Commentary: Many Republicans disheartened by choices for president in "08
By Emily Mullin
March 3, 2008
To all you conservatives and Republicans of Athens County (which are few and far between), hear me out.
It is almost certain that U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will be the GOP nominee this fall. Unless Mike Huckabee can call upon the Almighty for some divine intervention or Ron Paul can pull out of the single digits in the polls, McCain looks like the Republican Party’s best bet for keeping the White House.
Or is he?
Despite the “R” you’ll see after John McCain’s name on Election Day, I’m hesitant to call him a conservative or even a Republican. During his political career, he has made campaign reform a top priority while restricting First Amendment rights with the passage of the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002. He is more than tolerant when it comes to illegal immigration and co-sponsored the controversial legislation, Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, with the outspokenly liberal Sen. Ted Kennedy.
McCain has previously been a leading advocate of gun-control legislation. In fact, he earned a rating of “D-minus” from Gun Owners of America from 2000 to 2006.
He has also refused to sign a pledge put forth by Americans for Tax Reform not to impose any new taxes or increase existing taxes. In 2001 and 2003, McCain voted against President Bush’s tax cuts but voted to extend tax breaks in 2005. Now, McCain wants fiscal conservatives to believe that he will make the Bush tax cuts permanent.
His economic record is less than satisfactory, especially after one of the Republican debates in which he expressed his novel idea for zero percent interest rates. Now, if you’ve ever taken a basic economics class, you’ll know that this makes absolutely no sense at all. Lower interest rates lead to inflation and zero percent interest rates would mean even more inflation – lots of it.
McCain has sided with Democrats on traditionally conservative issues but still supports the failed Iraq War. In fact, when questioned about President Bush having talked about staying in Iraq for 50 years, McCain replied, “Make it 100. We’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That’d be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed.”
Where exactly Sen. McCain will get the money to fund this 100-year war is what I’d like to know.
The dollar is already losing its value. Economists agree that we’re heading toward a recession. Not only that but the government is running up astronomical budget deficits and borrowing large amounts of money from countries like China. What is our “maverick” hero going to do about it?
I’d like to hear some straight talk from John McCain about the economy, the devaluation of U.S. currency, and our exorbitant budgets that we simply cannot afford.
But of course, some Republicans still insist that we rally around the nominee (or supposed nominee) because we have no other choice. They use the flawed logic that “McCain is still better than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.” The fact of the matter is, the lesser of the evils is still evil.
McCain will no doubt divide the Republican Party. As far as I can see, it’s already happening. And well, maybe it serves the GOP right. Maybe this election cycle will help wake up the party that used to be for small government, less taxes and a non-aggressive foreign policy. Or maybe it just means that we’re seeing the end of classical liberalism and paleo-conservatism as we know it.
Some right-wingers have snubbed the Arizona senator’s liberal tendencies and haven’t jumped on the McCain bandwagon just because “everyone else is doing it.” Those brave souls have my utmost respect.
Although Mitt Romney has suspended his campaign, die-hard supporters still vow they will vote for the former Massachusetts governor in the primaries. And even if it may seem as if he has dropped out of the race, Ron Paul and his “Revolution” are still campaigning, braving the cold to hold signs with the Texas congressman’s name and spreading his message of liberty.
But for others, it seems like there’s no conceivable alternative for Republicans and conservatives than the three frontrunners. McCain is promising an endless war in the Middle East. Clinton is promising socialized health care. Then there’s Obama. He’s promising change (whatever that means). No one – from either side of the aisle – is promising a freer society and a less intrusive government.
As the great Thomas Jefferson warned us, history has shown that with more government undoubtedly comes less liberty.
Think about that when you go to the polls Tuesday.
The question for Republicans and conservatives this fall is not for whom to vote, but whether to even vote at all.
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