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Shouldn’t the Democrats Get the Blame?

The Presidential primaries present an interesting conundrum this year.  The front runners of the moment are a 1940’s-style Democrat (Big Government CAN do it all, strong on defense) and a 1970’s-style Democrat, who looks and talks like Jimmy Carter, but actually votes to be strong on defense in the Senate.  Both have proven to find the truth a highly-elastic material.  The net difference between the Republican and Democratic frontrunners is that one of the two has real testicles.  Of course, they originally belonged to her husband.

Many might consider this to be an unfair characterization of Senator McCain.  He is a war hero, after all.  But, that war ended more than thirty years ago, and while he may have had a backbone against the North Vietnamese, he’s never shown one against the Democrats.  He’s thrown more punches, literal and figurative, at his Republican colleagues than at the Democrats.  He talks much more like Walter Mondale than Ronald Reagan, with references to “greedy people on Wall Street who need to be punished” and “for patriotism, not for profit.”  Anyone remember his comments from 2000 about the Christian right?  I could believe much of what he says coming from a John Kerry or Dennis Kucinich, but from the Republican frontrunner?

I cannot see myself voting for this man under any circumstances.  So, where does that leave me if he gets the nomination?  He can’t be trusted on Supreme Court nominations.  He has flip-flopped on what sort of Justice he would nominate.  Right now, he’s trying to claim to be conservative, but he’s had a reputation as a maverick for much longer.  There are also rumors that he has said he’ll only run for one term.  That means the day he takes office, he’s no longer beholden to the people who elected him.  He can follow his true inclination without worry about upsetting all of those wacko right-winger types, who just happen to be the bulk of his party.  I wouldn’t trust him on any issue.

On economic issues, issues of freedom, paying attention to the Constitution, and big government programs, he aligns pretty well with Senator Kennedy.  In fact, McCain is to the left of the former Senator Kennedy who became President.  John F. Kennedy at least understood the power of tax cuts to free the economy.  McCain would be likely to let the tax levels rise back to the former levels under Clinton, if not higher.  He certainly has no clue about regulation and its effect on the economy.  Comparing Senator McCain to the average Democrat would only yield a slight divergence on winning the war in Iraq.  But, despite many of the things she has said about the war, Hillary Clinton’s voting record isn’t that different from McCain’s.

If we’re going to get basically the same results either way, with one result being an economic disaster, wouldn’t it be better to let the Democrats have the White House for four years, and let them get the blame for the recession caused by economic ignorance?  If the candidates are so close on the issues and neither is a disciple of the truth, what’s the downside?  If McCain gets elected and does as expected, the Republicans get blamed.  I don’t consider myself so much a Republican as a conservative.  But, most of the other conservatives are in the Republican Party, and what hurts the party will hurt the conservative cause.  I’d much rather see the Democrats take it on the chin as they did in 1976-80.

I can’t quite bring myself to think that I’d vote for Hillary, but I’ve actually been considering it, which scares me.  How many other conservatives are thinking that Hillary might do less damage than McCain?  How many conservatives will just sit out the general election if McCain is the Republican nominee?  How many will seek a third party, such as the Libertarians?  How many will just hold their noses and vote for McCain?  I don’t have the answers to any of these questions.  But I have a feeling that if McCain gets the nomination, nothing good will come of it.

This entry was posted on January 31, 2008 at 12:41 am and is filed under Politics, Human Nature, Government, Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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One Response to “Shouldn’t the Democrats Get the Blame?”

  1. Les Smart says:
    February 1, 2008 at 2:19 pm

    With the four horses left in the race, heading for the turn, it appears to me (also a conservative) that the Liberal colors are being carried by three of them. Romney’s colors are a very faded conservative hue. However, I don’t know if I could manage to pull a lever next to the name Clinton. If it said William it would be bad enough but Hilary?

    It doesn’t matter what McCain says, the next president will be a one term wonder. Perhaps Romney has the ability to overcome the obsticles that will lead us to economic problems but, he will be working with a Democratic Congress and Senate. It would be like trying to save a drowning man, Mitt will get hurt by the kicking and thrashing of people who haven’t learned that taxing and spending only damages the nation. In 2012 the election slogan will be, “It’s the economy stupid!”

    I see a pattern evolving here that could lead us to a resurgance of conservativism in 2012. Republicans should be looking on the horizon for a Reagan conservative, for representatives and senators willing to write and pledge to a new ‘contact for America’ There is currently a dirth of conservative leadership.

    A National health plan may provide health care to some Americans but the cost will be an ailing economy that will have no cure but to raise taxes. When has the government ever run anything that they haven’t ruined? There is no such thing as free health coverage. Ask Canadians and English citizens.

    I blame the rocky status of conservativism on the two Bushes. George Herbert was never a Reagan republican. He branded Reagan’s plan for tax cuts as ‘voodoo economics’ and rapidly brushed it aside even after repeated exclaimations of, “Read my lips. No new taxes.” George Walker shone after 9/11 but has not been an effective president. He didn’t need to go into Iraq when he did and messed it up when he did. He didn’t initiate the surge that has been so successful until after the electorate expelled his fellow Republican Senators and Representatives in large numbers. He rails against pork in bills but, allowed incredable amounts of spending uner a Republican House and Senate.

    Let us also look to ourselves to American citizens. Under fear of death, Iraqi citizens turned out over 90% to vote in their first election. We Americans rarely reach 50% with nothing to fear. We should bring over a few thousand Iraqi citizens with purple fingers to observe our elections. Would shame bring out the vote?

    As for McCain, “He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind” Proverb 11:29. He will be a puppet to the Democrats because he so often spit in the faces of his own party.

    We conservatives have a rough four to eight years ahead. Hunker down, ride the storm and look for a new captain.

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