May 08 2008
2008 – The Year Of The Centrists
As a conservative independent I of course like to view the world through my only lens of preferences, but I think it is safe to say I have my biases fairly well checked when I claim this year Americans are heading away from the hyper-partisan fringes, weary of nearly 3 decades of hyper-partisan rancor and dysfunctional zer-sum games. We see it playing out in the Democrat and Republican sides.
On the left we see the stronger general election candidate, Hillary Clinton, losing to the more liberal Obama. Clinton is much stronger against McCain, but she keeps losing ground to Obama the more her general election electability shows. The Democrat Party is being taken over by the far left which is itching to come out of the closet. That is why when Wright and Ayers come up it doesn’t hurt Obama in the primaries, just kills him for the general
It is also playing out on the right as the ‘true conservative” far right bemoans McCain’s positions and their 20-25% keep voting against him in GOP primaries. The problem is the GOP is tired of the self destructiveness of the far right who call people who disagree with the Quislings and Traitors (just ask anyone who support Comprehensive Immigration Reform why there will be no alliances with the hyper-right any more).
The most enjoyable example of this was on Sean Hannity’s radio show when he hosted “The Architect” Karl Rove. Hannity made the mistake of trying to paint McCain’s problems with the ‘true conservatives’ as a liability. His two examples were “The Gang of 14” and Comprehensive Immigration Reform (which I am glad to see McCain is bring back as part of his policy plans when elected), which McCain notes openly with well deserved pride. Hannity was not prepared to be ripped a new one by Rove who just destroyed Hannity’s far right biases against McCain.
On the Gang of 14 Rove noted that the compromise gave Democrats cover to allow numerous conservative federal judges to be seated as well as Roberts and Alito on the US SC. Rove noted that he had his doubts initially, but came to recognize the Gang of 14 was critical to the administration’s efforts to mold the judiciary in line with conservative, constructionist principles.
On immigration reform Rove really nailed Hannity and the “Amnesty Hypochondriacs”. Of course the word “Amnesty” was selected by the opponents of immigration reform because it was the root of their resistance – they did not want the 1 in 5 workers (Rove’s number) here illegally to get off with a fine, paying back taxes and proving they are free of violent crimes. This obsession with desiring much stronger actions than the law or America were prepared to invoke is why I call the “Amnesty Hypochondriacs”.
Besides pointing out to Hannity that 1 in 5 workers here are illegal and we cannot simply have them leave without killing our economy, he noted that Bush ended the 30 year long practice of catch-and-release, where illegals found on the border were given a date to be in court and then released, wherein they never showed up. Rove noted the last catch-and-release was in 2006, after Bush led the way in providing all sorts of resources for personnel and facilities required to end the practice.
Another point Rove hammered home is most people do not know that 1.3 million illegal aliens attempting to cross our borders were sent back home last year – a very, very impressive number which shows our borders ARE being strengthened. Nothing will be foolproof, but that is amazing progress the Amnesty Hypochondriacs dismiss out of fear that the day will come when we do deal with the long term illegals with less than deportation or coerced deportation. Oh well, those far right dreams will never happen.
Which brings me back to why McCain is doing so well right now. Every time Hannity or Ingraham or Malkin go ballistic because McCain is not conservative enough the provide McCain distance from the one association that would give him trouble in the general election. Obama has problems because of his new found ties to the radical left. McCain is gaining credibility with the continued flames from the far right (who are not radical like the left, just way out of the mainstream like the left).
I have seen attempts by the far left to tie McCain to folks on the far right – and it fails because everyone knows the far right is ready to sit out this election, especially if McCain keeps his pledge to implement comprehensive immigration reform. So while Obama can be attacked by his far left political associations (which avoids the backlash of attacking Obama directly), McCain cannot be tied to a group that cannot stop spouting off their dislike of the man.
And this is why I am fairly certain this year America is staying away from the hyper-partisans. All indications are McCain is perfectly set up to take advantage of this, and the far right is doing their part to help him. And all indications are Hillary is losing because of this, and Obama and his far left buddies are doing their part in hurting him more in the general election. Sweet.
BTW – just a reminder McCain was one of my last choices from the beginning and I posted on his weak support for the sanctity of life through his support of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, an issue I care very deeply about. So am by no means a McCainiac, but like most independence more pragmatic than driven to the political extremes on either side.
Mc Cain would also close Gitmo. I don’t mind if he has a different point of view, but I thoroughly dislike him when he criticizes the President. He has no idea how hard being President is, a little less arrogance please, John.
PS AJ, there is not a liberal who would call McCain a centrist. MSM thinks of him as a right winger, maybe not in the past, but for sure when the general gets going.
AJ, “a conservative independent”?
Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
Like him or dislike him he is better than the other two. There is no sense in carping on your disagreements with him. These disagreements are few compared to disagreements with the other two drastically. He was my last choice but choices have been taken away from me. It is him or no one. And no one is unacceptable. I will not sit at home and let a liberal take over my country or in Clinton’s case a liberal, liar and thief. And Obama was a devout muslim when he lived in Indonesia. He learned the Koran in the Arabic language which only the radically devout do. He moved to Hawaii at the age of ten when his mother divorced his stepfather. He was listed as a muslim at the school in Hawaii. His grandparents were atheists. The first time he was exposed to the Christian religion was with Rev. Wright and this was a strange interrpretation of Christianity but it fell right in there with hatred of the infidel. Therefore he was a muslim for twenty five years of his life. I cannot believe the people of this country can be so stupid to turn this county over to a muslim practicing talquih (sp). The only thing going to this guy is he is a good orator. But listen to his words. He is saying nothing just vague cliches. Just think what his cabinet would look like. No, I will hold my nose and vote for McCain because the fate of this country is more important to me than petty disagreements or my own ego.
You can relax Barbara, the voting public despises the fringes so much so that neither Obama nor Hillary have a chance of winning.
…or so AJ would have us believe.
AJ,
“this year American are heading away from the hyper-partisan fringes”
Then,
“On the left we see the stronger general election candidate, Hillary Clinton, losing to the more liberal Obama”
Quite a contradiction there…
Clinton and Obama are in this fight for a reason and the Dem Party in “general” is united behind one of the 2 winning. The split in the party comes over which one it should be. They’re both libs of the radical variety and they’re being shown the “love” in huge numbers in every primary. Which one can win a General Election is irrelevant as to whether the party has moved away from their “hyper-partisan” fringe. The majority of the Dem party live on the ‘hyper-partisan” fringe and it’s only the emotional connection to their favorite candidate that has caused the split.
” It is also playing out on the right as the ‘true conservative†far right bemoans McCain’s positions and their 20-25% keep voting against him in GOP primaries.”
First of all, few are voting against McCain in the primaries. That serves no purpose at this point. He’s the given. What you are choosing to ignore (due to your disgust of Rush) is the power of “Operation Chaos” which has contributed to the split within the Democrat primaries and the rancor that is building along emotional and racial lines amongst Clinton and Obama supporters. Your “lens of preferences” have clouded your normally rational thought process on these issues.
“This obsession with desiring much stronger actions than the law or America were prepared to invoke is why I call the “Amnesty Hypochondriacsâ€.”
Uh, I believe that it was the uproar across America of those opposed to amnesty that created the “1.3 million illegal aliens attempting to cross our borders were sent back home last year”
“I have seen attempts by the far left to tie McCain to folks on the far right – and it fails because everyone knows the far right is ready to sit out this election, especially if McCain keeps his pledge to implement comprehensive immigration reform.”
First of all, comprehensive immigration reform isn’t the highly contested issue…ILLEGAL immigration is. You continue to use immigrants and immigration interchangeably to describe the “Amnesty Hypochondriacs” when legal immigrants are not their issue…illegals are. Anyone in this country legally attempting to gain citizenship by following the rules of immigration are immigrants, those who sneak in and hope for amnesty are illegals. But it’s clear that with that distinction clarified your entire basis for arguement is a moot point. And who exactly are these far right people who plan on sitting out the election? Seems to me that many who have opposed McCain on many issues have agreed to vote for him as the better of 2 evils so what’s your point? And if you don’t think that the majority of the Dems will do the same then I think you’ll be sadly mistaken come election day. But of course, you’ll just blame the conservatives…because that’s what you do.
“they did not want the 1 in 5 workers (Rove’s number) here illegally to get off with a fine, paying back taxes and proving they are free of violent crimes.”
Exactly what was that fine and exactly how much back taxes were they required to pay? Your failure to mention the miniscule amount these illegals would pay as compared to what American citizens or legal immigrants have paid over the same time period smacks of bias towards conservatives and Republicans, not just “Amnesty Hypochondriacs” as you call them. To expect someone to pay less than all other Americans is simply another form of “affirmative action” which is highly prized by the left.
“So am by no means a McCainiac, but like most independence more pragmatic than driven to the political extremes on either side.”
Pragmatic. Hmmm…Sounds more like the “emotional, feelings oriented” left to me.
Are these people also “Amnesty Hypochondriacs”? I guess so…Who woulda thought it?
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/05/07/how-about-reaching-out-to-these-hispanics-mccain/
Excellent post Whippet1. AJ frequently “whistles past the graveyard” whenever he feels uneasy about his “centrist” theories and our candidate. Why else would he drag them out so often? Sounds like a guy whose “johnson” is out in the wind and he constantly needs to reassure himself.
I’m sick of the negativity that has taken over conservatives. It’s a sign of hubris, imho.
Ive, is it the messenger or the message you are sick of? Because if you listened to Rush everyday, “negativity” is the last thing you’d hear.
I do listen to Rush *every* day. Even he had become negative for a while. However, he is not the one that, in general, harps on the negative….it’s the others.
I say, let’s shift to a focus on what conservatives DO like about McCain. It’s a basic human principle that negativity breeds negativity. And it destroys many things.
And the fact is this: Obama or McCain. Those are the choices, like it or not. One is DEFINITELY better than the other.
Good, then you know that Rush is rarely negative. I would suggest that you focus on our humble host here who can’t seem to get past the conservative burr under his saddle. The conservatives I know don’t need their facts spoon-fed to them. 1+1 always equals 2 regardless of whether it’s politely administered with a spoonful of sugar or hammered over the head. My suggestion for you and AJ, if I may, is to focus on the message conservatives are offering rather than the personalities of those delivering it.
Reasonable post.
Thank you. And I try to remind those who identify themselves as Republicans that you need to quit fighting him, and find ways to use his candidacy to increase the party membership.
I think he will win. Some of those who identity themselves as Republicans have reasons to stand aghast at his existence as my party’s candidate. And no, he wasn’t my first, even second choice. But he is the choice of my party. And I have reasons to support my party. They are selfish reasons, my reasons, but reason enough for me.
Do I have a good reason to keep an eye on him, as president? Of course. But we survived Lyndon B., Jimmy E., and Bubba C (for two terms).
We will endure Obama or Senator Clinton, as well. We are greater than the sum of our parts. And we cannot deny what we are–from Left to Right. We are Americans. Even if you hate this country, you can only do it as an American. And that brings smile wrinkels to my eyes.
75,
I agree with you and very well said!
Ivehadit,
If negativity is a sign of hubris…then AJ’s in trouble…
Just because someone disagrees it’s not necessarily negativity or hubris, sometimes it’s simply a difference of opinion and usually a passionate difference. That’s o.k. though and it’s the strength of this country.
I agree that we need to concentrate on McCain’s positives which is what I have spent the past few months trying to do because he was close to my last choice as a viable candidate against a Clinton or Obama. He’s now the only choice I have and he’s infinitely better than the alternatives on the other side. AJ forgets that just because some of us may have serious issues with McCain it doesn’t mean that we would sit back and watch idiots like Clinton or Obama win the Presidency.
And conservatives can all agree on one thing…The War on Terror… and that will be what gives McCain his best chance at becoming President.
Oregonguy,
I hope you’re right about being able to survive an Obama or Clinton. I’m not so sure. Just because you survived something once doesn’t guarantee a repeat performance.
For generations the liberals have chipped away at the very foundations of our Democracy. Then the conservatives rebuild it. It’s a repetative destroy/rebuild process. Eventually the foundation is going to give way and the process to rebuild will be more and more difficult.
I for one am not content to assume that we can continue surviving in that fashion, however I love the eloquence of your last paragraph and I hope that you are right.
Kathie:
When McCain says he will close Gitmo, he is talking about putting those men in a military prison. He is not talking about turning them lose, which is exactly what the Democrats will probably do.
I agree with AJ. The Democrats are both pushing federal health care insurance, which will undoubtedly end up going to illegals. Obama is talking about giving them drivers licenses and Hillary is not in the least afraid to claim she will NOT crack down on sanctuary cities. And yet so many on the right still bitch and moan and whine about McCain’s stand on this issue…as if they did not get their political asses handed to them every time they tried to make an issue of it.
Even in states where locals tried getting really tough they came to find out that some of these people actually bought gas and groceries and paid rent and just running them off was not the boon they thought it would be.
The American people want sensible long term solutions. They are tired of the ideologues.
But I think the thing that disgusts me the most is that Republicans and conservatives by and large supported the war on Terror. They supported sending those young people off to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight. Thousands of them will not be coming home. We owe those young people something, we should do our best to make sure that their sacrifices were not in vain.
If conservatives sit back and let Obama win, knowing full well he is dedicated to surrender…..just out of some political pique, then I am done with them.
LOL 75!
Dude, Hannity brought it up and I just shared how Rove handed him his head. I am not like Ingraham and Hannity and others who almost daily moan about McCain not being ‘a true conservative’. These people seem bent on creating a cult, not a political movement.
I am just observing their demise and posting it. Don’t blame the observer! And the side who cried “traitor”, etc against those who supported comprehensive immigration reform really have no room to tell the folks they slandered they need to get over it.
Sincere Mea Culpas from Amnesty Hypochondriacs and this rift can be healed. What so you?
what so you? => what SAY you?
See, it’s been the conservatives (not Rush) who threw down the gauntlet. They showed themselves NOT to be team players, imho. They force the “purity” wars. They said they are conservatives only, not republicans.
I AM conservative but I am also one who knows that this country cannot ever again endure Obama or clinton or ANY liberal democrat in the White House. We are still paying today for the carter administration, dearly paying. Everyone knows the differences that exist with McCain, no? I mean, they’ve been cussed and discussed MILLIONS of times on thousands of talk shows/blogs/sites. And every time now, that this negativity unleashes itself, it will cause many to “stay home” in November. Negativity can become dysfunctional which I think it has. Disagreeing is one thing, but a constant drumbeat of disagreement is something else altogether. It can become a power play. And it is a way to never get anything actually done because all the energy is spent on raising the negative.
As an irony, one of the things taught by the Industrial Areas Foundation is, that after an organizing event, the first thing discussed is what went RIGHT. Then, if there is time, things that can be improved are discussed. You would be amazed at how little time is ever spent on the latter. And the positives create more positives than any negatives could ever do. 🙂
Gee, it’s such a shame that not everyone is entitled to share their opinions without being called slanderers, hypochondriacs or dwelling in negativity. I thought this was a free country.
Once again, while I may agree with most of what you are saying it’s so interesting to see that when someone’s personal opinion is challenged they start calling others names and feel that that’s o.k. but don’t think the name calling on the other side is acceptable.