Posted by
JayPeriod on Friday, February 15, 2008 2:50:42 PM
Conservatives are splitting at the sight of McCain like the Red Sea did for Moses. Many Conservative pundits and bloggers are pointing to his past to show that he is not our guy. At the same time, some Conservative politicians are endorsing him, claiming the greater good of the movement. Yet, in spite of these endorsements, he has not convinced or excited the base. So, what must he do to do that?
Many died-in-the-wool Conservatives will not be easily won. The remember McCain-Feingold's assault on free speech. They remember the "Gang of 14" meant to keep Conservative judges off the bench. They remember the calls to close Guantanamo Bay and bring known terrorists to our shores and open our courts to them. And, of course, they remember the call to grant citizenship to 20 million people who have broken our laws to get here, stolen identities to work and kill more people every year from drunk driving than the whole of the Iraq war. He has encouraged compromise, even when he was part of the majority. Can anyone really blame the base for being skeptical?
With all this history, how can we believe McCain has now had a "change of heart?" He talks about having a revelation and now supporting the Conservative ideas in each of these issues, but how do we really know he has done so? Politicians are known to say whatever it takes to get elected. Can a leopard really change his spots, though?
No, we the base demand something concrete to verify that we are going to be respected. We need something tangible to hold him to after the election. He must be made to sign a pledge that he will support the base, over and above his desire to compromise. Without such a show of reconciliation, there can be no proof.
I highly doubt, though, that McCain would be willing to sign such a pledge. I don't believe he has any desire to compromise with his base, he saves that for the enemies of his base.
So, while there can be no doubt that McCain is a fiscal conservative, completely rejecting all earmarks in the past, there is more to being a Conservative than just that. He must respond to our concerns and provide us with the proof we need. Without such, he should plan for the attacks and criticism to continue, because without said pledge, he does not represent us.