Feb 03 2008
Take Goldwater’s Advice
Fred Barnes has a suggestion for conservatives: take Barry Goldwater's advice.
Even a united Republican party will be at a disadvantage in the general election. Democratic primary turnout has doubled from 2004, reflecting a level of enthusiasm among Democrats that hasn't been seen for decades. And the party has the money to fund another massive get-out-the-vote drive this November. In 2004, it took an unprecedented effort by 1.4 million Republican volunteers to overcome the Democratic turnout machine manned by paid campaign workers.
The key to the 2004 success was the passionate commitment of these volunteers to reelecting George W. Bush. These weren't moderates or independents or McCainiacs. They were hardcore conservatives–and particularly social conservatives attracted by Bush's opposition to abortion, gay rights, and embryonic stem cell research.
McCain needs to attract hundreds of thousands of these Republicans as ground troops for his campaign. He's off to a good start. In a new TV ad dubbed "True Conservative," he refers to himself as "a proud social conservative who will never waver." He's expected to get the endorsement soon of the National Right to Life Committee, the influential anti-abortion group, and that will help…..
…..A Republican strategist had this advice for McCain: "Call the top conservative talk radio hosts. Tell them you don't question their independence. But insist you'll be talking about conservative issues. If they want to get in touch with you at any time, here's your cell phone number. And if they call, you'll answer." That is good advice. McCain might feel it's demeaning, but he shouldn't. The stakes–keeping Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama out of the White House–are too high to be prideful.
McCain, probably alone among Republicans, can win this fall, but not without the full-blown support of conservatives. If he continues to reach out to them while running as a conservative, they need to heed Barry Goldwater's advice in 1960. "Let's grow up, conservatives," he said. "If we want to take this party back, and I think we can, let's get to work."
What pains me this year is that some people who I consider quite smart appear to be willing to cut themselves completely out of the political process if McCain is the Republican candidate. That strategy will do three things, as I see it. It will shatter the coalition that has worked for a good many years and it will brand conservatives as untrustworthy allies in politics. Most important, it will cost conservatives a place at the table when it is most needed. I keep pointing out that the opposition in Venezuela decided to sit out the legislative elections with catastrophic results. That strategy, such as it is, has been tried over and over again in many countries and in many elections.
It has never worked. Staying in the game and working to influence decisions does work.
20 Responses to “Take Goldwater’s Advice”
The coalition that worked for many years is already shattered, or we wouldn’t be presented right now with a field of liberals to choose from. Conservatives must be untrustworthy allies in politics for the same reason. And conservatives have already abdicated their place at the table. The fact is that we’re out of the game and have no way back in. We don’t need to wait for November 2008; we’ve lost already.
Well hope the will not be fatous enough t ake advice from folks like Mike Savage, especial after what he said this past week..svage comments
It is being reported that Romney is ahead in CA. 37 percent to 34 percent ( margin of error ).
I’m voting in the Tuesday primary and then I’ll vote in November.
It is being reported that Romney is ahead in CA. 37 percent to 34 percent ( margin of error ).
Oh, I hope so, and I hope it holds up through Tuesday. I’ll vote for McCain against Obama or the Duocracy Restoration if I have to in November, but it will definitely be a “hold my nose” moment.
Fred Barnes compared radio talk show hosts opposed to McCain to the “mafia”.
Barnes used this offensive term in his article, but was omitted in the long excerpt above.
Many conservatives will be taking a “siesta” on election day.
That’s Spanish for sitting on our butts in November.
Re …If he continues to reach out to them while running as a conservative…..
I changed my decision to vote for Sen. McCain after watching the last debate, I will vote for Gov. Romney on Tues in the CA primary instead. Sen. McCain took cheat potshots and came across as very self righteous. He was rude and nasty for no good reason. He’s demonstrated far more conciliatory behavior to those across the aisle. His debate performance was friendly fire, deliberately undertaken. I’d tuned in hoping for someone who respected the strongly felt positions of all conservatives, and who showed a willingness to work with them. I didn’t see this, and it made me angry that he should show such poor judgment in his debate performance. Will I vote for him in Nov. IF the nominee? Oh yes, because another Clinton frightens me, and the lack of experience that Sen. Obama demonstrates, could have deadly impact given the near certainty that the next president will be tested by opponents of western freedoms, especially those who use terrorism as tactics.
Let me just say this. Screw Fred Barnes’ suggestion. And as for setting this process out, if you believe it be a principled stand to set it out, well, set it out.
And another thing, we aren’t Venezuelans.
But remember, a Clinton presidency will only destroy our economy, not your dignity. A vote for McCain will do both.
Coffe260, a Clinton presidency would not only destroy our economy, it has the potential to destroy our military superiority, our national security, even our very way of life. I have never in my adult life missed voting in an election and I will not miss voting in this one. To skip an election because you don’t like the people running is an abrogation of one’s civic responsibility as a citizen of this great republic.
McCain is not my ideal candidate but he is better than either of the remaining Democrat alternatives. If McCain manages to get the nomination my vote won’t be for him - it will be against whichever of the two Democratic alternatives is still in the race.
I was one of those volunteers for the county party. Headquarters was full of us. We called voters, we picked up poll books and brought them back to headquarters, we picked people up and took them to vote.
I’ll vote for Mitt in the primary. But if McCain is the nominee, I’ll vote for him in November. I don’t want nice. I want the biggest, strongest hawk sitting in the White House, and a big, strong hawk with a temper, who isn’t afraid to say, “Go straight to hell,” is a big plus.
Besides, I’d rather have McCain sitting in the White House where he can’t make law than in the Senate, where he can.
Perhaps sitting out an election is exactly the problem.
The US has the one of the lowest voter turnout percentages in the world. A 54% turnout.
So if you sit out an election you are in the 46%, a vague group of the undefined.
I never want to be considered undefined. Not as an American.
Al Franken is polling ahead of Norm Coleman. No doubt sitting out the election is the way to deal with that.
I remember back when Barnes said Thompson was lazy and didn’t like to campaign, I thought to myself why would he trash Republican candidates before the season even began.
Now he’s saying I should shut up and take McCain before the primary is even over.
Barnes misses the bigger point however, it really doesn’t matter whether I sit out or not, after the primary McCain hasn’t a prayer against the war the media will wage against him.
In any case, if Conservatism is marginalized should McCain get the nomination isn’t Barnes basically saying that the movement towards Socialist America has already arrived?
And if there is no Conservatism to fight for, explain to me why I should not vote for Hillary or Obama?
On the birght side of things, there is still 2010 when the tax cuts expire; oh what fun that will bring to moderate America.
I would take the attacks on McCain more seriously if I had the impression that Romney was any sort of conservative. But I don’t, the man reminds me of Kerry with more brains. What the attacks on McCain look like from here is payback with a thin veneer of rationalization about Romney being the “true” conservative.
Funny about that pro-life endorsement and the value it holds. When I was phoning for Fred(himself endorsed at the time by the National Right to Life) I got a woman who asked me if he would over-turn Roe vs. Wade when he is President.
I remarked that the Executive does not have the power to overturn without an Amendment provided by Congress.
She then remarked that she “wouldn’t vote for a baby-killer” and hung up. (I highly doubt she knows that McCain sided with ACLU in restricting free speech for pro-life groups but that’s a subject for another day)
If anything one group is going to marginalized should the Conservative coalition splinter it will be the social conservative group since they’re already regarded as the ‘extreme religious right’ of the Republican Party.
As for the War Hawk issues, I think the suggestion to close down Gitmo and bring enemy combatants to American soil granting them American rights sums up who McCain will tell “to go to hell”.
Plus his recommendation to have Dole and Scowcroft on his ‘International advisory board’ is the type of appeasement policies which brought about the gathering storm leading ultimately to the attacks on 9/11.
But hey I see so many people in the Jewish community here in NYC wearing Obama buttons that I can only surmise from this extraordinarily odd representation of not wanting to protect Israel that I get the sense the war is really no big deal and America FORGOT.
I recall Barnes saying Thompson was lazy, didn’t have a chance even before the campaign season began yet now Barnes is saying I should shut-up and take McCain otherwise Conservatism will be marginalized.
If Barnes is correct about Conservatism being marginalized becasue McCsain is not the Republican candidate isn’t he basically submitted to Socialized America?
If it is the case that Socialized America has arrived and Conservatism is no longer at the political table why should I not vote for Clinton or Obama?
If there is no Conservative at the political table then what would be the alternative to the Liberal?
I suppose when 2010 comes Americans will once again be reminded why Conservatives need to be at the political table; the shock from a gigantic tax increase will have a enormous impact upon a populace which as grown so accustomed to remarkably low taxes and lots of ipods and various other entertainment goodies.
SYN, you were phoning for Fred Thompson in NYC.
God bless you.
martian–I disagree that a, “…Clinton presidency would not only destroy our economy, it has the potential to destroy our military superiority, our national security, even our very way of life.”
There’s no way in hell the first female president would ever want her legacy to be that of what you described. And if you think she’ll want a terrorist attack on her watch you don’t know the Clinton’s. So you think she’ll pull out of Iraq. No she won’t. She doesn’t want to be strapped with a defeat there. The reason she was all for a surrender under president Bush was because he’d get the blame along with republicans. Under no circumstance will she want the same for her or her party.
As for voting for John McCain. I’ve decided I would rather not consent to the destruction of the republican party as a conservative party. I’d rather know I had no part in dismantling a once great party by helping to elect a man who has contempt for conservatism and more specifically Christians. Who, by the way, he associates directly with conservatives.
Perhaps this will help galvanize things:
Sandy Berger - Secretary of State of the USA.
And no, he ain’t returning anything…..
boycotting elections never works. It is simply cutting one’s nose off to spite their face.
Coffe260, you’re wrong. I DO know the Clintons. It was the Clintons who presided over the gutting of our military strength and intelligence capabilities in the 90s. It was the Clintons who put the rules in place that kept intelligence agencies from communicating with each other and sharing the information that might have prevented 9/11. It is Hillary Clinton that pledged on Fox News Sunday yesterday that if she is elected she will start pulling American troops out of Iraq within 60 days of taking the oath of office. It is the Clintons who have shown a contempt for American Military Forces all of their lives.
You go ahead and sit out the election Coffee. But don’t complain when you and those like you are responsible for handing our nation over to Hillary or Barrie and the downward slide that results. I said it before and I’ll say it again, to skip an election because you don’t like the people running is an abrogation, and I’ll upgrade that to a shameful abrogation, of one’s civic responsibility as a citizen of this great republic. It is handing the country over to the leftist wingnuts.
I have been voting in presidential elections since 1976 and I have never yet seen the perfect candidate. For me voting for president has always been a choice of the lesser of all evils and it continues to be in this case. No matter which candidate gets the Republican nomination I will vote for that candidate in November because he will still be better than either of the Democrat choices. If it’s McCain, so be it. At least I will have done my best and tried to keep the country out of the hands of those who would destroy her.