McCain's Not A Conservative, But That's OK

National Review Online: Despite The Senator's Policies, He Is Better Than Democratic Alternative

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Daniel Oliver.

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John McCain is not a conservative, but I will vote for him anyway.

After all, in 1952, conservatives, grumbling that Ohio senator Robert “Mr. Republican” Taft had not been nominated, voted for Eisenhower because he was clearly the better alternative to Adlai Stevenson. And they voted for Ike again over Stevenson in 1956.

In 1971, a Who’s Who of conservatives, including the senior editors of National Review, suspended their support of President Nixon because of both his domestic-policy failures and his tendencies in foreign policy.

In 1972, however, National Review endorsed the reelection of Nixon, describing the Democratic candidate, George McGovern, as “not something with which a grown-up superpower can play.”

Was Eisenhower a conservative? No. Nixon? No. Bush (either one)? No. McCain? No. Republicans, yes - it’s a famously big tent - and with some conservative positions. But having conservative positions is not the same as being a conservative.

What is a conservative? Essentially, someone who is temperamentally suspicious of government. That’s why conservatives argue for limited government, economic freedom, low taxes, and fewer regulations. The bumper-sticker version might be: “If in doubt, keep government out.” That demonstrates a healthy skepticism of both government’s competence (think Katrina clean-up) and its fuzzy benevolence, which generally involves toying with any activity that begins with the letters A through Z, scolding people for their behavior (and, er, persuading them to change it), or redistributing their wealth.

The skeptical view of the redistributionist function of government can be described, with apologies to William Graham Sumner, as A and B deciding how much C should give to D.

The behavior-modification efforts of government can be seen in innumerable campaigns and diktats like anti-smoking and anti-obesity crusades and campaign-financing laws.

A useful rule of thumb is: No one who voted for, or signed, the McCain-Feingold Act can be considered a conservative. Unless he recants and repents.

John McCain also opposed Bush’s tax cuts (though his vote may have been less an anti-tax-cut vote than an intemperate anti-Bush vote - but that is not good either) and he favors global-warming programs that most conservatives think are foolish and harmful (if in doubt, keep government out). And - sigh! - he favors importing prescription drugs from Canada, which is not just economic nonsense of the first order but suggests college-level economic illiteracy.

Nevertheless, McCain is clearly a Republican, with some conservative positions. He has promised to appoint judges who will interpret the law, not make it. He has promised to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. And he has promised to fight government spending, to veto any bill with earmarks, and to roll back entitlement programs-positions that, these days, it is an act of nostalgia to describe as “Republican.”

Meanwhile, Senator Barack Obama has been named the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate by National Journal. Senator Hillary Clinton can’t be far behind. Against them, Senator McCain would seem the obvious choice for conservatives. But some of them think a term or two in the political wilderness would be beneficial.

Conservatives have been here before. As National Review said in 1972, “There are those, including some of our colleagues, who believe that four years of McGovern would catalyze a recrudescent conservatism. We disagree that the chance is worth taking. McGovern is the erector set of big-think intellectuals, otherworldly dreamers, and children. Belloc warned that dangerous toys should not be given to little boys.”

Senator McCain might help his cause with conservatives if he stopped calling himself a conservative. He is damaging their brand name. And conservatives should stop, now, demanding that he be a conservative: that is not a condition precedent for being the better choice for president. Conservatives should remember that the fault McCain is not a conservative is partly their own: They have not succeeded in making conservatism the iPod in the marketplace of political philosophies.

To conservatives, John McCain sounds like the Devil. That is his fault, not theirs. He has dissed them and enjoyed it. That is not presidential, and if he does not stop he will not be president. He should make-and is making-amends, and not for his own sake, or for the conservatives’, but for the country’s.

It is time for conservatives to accept reality (accepting reality is another conservative trait); and the reality is (1) John McCain will be the Republican nominee for president and (2) he will make a far better president than the Democratic alternative.

Dangerous toys should not be given to little boys.

Or to little girls.

[stopkidding]

Oh, please, not a conservative. I suppose you all need to run from the conservative label these days.

[mistered9]

Tbe elderly Bush should endorse McCain, he is just like his loser son.

[dust27]

I liked what he had to say for the most part, expect that he is our nominee. The Last I checked Huckabee was still in this.

[dust27]

Can you still be a Republican and support all that stupidity.

[terrapin78]

LOL

Lesser of 2 evils? That really brings out the right-wing voters.

McCain is not a Conservative, he is a Bu$h clone.

Nothing will change from the way Bu$h Admin. does business if he is elected.

Same lame policies.

[conspiracygirl]

The author makes a good case, but I think I will vote for the BEST candidate instead.

Instead of voting from fear of what other voters are going to do, and being cynically certain that most of them will vote stupidly, and so I''d better take the least worse choice to offset them, I am going to cast my vote FOR someone. Someone who sees the big picture.

Ron Paul.

I know the reality. But at least I did the right thing.

[denn034]

Go McCain!

[enoughya]

McCain is the absolute worst presidential candidate Republicans have selected since, well, George Bush. He is a thug that can be seen coming 200 miles away, if Americans would only open their eyes half way this time. The last thingthis nation can afford is another Bush in the Oval Office.

There are enough red flags to even give the most blind partisans pause, like the Keating 5 scandal, McCain''s penchant to lie and usurp power through dirty tricks, his ties to the military industrial complex and his extreme pro war postitioning (more graft). This McCain tyrant is real scary.

[gkc99]

Memo from Nether Repugniscum Orif*ace to voters:


SAVE OUR CANDY *****! WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO REAL WORK UNLESS A NEOCON-SCUM WINS AGAIN.

[irliberal]

This article defines "conservatism", but that definition of "conservatism" has virtually NOTHING in common with the last 7 years of republican politics.

The entire article is a complete joke. Nearly every line can incite a belly laugh, every word chosen to invoke mirth. The author''s a natural born comedian!

[lawyertom1]

Of course McCain is conservative, quite. On a few issues (e.g., immigration, torture) he has staked out positions that the hard right hates. His views on immigration reflect what much of the business community would like. He views on torture [except for recent waffles] reflect his personal experience in being tortured [can the Shrub and Chain Gang say that -- oh, I forgot, they were too busy evading the draft; what was that, five deferments for Chain Gang?]. The article is a smoke screen for what McCain is -- a rather conservative individual with a few maverick ideas. Brother John is no moderate.

[pollroller1]

carolm62 I also like Ron Paul. I would like to see all of us get our country back. But I''m sorry to say he does not have much chance of winning.

[dust27]

Mitt Romney and George Bushs support of McCain really sicken me. I expected it from Bush not so much from Romney. Eveybody is cadering to the likely nominee before its over. I really hope this goes to the convention, that way Paul of Huck can get a better shot at it.But that is looking just a little unlikly.

[verycold]

What is a conservative to one is not to another? If I am a member of a party and I choose to give myself the label of "conservative", I do so based on my understanding of the word. I have yet to find one single "conservative" that I agree with 100 percent of the time. I am lucky to agree with ANYBODY 50 percent of the time. It seems we have a rare opportunity to support a candidate with considerable age, or one with a gender we are somewhat uncomfortable to support at this time, or a racially mixed candidate that seems to be quite the celebrity at this moment. No matter, at some point in this election process it would be nice to put aside these obvious characteristics and instead require the remaining two to share with the American people the realistic vision they have for us. I don''t want to hear from any of them about being a patriot, or looking backwards at past mistakes that either the dems or republicans have made, but instead how to FIX what is going south quickly for all of us. We need bright ideas, plans how to implement those bright ideas and people that have managerial skills to make it all happen. I don''t care a *** about HOPE. HOPE does not pay the bills. Expect more from these candidates and maybe we will get more.

[graburn]

"John McCain is not a conservative"??
McCain represents the reason I BECAME a Republican: fiscal responsibility, states'' rights, and smaller government! It''s not McCain, but rather the Republican Party that has strayed: playing to the religious right instead of actually fixing government. That''s not conservative, that''s just kissing ***.

Who here doesn''t recognize the influence money has over politics? True, the McCain-Feingold Act was flawed, but he at least had the courage to try. Who else would dare cut his own oxygen supply for the good of the nation?

"John McCain is a Bush clone"??
He%u2019s not even close to being a Bush clone. Bush is just another Republican Party "yes" man. At least McCain thinks for himself. He has the balls to say things that aren''t popular with his party''s base which gives what he says little more ring of truth. I can''t think of another candidate who%u2019d dare to say something unpopular (except maybe Ron Paul). Can you imagine Hillary saying anything without consulting her study group? Would Obama still be a contender if he said he supported the troop surge? NO ONE perfectly embodies all party ideals but nearly all pretend to. How then can you vote for someone who only tells you what you want to hear?

"... McCain''s penchant to lie and usurp power through dirty tricks..."
Tell you what, read through the Political Fact Check at http://factcheck.org and maybe then you can come to an educated conclusion about who lies the most, eh?

[ubrew12]

Article: "What is a conservative? Essentially, someone who is temperamentally suspicious of government.... Was Eisenhower a conservative? No. Nixon? No. Bush (either one)? No. McCain? No."

Honestly, by now, are you talking about someone who actually exists? Romanticism is often tarred onto liberals by conservatives, but if you can''t find someone who EXISTS (in deed, not just in word) as a conservative, then MAYBE YOU ARE THE ROMANTIC and need to get past your romanticism. Talking the talk only gets you so far. If the people you elect don''t really share your beliefs, then your romanticism is just getting played for the idealism it is, by players who know the real world.

After the horror Bush Jr has just unleashed on America (no, I''m not talking about Iraq, I''m talking about the debt - imagine Iraq being the SECOND worst thing you did with your Presidency)... I hope true conservatives are doing the serious soul-searching necessary to reconcile their beliefs with the world as it actually IS. For, if they can''t, America will continue to fail, and get sold out by the ''real-politik'' power-players on right AND left.

Honestly, folks. I get your romantic leaning. Do you realize you egregiously you''ve been sold out for it???

[andor3]

McCain is easy to bend to whatever label you want--he will gladly twist and flip flop to get those extra ten votes. As he has shown, he can always change his mind later--and he will!

What McCain is: an old man who the Republicans are sacrificing in an election where they are beat before they start. The party never liked him and this is a bit of ironic payback.

[conspiracygirl]

pollroller1:

Yes, I am sadly aware of the numbers. In the beginning I was a Romney supporter, and donated heavily to his campaign. I''d look sadly at the Ron Paul posters, because I thought he was a nice guy with good ideas who didn''t have a chance.

Then Romney dropped out and I had to start researching everyone again. It piqued my interest when I came across the statistic that Ron Paul gets more donations from military members than all of the other candidates combined. Why was that...?

I went on to find that the heads of the CIA''s Bin Laden terrorism unit says that Paul is the only candidate who gets it. Fascinating....

Anyway, studying him out has been enlightening and such a breath of fresh air. But as you note, he doesn''t stand a chance. Just like me a few weeks ago, few are willing to even hear his positions. Sigh.

However, if enough people keep supporting Paul, maybe the major contenders will venture to take their blinders off too, someday....

[skyk-2009]

I listened to McCain last night after he was given the win in Wisconsin. I couldn''t believe my ears. This sad old man was standing there just going over, line by line, the same tired old trash we''ve been hearing now for 30 years. You all know the lines.. we will cut the taxes for the rich, they will then create all those great paying jobs that we will train you to do. We will fix Social Security AND we''ll make Health Care more accessable to the few who don''t have it. The ONLY exception was he would continue the War against Islam... NO mention as to how he would pay for that either. John, you need to visit us in the NOW and TODAY. Those Jobs? They were a LIE, the Rich guys EXPORTED alright, EXPORTED AMERICAN JOBS! The ONLY growth we''ve had to speak of has been that. Social Security has been totally consumned by the debt and DEFICIT which are at RECORD levels. Balance the Budget? He never even MENTIONED the fact that they HAD a balanced budget when they took over 7 years ago, but he''s going to balance it? LOL Folks anyone who votes for people like this deserve to continue to slide into third world status.

[kevboom]

Thought some of you folks interested in McCain not being a "conservative" might also be interested in this article on changes needed in the GOP:
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A176339

[jjp735i]

John McCain is a conservative. John McCain is not a Social Conservative. There is a big differance and one that people are starting to notice.

Bush is a Social Conservative and we don''t want another morals police President. We don''t want to live under the thumb of the Social Conservative any longer. These are the same people always in the news for gay s*x, chasing after little boys, taking bribes, drug abuse, paying for male & female hookers and so on. These are the very same people who demand that you don''t.

As long as McCain is courting the Social Conservatives, he does not get my vote. No matter what type of conservative he is.

[grumpas]

Until the Republican''s unload the fascist element in their party I will not vote for them! They are some of the most vile, self-righteous, obnoxious, hypocritical people on the planet! McCain isn''t a gram better than the nut job we have as President. It''s the same tired old policies the Republican''s have been pushing for years. I am a conservative who learned a long time ago not to vote conservative! Because one slits their own throat when they do!

[quatrops]

McCain said yesterday he wants an America that is "free, safe, prosperous, and proud"!

Hello ?

FREE? The "Patriot Act"? Even the lunch menu is classified by the neocons, so how can we know if we''re free or not?

SAFE? With the growth in #s of terrorists as a result of our absurd Iraq farce of a "war"?

PROSPEROUS? A recession looms and we''re "prosperous"?

PROUD? Of what? We''re the despised laughing stock of the international community. Tamzania seems to be the only country that thinks Bush and America are "just great".

I don''t think so, John.

[quatermass2]

"That demonstrates a healthy skepticism of both government%u2019s competence (think Katrina clean-up)

Uh, no. Think "Invade and ocupy Iraq and Afghanistan", dimbulbs. How''s THAT working out for ya?

and its fuzzy benevolence, which generally involves toying with any activity that begins with the letters A through Z, scolding people for their behavior (and, er, persuading them to change it), or redistributing their wealth."

Scolding like the snake-handling "religous right"? Fixated on gay marriage? Obsessed that someone, somewhere, might be having a good time? And speaking of redistributing wealth - check out who actually benefits from the infamous tax cuts.

***, what a bunch of lying hypocrites.

[t_paine]

I am a Conservative Candidate

When you hear this phrase, many Americans think:

Someone who has my best interests in mind.
Someone who will make sure to control government spending.
Someone who will put forth my values, about working, taking care of family, being independent.
Someone who will not tax me to spend money on people who do not deserve it.
Someone who will stay out of my personal life.
Someone who does not believe the Federal government should be involved in Big Business.

Step into 2008.When you hear that phrase, You should realize this is not 1965.

Today''s so-called %u201CNeo-conservatives%u201Dare nothing of the sort. They approach you with so-called American values, get your vote and then support values that are not American. They have destroyed our constitution and the Bill of Rights. As Americans, and you who want to be Americans, you should know that those documents are all we have that separates us from tyranny.

Listen carefully to what is being said by candidates about what they want for Americans as a society. Vote to protect your country and community from the so-called Conservatives that have betrayed your trust and do not speak for the soul and heart of this country. Life as we have known it in America is so close to disappearing from the affects of their influence. Our future will be irrevocably compromised unless there is consideration of the essence of American values in this election.

[guysdigdirt]

Scolding like the snake-handling "religous right"? Fixated on gay marriage? Obsessed that someone, somewhere, might be having a good time? And speaking of redistributing wealth - check out who actually benefits from the infamous tax cuts.

***, what a bunch of lying hypocrites.
Posted by Quatermass2

It looks like you are the only moron fixated on these issues and if you really look into them you might find you are mistaken in your assumptions.

[guysdigdirt]

I don''''t think so, John.
Posted by quatrops

Typical lib, complain constantly about what is wrong but not a clue in he(( about what to do other than complain. Life is so terrible isn''t it richard.

[doctorfixit-2009]

McCain is an economic illiterate, as is Obama. I think Hillary knows enough about economics to know that her socialist proposals are founded on cynicism. They will transfer wealth from "the rich", but not enough to really hurt,whereas the lion''s share will be carried by the not-so-rich, without them becoming suspicious. Better to let young Mr. Obama fil the role played so well by Jimmy Carter - a powerful reason for conservatives to get organized and re-take the party, or form a new one.