Topic: Election 2008
John McCain: The New Goldwater? John McCain is the new Goldwater, according to Quin Hillyer. There is one important difference, however.by Colette von Hessen
(conservative libertarian)
Friday, May 30, 2008
John McCain is the new Barry Goldwater, Quin Hillyer writes today in an excellent article in The American Spectator . This is sure to irk some conservatives and other fans of limited government, considering McCain-Feingold and Senator McCain's support of amnesty for illegal aliens in the guise of reform. Hillyer argues that Goldwater cared more about principles than getting elected, and that in his later years he repaid Ronald Reagan by supporting moderate/Rockefeller Republican Gerald Ford in both 1976 and 1980. Calling McCain a "curmudgeon's curmudgeon," he writes:
AS WITH GOLDWATER, so with McCain. Irascible, iconoclastic, sometimes a bit profane, always his own man and nobody else's, McCain is a curmudgeon's curmudgeon -- but still with much to offer his country. We all know, of course, why so many of us are so often so angry with McCain -- his sometimes bizarre heresies from conservatism, his insulting language and hair-trigger temper toward conservatives who disagree with him -- but we spend too little time acknowledging the man's strengths. On those issues on which Goldwater was strongest, about which he cared most deeply and on which he was most identifiably conservative, McCain is as strong or stronger than any national leader in the past 20 years.
I agree with these positive points about both Arizona senators. I can't deny that I've always retained an admiration for John McCain even when he is driving me crazy with his neo-conservative ramblings (the same goes for George W. Bush, but for different reasons -- he is far from curmudgeonly, but both he and McCain share what some may consider stubbornness, others steadfastness). Hillyer mentions in his article that Goldwater was pro-life in 1981. Unfortunately he may have assumed that most of his readers were aware of the fact that Barry Goldwater was once pro-life but turned strongly pro-choice later. Many younger conservatives I know who are firmly pro-life admire Goldwater without realizing that he later supported pro-abortion candidates. Both of Goldwater's wives were strongly pro-abortion, and his first wife worked for Planned Parenthood, which may have led to Barry Goldwater's eventual about-face on the right to life issue, ultimately leading to his shocking support of a Democrat candidate in 1992. Steven Ertelt shed some light on the matter in an article published on the day of Senator Goldwater's death in 1998. As he summed up:
In passing today, Goldwater leaves his mark as a champion of freedom and a defender of liberty. Now it is up to pro-life Republicans to advance the expanded notion of freedom Goldwater brought to the party, which included the unborn, and oppose the restrictive pro-abortion notion he left.
This brings us back to McCain: John McCain has always been pro-life, when most libertarian candidates have not. He also keeps his religion to himself, for the most part, and I admire his independent stance. It's not that I find myself agreeing with him on everything, and certainly not enough things, but at least he is pro-life, which is of utmost importance to me. This is more than we can say for the Libertarian Party candidates, who hide behind the "I'm personally pro-life, but..." cop-out of the Left (oh, are you personally against murder, but don't mind if someone else commits it? How about offing your grandparents if they get too expensive in the nursing home? Their quality of life might not be up to par, after all -- better go for euthanasia -- killing someone else who makes your life inconvenient or too expensive for your tastes is a matter of personal freedom, after all!). At least John McCain is, at 72, consistently pro-life. I don't think conservatives (and pro-life libertarian types) need to worry that he will change his mind on that anytime soon. Now if only John McCain would see the errors of his ways on the amnesty issue...
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The views expressed in this
article are those of Colette von Hessen only and do not represent
the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Colette von Hessen is
solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an
employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
You could also add about how Goldwater was actually the dark horse victor of the '64 brokered Republican Convention and McCain is all but awaiting coronation.
"This brings us back to McCain: John McCain has always been pro-life"
...except when you are talking about the lives of American soldiers or Iraqi citizens... he would have those groups toil forever in endless war to satisfy our imperialistic desires.
I don't think the author examined the issues that closely and their stances as much as their identities (pro-life, maverick, Senator for Arizona) that kind of crap. Not very thought-provoking though, you're right.
Ron Paul is the "perfect" pro-life libertarian Republican. You fail to state (or realize) that (ironically) McCain has been mostly supported by pro-choice Republicans and Democrats. McCain is also not pro-life with eveyrthing, Paul has a much better role and understanding.
If McCain would be like Goldwater, which programs has he announced he would scrap in order to slash government? He will rather increase government even further, with the "global warming" issue he is buying into.
McCain has no principles, it is more about getting votes, he is a double-talk express, rather than a straigh-talk express like Goldwater or Paul. BTW: Reagan was pro-choice first, but switched to pro-life. And what does it help McCain is pro-warmonger and pro-killing. He has stated his idol is LBJ, not Goldwater.
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