by an older couple, a radio was playing Rush’s show at a low volume. We caught a few words and started walking toward the radio to hear more. The couple practically whispered to us… have you heard about this guy Rush Limbaugh — like it was some sort of secret underground society… then we all listened for awhile and were amazed. He was speaking our language and giving voice to our thoughts. And he was funny!
I cannot say how much I have changed versus how much Rush has changed in the last 2-3 years. That is a study requiring more time and thought than I have at the moment. But I can say I no longer enjoy listening to Rush & Co. and I am sad about the bitterness, rigidity, and apparent refusal to countenance any person who thinks slightly outside a narrowly defined set of “conservative” commandments.
My wish would be for the Radio Talkers to follow the lead and tone of Medved, who long ago became my preference. He has interests and curiosity beyond the talking points. Among other things, his appreciation for classical music, American History and pop culture are a joy to have sprinkled into the mix. And those things also matter, greatly. And they provide human warmth and relief. Plus, Medved’s occasional “Conspiracy Day” shows are breathtaking, highly educational, and funny in ways you could never dream up. Sometimes very jarring and hateful too, but always fascinating.
AJ, perhaps you should ask yourself if the moderates can win with grace.
SallyVee,
Northern Wisconsin in the fall…absolutely beautiful. I know it well.
I guess it just shows that we all err at some point (pointing at self).
Some more than others. I point to one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen on a so called ‘Conservative’ blog. Did anyone else notice what Malkin called her post on the SOTU? Can’t remember exactly but it was something like Grab Bag Address. The woman is shameless. And you wonder which bookwriter was driving the bus? Wasted talent. Frum (a disappointed speechwriter) lead Miers. Noonan (a disappointed speechwriter) acting like a woman scorned. Grab Bag Address. That is pure hatred.
Rush, please pull back and go back to humor. You are the very best with that venue.
Whippet: long ago halcyon days spent at Lake Catherine near Minocqua. Reminiscent of On Golden Pond.
Owl: it turns out to be useful that Malkin established the terms “unhinged” and “Moonbat.”
Did you read Rush’s opening transcript? Yikes! Can anyone tell who he supports? I’m afraid it’s Hillary.
Let’s not go overboard here.
Grab Bag Address, RINO, etc, while not becoming of a serious blogger are not hateful, unhinged or Moonbattish.
Those terms are reserved for those gone over the edge to Bushitlerisms. While there are those on the far right who cross the line, even Malkin doesn’t come close to the everyday hatred that comes from the left. She grates on me too but let’s be fair.
When Malkin, Rush or Levin disagree with a candidate it doesn’t mean they want only purists in the party or that they are expousing hatred. They disagree and have a right to say it as do we.
My only issue is that sometimes I really don’t like the way they say it…but unhinged? Come on…
I can’t really confirm or deny that Malkin “doesn’t come close” to the lefties in hatred or insanity. I don’t hang in lefty circles. Maybe there are people who by contrast make Malkin, Rush, Levin et al seem mellow and charming but I do hope to avoid meeting them. Anyway, it’s not much of a defense to say someone is not as hateful as persons XYZ on the left. It might be true from an impartial referee’s standpoint, but I only know about the bats in our own house.
It wasn’t immigration that turned me against McCain, it was his support of John Kerry and his Winter Soldier brigade against the Swifties that did it for me. That and his insane and petty temper and his stance on tax cuts. I do not trust him.
I agree that the Malkin wing is most responsible for destroying whatever Reagan legacy was left within the Republican party. They made it their mission to bring down GWB and they cost us the 2006 election, whether they admit it or not.
So now what? McCain is nothing but a liberal dem. masquerading as a Republican. Right now, he has the media on his side, but that will change as soon as the dem. nominee is set. Wake up folks, there is a reason dems are pushing so hard for a McCain nomination.
SallyVee,
The defense of them isn’t with a comparison to the left. My point is…Malkin, Rush, Levin and some of the others may be guilty of exaggerated “bloviating” but they do not promote hate speech and they do not practice it. Again, disagreement is NOT hateful.
I go read some of the lefty sites so I am aware of the ideology and tactics of the left and for that reason only. Try it sometime. You will be shocked. And at times-amused.
Whippet:
I disagree, Malkin obviously despises Bush. The woman accused the man of telling border guards to stand down just so more Mexicans could sneak in. She was just about nuts on Katrina as Spike Lee was. And the sad thing is, she is supposed to be on his side. At least with the lefties you know where they are coming from. But when this kind of nastiness comes from the Republican side and it directed at members of their own party….it is much worse.
McCain is not a liberal Dem masquerading as anything. The man has a life time conservative rating of 83%. Let’s compare that to the 86% of Fred Thompson.
People call him a liberal because they want to defeat him and think that is a good line of attack.
As a matter of fact I doubt very much if staunch conservatives like Senator Coburn of Oklahoma would even consider endorsing McCain if they actually believed he was a liberal.
Terrye,
You need to take a look at some of McCain’s record. Just because he has an 83% conservative rating does not make him a conservative.
See where he falls down the list…who’s above him and who’s below him…
And ask yourself, if McCain, as President knew of an imminent attack on say Chicago and some of the terrorists involved had been captured and waterboarding was the quickest way to get information about the time and place of that attack, would John McCain order it? No.
That’s just one of his history of many more liberal stances. They don’t accuse him of being liberal to defeat him, they accuse him of being liberal because he is. And it’s only one of his achilles heels. And once there is a Dem nominee to prop up the media will exploit it to their advantage. They’re doing it now by talking about the huge split in the Republican Party and you guys are buying into it. They want McCain because he’s their easiest target and they will use every bit of ammunition they have against him to bolster the Dem candidate and try and keep Republicans at home.
Republicans will vote for McCain if they have no other choice…unless of course you all buy into the media propoganda.
Whippet:
There are Romney supporters promising to vote for Hillary or Obama if McCain gets the nomination, what do you think they would do if someone was planning to attack Chicago? It seems there are an awful lot of self professed conservatives out there who do not care.
I think McCain would do what he thought he had to. The United States has not used waterboarding in years, and when we did it was on three people. I don’t think I would place a vote using that as my criteria.
I am not saying McCain is as conservative as Bush is, but these people had no problem stabbing Bush in the back, so what do they care? Listen to talk radio. They have been trashing a conservative for years.
SallyVee,
Disagreeing with President Bush is not hatred it’s disagreement. They are political pundits and politics is their game…they talk about what they agree and disagree about.
I can remember getting pretty angry at Malkin during the Katrina thing but she was only disagreeing, very childishly many times in my opinion, but that’s what it was. I have never thought she despises Bush, just some of his policies. There is a difference.
Whippet:
I disagree, Malkin obviously despises Bush. The woman accused the man of telling border guards to stand down just so more Mexicans could sneak in. She was just about nuts on Katrina as Spike Lee was. And the sad thing is, she is supposed to be on his side. At least with the lefties you know where they are coming from. But when this kind of nastiness comes from the Republican side and it directed at members of their own party….it is much worse.
Left by Terrye on January 30th, 2008
Excellent post Terrye. And let’s get it straight regarding Malkin: she called the President of the United States stupid on national TV and all but has called him a liar when she hosted the O’Reilly show last year. It was with disgust that she talked of him. She is a sniper who has never run for office, nor would she win. And I do believe she let the likes of david dukites have posts on her site, if I am not mistaken.
Not O.K. Many of her ilk are becoming extremely divisive and are spewing their hatred onto the soul of America. And she IS full of hate, imho.
Here is a good article on the demise of the GOP.
As to moderates, the point is this: ALL have to work together!!!
Since when did any sector of the party get to trash the other? I am fast losing my patience with the whiners and greedy ones who want “their way or the hiway”. …as is being displayed today with so many who are “not going to vote.” They think they own the republican. Where did they get that idea?? They bought the media hype in ‘04.
And as to those who are going to sit home, I ask you this: Is that the message you want to send to our troops, that they will have to pledge allegiance to Hillary Rodham Clinton, a known military hater, as commander-in-chief? Is that what you wish for them after all the sacrifice they have made for us?
The dem party is in SERIOUS TROUBLE, bud. Book it!
ivehadit, can you elaborate on the part about the dem party being in serious trouble?
I have no plan to sit at home. That would be a very serious mistake. If McCain ends up winning the nomination, I will vote for him. His position on the war AND the fact that several USSC judges are retiring are more favorable than voting for Hillary or Obama.
Those guys that are thinking of staying at home need to think of those two reasons and come out to vote even for McCain.
I don’t think the GOP is in demise or anything else. I am so tired of hearing people say that. It is hyperbole.
Things change, and rearrange themselves from time to time. The Anchoress did a post in which she said she did not even think the current front runners would be on the top of the ticket. We shall see. But the thing to remember is that conservatives always say the party is in demise when they are not running it. But the truth is moderates have always been a part of the GOP.
I will vote for whoever wins the nomination. I am not going to act like one of those crybaby Democrats who swore they were robbed or cheated or whatever and then pout about the outcome. I am seeing some of that on the right and it is stupid.
Whippet……it is much more than policy differences. You had to be watching carefully but she has been putting a Bush jab at the end of her posts for years. Now she is as out of the closet as the NYT.
We have one President and this one belongs to us. You have to be feeling mighty spiteful to label your President’s last SOTU address that way.
The Anchoress seems to think that Rush might engineer and third party run if McCAin gets the nomination.
That guy is on an ego trip and the rest of us are just along for the ride.
So much for party loyalty etc. Now if the peasants do as they are told and vote for one of the other guys he might actually let the Republicans win. Otherwise, it will be 1992 all over again.
If conservatives put another Clinton in the White House, they are the RINOs, not McCain.
By “that guy” I mean Rush.
Man, some of you people are something else.
If you spent half as much time bashing liberals as you do bashing conservatives there might actually be some advancements made within the party.
What I hear is a bunch of spiteful people who feel like they got bullied on the playground because those nasty conservatives don’t like you. So what if Malkin doesn’t like Bush…it’s called free speech. You don’t like her and you let it be known all the time. I guess that makes all of you nastyright? Just like Malkin? Some of you act worse than I’ve seen Malkin act. But you don’t see it that way because she doesn’t like your ideas and your ideas are the only right ones. Sound familiar? You can trash her but she better not trash moderates!
The conservatives in the party didn’t want you? You also don’t want them. You repeat it over and over again. Some of you need to take a good long look in the mirror.
And Terryre you said you won’t “act like one of those crybaby Democrats who swore they were robbed or cheated or whatever and then pout about the outcome.” No, you’ll just be a moderate who does it.
Owl,
Yes, it may be more than policy differences with Malkin but that is her right. It’s not the same as the New York Times (except in their editorial section) because they are supposed to be reporting fact, not opinion. Malkin is a blogger and a pundit. It is and always will be her opinion that she is selling. And I personally am tired of listening to it. But I will defend her right to do it.
Once again, Whippet is spot on. I hear more angry & nasty talk against the so-called “purists” at this site than I do from the right. And the fact that the GOP has moved left isn’t because the base conservatives drove them left. I like Bush very much, but you cannot deny that some of his agenda moved the party left. That doesn’t mean they were all bad (I disliked some of them), but they were not conservative. No child left behind, medicare reform, huge spending bills, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy & illegal immigration, Miers, and some others were decisively not conservative. What I heard from the pundits on the right was passion and frustration. Did some go over the edge? I didn’t hear it but I suppose some may have, although I think it’s obvious that it doesn’t take much for some here to be offended.
And now, the way the primary season has unfolded, it appears that the conservative base will have very little influence in their party. The natural and logical thing to do is to speak up and try to rally to prevent that outcome, to preserve your influence in the party for the good of the country. How can that be a bad thing? it’s still the primary season, there’s plenty of time to get behind the candidate for the general. But that candidate better show some respect for what used to be the GOP base.
The democrats are NOT united. Every one of their talking heads keep saying over and over…”we will come together in the fall, blah blah blah.” There is a serious divide in the party, imho. The hard Left is furious. The moderates will go for McCain. Many dislike the clintons intensely and she WILL be their nominee whether they like it or not, if ya know what I mean!
Oh really? Tonight on the CNN debate I heard that snotty little liberal Cooper ask the Republican nominees what they thought of Peggy Noonan’s statement that George Bush has sundered the party.
It was not a moderate that gave the snotty little liberal the quote.
And whippet one of the reasons I feel like I have been bullied is that I have been called a traitor for supporting Bush’s immigration plan. It seems to me that when it gets down to it the right can dish it out but they can not take it.
I will vote for Romney if he gets the nomination. You will not hear me threaten to stay home and pout. The same thing can not be said for Rush and company.
And Bush won the nomination. His no child left behind act has been successful. For years [every since Reagan ran for office] I have been hearing some on the right say that we should get rid of the education department altogether. But Reagan could not do that 25 years ago. Why blame Bush for trying to improve the education system?
The point is it is supposed to be a coalition. That means people are supposed to compromise. That does not mean some radio talk show hosts gets to tell everyone else what to do.
Ane whippet, when did I pout about any outcome? I am not the one having the hissy fit over a lost election. What is next? Is Rush going to demand a recount?
Thanks Wiley,
What I find sad is that these people who take the time to come here out of their busy days and obviously have a passion for politics and the country’s future spend more time complaining about feeling unwanted by their party instead of focusing on what’s important.
And what’s obvious here is that there are many people of slightly differing views that ultimately have one goal and that is a united party against Obama and Clinton. But the message is lost in their hatred for the “purists.”
I don’t agree with AJ on immigration or on the purity issue but I look forward to reading his blog every day. His posts on the Litvineko (I know you know who I mean even if I can’t spell it!) poisonings, the Plame case, the Iraq war updates and postings have been so informative. I don’t care that our beliefs part ways on a few issues. I would bet that most everyone here can find an awful lot of common ground on a lot of issues. The majority of purists, moderates and conservatives really aren’t that far apart from each other - just on a few issues but haven’t we always been that way?
The media NEEDS to split this party. The Democrats are race baiting each other, gender baiting each other and pulling so many dirty tricks that the media has to split the Republicans in order to give the Dems a fighting chance. It’s no different than in elections past. The easiest way to do that is to denegrate the most popular and well known talk radio and pundit talkers on the right. Have you EVER heard the media go after Olbermann, Chris Matthews or Air America, etc.? Why do you think that is?
Are we going to let outside forces destroy a great party from within? They’ve been slamming the Republicans for decades why would you believe them now?
Whippet:
Oh for heavens sake, I do not hate purists. And if the truth be told Michelle Malkin does not need any help from the media when it comes to splitting people up.
It is the purists who threaten to take their marbles and go home, it is the purists who say they would rather see a Democrat win than McCain, or for that matter Huckabee. I have not heard too many Republican centrists say they would not vote for someone like Romney.
Outside forces are not making Rush have a cow, he is doing that all by himself.
And btw, why was it ok for Fred Thompson to support McCain Feingold? Where were the charges that he was assaulting the Constitution when he supported McCain’s candidacy in 2000?
Why is it ok for Romney to be liberal enough to win a state wide election in Mass, but then completely transform himself for a national run while McCain’s positions must remain written in stone?
No, I am sorry. The right still has great sway in the party, the problem is they don’t like to share.
Presuming McCain is “our” choice, it will be incumbent on him to show some respect and reach out to the conservatives — e.g. pledge to make the tax cuts permanent; pledge to secure the borders; pledge to nominate well-qualified, constructionist judges; re-affirm traditional family values & pro-life; uphold 2nd amendment rights. Some of these are positions he has not always advocated, but has changed his rhetoric in the primary. Some people still need to be convinced, and he needs to do some convincing to win.
If it’s Obama, the MSM will rip McCain. If it’s HRC, it will be nasty all-around. Even the MSM is getting tired of the Clintons, I think. But in the end, I’m sure they’ll “circle the wagons” to elect their candidate.
[Yeah, AJ does a great job - wealth of very informative info. I especially found his insights on ESCR to be the best anywhere. Of course, I see a few things differently, as we all do.]
I think McCain said he would make the tax cuts permanent during the debate tonight.
But if he reaches out to conservatives, it would be nice if he did not draw back a nub.
those who threaten to sit out the election are pinheads and NOT, NOT, NOT patriots (IMHO) so don’t claim ever again to support the troops because you don’t.
Terrye,
Yeah, your’re right! The problem is you aren’t listening to yourself!
The right does have a lot of sway in the party and you can’t win without them and they can’t win without you!
You let a few talking heads decide how you feel about conservatives in the party? Call them purists? Michelle Malkin can go have a fit and not vote for a Republican if she wants! In my opinion it’s stupid but it’s her right and her opinion! And I think you need to listen to Rush talk instead of the media cherry-picking quotes about what he says…Don’t take what the media says as truth. Go to the sources, google the people involved, find out their agendas, right and left. It’s an eye-opening experience.
You don’t think conservatives have problems with some of Romney’s past positions? Of course they do. But as a Governor he is much closer to his constituents and he is accountable to all of them. The priorities of a State are more refined and specific to only that state. But McCain has a long history of documented voting records and he’s been pretty consistant with his views at a national level and they trend toward the liberal or are liberal. His experience is legislative and not executive governance. Big difference. There’s a reason America has voted very few senators in as Presidents. Presidents do what Governors do just on a bigger scale, and then a whole lot more!
Whippet:
Conservatives can not win without those horrid RINOs either.
The thing is, it is not the RINOs who are threatening to sit out the election. It is not the RINOs who have said they will not vote for Romney in a general election.
My biggest problem with Romney is that I don’t think he can win the general. My second biggest problem is that he did not just be himself. When he did an about face on immigration and pandered himself into an endorsement from Tancredo, I lost a lot of respect for him.
They just want the chance to vote for the person they prefer for the primary and they should be able to do that without being blackmailed.
As for Michelle, she is toxic.
And McCain is not a liberal. The man is a centrist. That is part of the problem, too many conservatives seem to think that there are two kinds of people. The far right and the far left. The truth is, most people are somewhere in the middle.
Reagan was in the middle too.
When I say they just want a chance to vote for whoever they want in the primary, I mean the moderates, the Republicans who do not take their talking points from people like Rush.
Terrye,
I said that the conservatives can’t win with out the moderates either.
And of course the RINO’s (as you call them) aren’t threatening to sit out the election because McCain is closer to their ideology. And yes some conservatives will sit out just as they did when Bush ran for office. And Democrats will sit out because they either think Obama and Hillary are either too far left or too far right for them. It happens every election.
And if Romney’s position changes bothered you and you lost respect for him then you’ve probably lost a lot of respect for McCain too, right?
You think that people can’t vote for who they want to in the primary because they’ll be blackmailed? By who? And how?
Terrye,
“Reagan was in the middle too?” Sorry, no he wasn’t.
And centrist is just a fancy name for the crossover between liberal Republican and conservative Democrat. They believe many different things from both parties but not enough of one to fit them ideologically into any one category. No matter what you call it-liberal or centrist - it’s still McCain.
Whippet:
So the only real Republicans are fanatics?
That is simply not true. Have you ever read any of Reagan’s old speeches? He talked about the need to be inclusive, to reach out. He also said the most frustrating people he had to deal with were the ones he called the “radical right”, because they preferred starvation to part of the loaf.
By your definition most Republicans are not real Republicans. My Senator Lugar who has been a life long Republican would not be the real thing.
Bush was a strong conservative and the right turned on him anyway. So why pretend this is all about McCain? If Romney gets in there and crosses him they will do the same thing to him.
Reagan was not a fanatic. He did not overturn Roe V Wade. He put Sandra Day on the court. He raised taxes. He did not respond to the murder of our Marines. Rogue elements in his administration cut a deal with the mullahs. He signed an honest to God amnesty deal. I can not imagine him getting involved in the whole marriage is between a man and a woman debate.
The right has moved right since the days of Reagan. They think the country has moved left. They are wrong. An old union organizer, Democrat turned Republican like Reagan would not be able to make it in the party today. One of the reasons for that is that he was too willing to compromise. And as your post demonstrates people who are compromise are mushy. People with principles just draw a line in the sand and refuse to budge. Screw everybody else. Isn’t that right?
There goes half your party.
I got an email this morning, from Ann Coulter, the opening
sentence was something about she would rather have Hillary
than McCain. Can’t be bothered, I deleted it.
So far, “the filter of the many” seems to be doing not a bad job.
I would have preferred other candidates, but the ones that
got rejected, I am not shedding any tears.
The one guy who is still worrying, Obama, with all his
connections to Farrakhan (see the LGF link), still has the
memories of the 1930’s and charismatic demagoguery,
but the rest, bye bye and no worries.
One notes that Newsweek has published an article about
Jihad, eg. why won’t we name the enemy? Wot? Newsweek?
But most of the candidates who couldn’t have won are gone.
Our system will likely not always get it right.
Just because it is 1938 doesn’t mean we will get a Churchill.
But a better system has not yet been discovered.
I had to send an absentee ballot in early, to California,
as I work overseas, I voted for McCain. My selection criteria
were, firstly could he win the nomination fight and secondly,
did he have a chance of beating the democrats, and no other
selection filters were involved.
I am not unhappy with my vote. Survival before political
luxury.
Terrye,
I am tired of your broad generalizations and misinterpretations of things that I say to try and prove some point that makes absolutely no sense. I swear if I said the sky is blue you’d say no the grass is green. Very confusing…
Pick a party that you want to support and figure out why you want to support it. Don’t move from one party to the other and get frustrated because they don’t conform to you alone.
And I don’t need to go back and read any of Ronald Reagan’s speeches…I lived them. And if only he could come back and lead the nation he would be the Republican nominee in a heartbeat. And if you don’t know that basic fact about the Republican party then you have a lot of things to learn. And Reagan didn’t compromise on his conservative principals, he was able to communicate those principals to others and bring them on his side. He wasn’t called the Great Compromiser - He was called the Great Communicator.