The Twilight Zone Party

Imagine, if you will, a thought experiment.

Men in suits with silk ties and women in suits with large pearls solemnly gather in an immense two-story, mahogany paneled library. Imagine this assemblage to be The Republican Establishment. The Party Elders. The Grey Heads.

A speaker comes to the podium. He has an announcement:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it has come to our attention that there appears to be a new presidential aspirant moving in our circles. He’s the son of an admiral, an Annapolis man. Actually, he’s a war hero himself, and former POW He’s against abortion, a bit of a deficit hawk though he’s up for some tax cuts, and he’s a free trader of course. All the right stuff on the issues front, though he is tad over the top on this campaign reform business.

“The main thing is that in actual elections he seems to have this extraordinary appeal not just to Us, but to independents, even Democrats. A bit like Reagan. Could be just the ticket in November. Hell of a campaigner.

“The man’s name is McCain. And the question we face today, of course, is what shall we do with him?”

Eliminate him. Get rid of him. Have him whacked. There’s no dissent in this crowd.

It sounds ludicrous, of course. No political party would reject out of hand an incredibly potent general election weapon.

But that seems to be what’s happening with John McCain and the Republican Party.

And it’s not just the party establishment, it’s core GOP voters too. Only half the people who voted in Michigan on Tuesday described themselves as Republicans. Those who did so went for Bush over McCain massively, 66% to 29%.

This is no great revelation. This summer I was talking to a very bright, moderate Republican who works in the Senate and he said flatly, “Only Democrats like McCain. Republicans don’t care for him.”

Why don’t they?

It really can’t be just his issues record. He may not be a zealous social conservative, but neither were the Bushes, or Bob Dole, or most Republican primary voters. His voting record is conservative by any measure. And his biography is flat-out red, white, and blue.

Could it be too patriotic? Could there be a little hero-envy going on here? After all, most Republican office-holders aren’t even vets. Only 37% of the House Republican Caucus has been in the military, 40% of the GOP governors, and 45% in the Senate.

But they didn’t hold being a hero against Dole.

Could it be that perennial slam on McCain that he’s not “well-liked” in the Senate? I’m sorry, but I covered that body of 100 former student body presidents and there simply is no such thing as a well-liked Senator. They like themselves best. Sure there are a couple guys they wouldn’t want sniffing around their daughters, but McCain isn’t in that group. It’s hard to imagine that whispers from cuddly guys like Aren Specter and Jesse Helms that “McCain’s not well-liked” could sway the party elders and masses.

Failure to grab the Miss Congeniality crown never hurt Richard Nixon.

Okay, one more stab. John McCain likes reporters. He actually seems to enjoy their company. Yuck. Instant disqualification.

Of course, Jerry Ford did too. So did Dole, the press always laughed when he cracked wise.

Maybe it is campaign finance reform. Maybe McCain’s “iron triangle” of money, lobbyists, and career politicians really is conspiring against him.

Or perhaps it’s just the whole maverick thing. Maybe Republicans just don’t do mavericks.

I give up. Uncle.

But it does appear that if McCain does get the nomination, it will be in spite in the party establishment and professionals, and maybe even in spite of the wishes of registered, rank-and-file Republicans. And that’s weird.

It is also weird that if you gathered a dozen Republican consultants and asked them to design a perfect general election candidate, you’d get something like John McCain. And then you would find out he’s not “well-liked” by the rest of the club?

Twilight Zone stuff…

Imagine, if you will, the near perfect general election candidate… and the Party that said "go away."