An answer to Mr. Wood's eloquent article. by Logical Premise
(statist)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Mr. Gary Wood (not the NFL star, the author here at Nolan Chart) has suggested that Mr. McCain's strong showing in the Republican Party, and why the Party is not trying to stop him, is a screen to use him as a lightning rod for voter discontent in this country.
I take an alternative view : McCain appeals to that sector of America that wants "something in the middle" and that part of America which is wildly pro-war.
Tackling the first part first, have you persused his issues page? I'm afraid he comes off sounding very reasonable:
Lower Taxes and spending discipline, transparancy in spending, cutting pork, but no big statements about slashing spending in education or other liberal programs
Focusing on cost controls and on a mix of government and private insurance, tax incientives, and increased competition to make affordable insurance while not ruling out more government oriented plans
There's a mix there. There is stuff that "middle of the road" or weak conservatives can swallow. There's stuff that centrists and weak liberals can swallow. There's a decided lack of "ick factor" in terms of evangelicalism (turns off the libs and atheists), weirdness such as Mormonism (turns off the evancelicals and people who conflate Mormon to bigamy) and strange policies no one's heard of such as sound money (turns off people who don't believe in it).
Not all of his positions are conservative. Not all of his positions are small government -- nor are the big goverment. He's a centrist, basically, running with certain pieces of conservative ideal and slyly suggesting he won't crimp liberal programs.
A lot of "social conservatives" who are interested in vouchers, 2nd amendment rights, and getting immigrants out, will not have too many problems with this approach. More importantly, a lot of people who find other Republican canidates too hardcore may actually vote for this guy, and I think they have and are.
The second part -- his virulently pro-war stance -- well, there's a segment of this country that thinks leaving Iraq is cutting and running. They feel that the other canidates simply aren't forceful enough about the war, and if they support it, they support McCain.
So , so many people dismiss this becuase THEY personally are against the war that they don't see how anyone can be for it -- but a lot of people are. And not just common people, either. Big Oil loves it. The military industrial complex likes it. Investors working the margins on oil futures are the same way.? There are people who feel that America has to win "no matter what" and to back down is to be shamed as we were in Vietnam, and they simply won't stand for it.
I personally, think McCain is a cretin, a liar, a war-monger, and a fake on par with John Kerry. But from the results we're seeing a big segment of the population buys into this sort of whitewash.
I think the Republican Party as a whole is being quiet not to use him as a sacrificial lamb, but rather so that if he DOES end up being the canidate, and winning the election, they can decide if they are going to support him or not. I think in a Hillary / McCain showdown, the Republican Party will reluctantly support him, simply because Hillary is so set against most of what they stand for.
On the other hand, if the showdown comes to a brokered battle between McCain and another Republican, THAT is when we can expect the real fury to fall, and his impressive delegate count shrivel as his non-pledged delegates abandon ship en masse.
I think he's no sacrifical lamb. He's a danger to this country, and the people voting for him are too.
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