Advice For The Dyspeptic
Bill Kristol has a few words of advice for the increasingly dyspeptic portion of the right who have renounced John McCain.
This is an important moment for the conservative movement. Not because conservatives have some sort of obligation to fall in behind John McCain. They don’t. Those conservatives who can’t abide McCain are free to rally around Mitt Romney. And if McCain does prevail for the nomination, conservatives are free to sit out the election.
But I’d say this to them: When the primaries are over, if McCain has won the day, don’t sulk and don’t sit it out. Don’t pretend there’s no difference between a candidate who’s committed to winning in Iraq and a Democratic nominee who embraces defeat. Don’t tell us that it doesn’t matter if the next president voted to confirm John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, or opposed them. Don’t close your eyes to the difference between pro-life and pro-choice, or between resistance to big government and the embrace of it.
And don’t treat 2008 as a throwaway election. If a Democrat wins the presidency, he or she will almost certainly have a Democratic Congress to work with. That Congress will not impede a course of dishonorable retreat abroad. It won’t balk at liberal Supreme Court nominees at home. It won’t save the economy from tax hikes.
If, by contrast, McCain wins the presidency — and all the polls suggest he’d be the best G.O.P. bet to do so — he’ll be able to shape a strong American foreign policy, nominate sound justices and fight for parts of the conservative domestic agenda.
Kristol warns of the same likely consequences for conservatives who choose to withdraw as I have pointed out:
Some conservatives can close their eyes to all this. They can choose to stand aside from history while having a temper tantrum. But they should consider that the American people might then choose not to invite them back into a position of responsibility for quite a while to come.
I have a lot of disagreements with John McCain, I have a lot of disagreements with Mitt Romney – heck, I have a lot of disagreements with George Bush. But I have far fewer with any of those than I do with either Democrat running. Frankly, I hope the McCain campaign begins reaching out – quickly – to try to get more conservative support. Otherwise the conservatives may damage themselves very badly this year.
By clifto, February 4, 2008 @ 7:56 am
Kristol has a colossal amount of nerve citing Alito as a reason to support McCain. He has even more nerve suggesting McCain resists big government. Throughout his entire screed, Kristol is urinating on my shoes while telling me it’s raining. For McCain to reach out to conservatives is the same thing on a more massive scale. There is only the barest minimum of justification for supporting McCain that could not equally well justify supporting Obama, and at least half of that (e.g. support for the war on terror) will disappear the moment McCain starts bargaining with his comrades in the Democrat party.
By syn, February 4, 2008 @ 8:09 am
Ok because of our troops and only because of our troops I’ll reach across the aisle and vote for MCain if he should win the nomination.
I hope that Bill’s right about McCain winning the general election against the media’s might.
I guess I don’t not understand if it’s just about Iraq, why isn’t the Republican establishment offering a better alternative who appeals to their party members, won’t moderates/independents vote for ‘anyone but Clinton or Obama’ with any Republican whose a War Hawk?
Walid Phares gave a every good argument for why he is supporing Romney as one who will be best to fight Jihad but I’ll pull McCain in the general based only on supporting the troops; on this issue McCain better deliver on his promise should he manage to win the general. If he reneges on our troops in the way he has reneged Conservatives he won’t have anyone to defend him against impeachment.
May I suggest (not that it matters anymore)McCain at the very least offering a decent and honest Conservative VP we all can get around. Since he already has social conservatives after Huckabee withdraws I hope it’s someone who appeals to the other people in the party.
By syn, February 4, 2008 @ 8:23 am
One last thing, should McCain manage to garner the White House and end up nominating really bad candidates to the Supreme Court I expect everyone who insisted we rally behind McCain today will not raise their voice in anger and disappointment tomorrow.
You wouldn’t want to be responsible for ‘dividing the country’ or ‘ending the Conservative movement forever’.
McCain supporters (especially with regard to whom he nominates to be the next two nominated to the Supreme Courts)are putting a lot of faith into someone who has a record of being untrustworthy.
But I love our troops far more than I dislike McCain.
By syn, February 4, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Sorry my other one last point which I promise will be the last.
I am a 9/11 convert to Conservativism who began defending many of the social conservative issues but from a secular argument (I was once pro-choice but switched) however I have to say I am having a difficult time supporting anymore this ideal of ‘pro-choice’ vs pro-life’
From what I have observed since my conversion, when there are Methodist minsters for example supporting politicans (Obama) who voted for partial-birth practice what difference does it make that a poltiican be ‘pro-life’?
If the faithful inside the church are voting against their own issues why then should I bother with what they say or do.
I suppose government handouts, or Al Gore’s environmental movement or Hillary’s healthcare or Obama’s skin color is much more important to the faithful than is protecting life.
If something like 80% of Americans consider themselves faithful why are there so many pro-choice politicians elected into office?
By Gaius, February 4, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Syn, I’m not happy about all of this, either, as I continue to point out. But I’d rather have some chance of avoiding the worst excesses of a totally left-stacked government than none whatsoever.
Reagan was a pragmatist and yet is a conservative icon. I’m trying to keep his 11th commandment here, despite grave differences with McCain. If Romney pulls it off, I’ll support him as well. If Thompson had managed it, I would have supported him.
I can’t vote for my perfect candidate, if such a thing even exists. But I can surely vote against one I think would be worse for the country. I always vote and I have no intention of failing to do so this year.
By NortonPete, February 4, 2008 @ 10:26 am
You can still vote for Fred Thompson in NJ tomorrow. You could vote for Bill Richardson, Edwards etc. because they did not have enough time to change the ballots. I imagine this is also the case in many states that moved their primaries up from June.
Also if you cast an absentee ballot for any of them you are out.
By quilly mammoth, February 4, 2008 @ 10:33 am
If it’s Juan McCain against Hillary! I’ll probably follow Kristol’s lead. However, if it’s Obama I’m either not going to vote for President or actually vote for Obama. McCain is a back stabbing weasel that spent the last eight years being a “maverick” so he would have the name recognition to win this primary. He’s tried to trample on our First Amendment, he’s tried to reduce our sovereignty and he’s tried to put our energy policy under control of the International Green movement.
He’ll try these things again as President and Republicans will have a hard time standing up to him. Republicans will stand up to Obama.
By sam, February 4, 2008 @ 4:52 pm
Syn,
I have taken the liberty of copying the section of the United Methodist (UM) Social Principles (www.umc-gbcs.org/socialprinciples) that pertains to abortion below. The Social Principles are reviewed and revised at the UM General Conference every four years, and are the result of long, sometimes painful process of consensus and compromise among the 1,000 lay and clergy delegates. Even though this statement is the “official” church position on the subject, lay members and clergy are under no obligation to believe or adhere to it as a condition of being members. The UM document that governs what clergy can and cannot do is called the Book of Discipline (http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=0687023734)
People make decisions on which candidate to support based on many factors – their stand or record on abortion is only one of them. Perhaps, those UM clergy that support Obama believe that his other positions are more important than his support of partial-birth abortion. That is their right. We each make our decisions on whatever factors are the most important to us.
J. Abortion
The beginning of life and the ending of life are the God-given boundaries of human existence. While individuals have always had some degree of control over when they would die, they now have the awesome power to determine when and even whether new individuals will be born. Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy. In continuity with past Christian teaching, we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures. We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection. We oppose the use of late-term abortion known as dilation and extraction (partial-birth abortion) and call for the end of this practice except when the physical life of the mother is in danger and no other medical procedure is available, or in the case of severe fetal anomalies incompatible with life. We call all Christians to a searching and prayerful inquiry into the sorts of conditions that may warrant abortion. We commit our Church to continue to provide nurturing ministries to those who terminate a pregnancy, to those in the midst of a crisis pregnancy, and to those who give birth. We particularly encourage the Church, the government, and social service agencies to support and facilitate the option of adoption. (See ¶ 161.K.) Governmental laws and regulations do not provide all the guidance required by the informed Christian conscience. Therefore, a decision concerning abortion should be made only after thoughtful and prayerful consideration by the parties involved, with medical, pastoral, and other appropriate counsel.
Sorry to get so long winded, as a UM lay member and leader I am familiar with the subject.