Time to Shut Up, Suck It Up and Vote for McCain?

[cmj685]

John McCain wouldn't have been my first choice. Indeed, he wouldn't have been my second. But if it comes down to it, will conservatives commit political suicide just to prove their point that they--what?--disagree with McCain on a couple things? I found this on CNN today and thought it was really well-written...and it rings eminantly true to me, even though he wouldn't have been my first choice. Thought I would share it with you.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/06/ ... index.html

(CNN) -- Listening to the irrational and hysterical response of conservatives to the presidential candidacy of Sen. John McCain would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

Roland S. Martin says some conservatives are opposed to Sen. John McCain's run to the presidency.

During a debate Tuesday on CNN's "The Situation Room," conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck said that the Republican Party has lost its soul, and McCain is indicative of that problem. He even said that if Sen. Hillary Clinton is the nominee, he will ignore McCain and cast a ballot for her.

Now, how silly is that?

Looking at the exit polls from Super Tuesday, McCain did well in some states with conservative voters, but he continues to run strong among moderates and independents. He clearly has a lot of work to do to shore up this important constituent in the party.

Let's be clear -- conservatives don't like McCain. But with conservatives one seat away from having a majority on the Supreme Court and the next president having the power to name up to three justices, do you actually think the folks who've fought two generations to re-take the Court actually want to see three Clinton jurists?

This, folks, is bordering on the irrational.

It all revolves around this desperate desire to find the new Ronald Reagan. He is the conservative icon. However as conservative Bill Bennett told me Tuesday night during one of our breaks in Super Tuesday coverage, Ronald Reagan wasn't always Ronald Reagan. His positions on taxes and gays evolved.

But don't tell that to conservative radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, who have vowed to destroy McCain because he doesn't carry their water on every issue. Most issues? Yes. But they require their politicians to assume a fetal position, not to have a backbone and stand up to them when needed.

McCain is a guy who is fiercely pro-life. That's a pretty important issue for the conservatives. He is strong on the military and being a former Vietnam prisoner of war sure doesn't hurt. When Republicans got weak-kneed over the surge in Iraq, McCain stood tall and proclaimed that it will work.

The guy is a fiscal conservative who abhors the spending that has taken place during the presidency of George W. Bush and the Congress under Republican rule. Yes, he voted against the first two Bush tax cuts. But as he said, when you don't have spending limits with tax cuts, you blow up the federal deficit, and we are a weaker nation today because Republicans acted like a teenager with Mom and Dad's credit card.

What you will hear from conservatives is that he has co-sponsored legislation with several Democrats, including former Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joe Liebermann. Of course, I crack up laughing because conservative talkers have a love affair with Liebermann yet they rip McCain apart for trying to actually accomplish something in a bipartisan manner.

What they seem to be most angry about is that McCain teamed up with Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold to move through a law that severely restricted the dollars in federal elections. This angered conservatives because they viewed the issue as a First Amendment cause. In fact, they really were upset about the GOP losing a major advantage over the Democrats when it came to fundraising. With that window narrowed by the law, they didn't want to see that advantage disappear. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down some parts of the law, but that still hasn't satisfied the money vultures on the right.

Lastly, there's the immigration debate.

In an effort to exercise leadership on a volatile issue, McCain chose not to be a demagogue and work out a compromise bill that would curtail the nation's unsecured borders, while figuring out a way to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants already here. If you talk to the rabid conservative talk show hosts and their wild and angry listeners, their only option is to throw these immigrants out of the country. In former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, they have a very sympathetic ear.

But we all know the truth. That will never happen. Never.

So instead of drooling at such prospects, McCain worked with Democrats and some Republicans to offer a solution, which included making illegal immigrants learn English, pay a fine, force them to get in line for citizenship while targeting businesses that hire them.

Yet, the anger in America was too great. Whites, blacks, some Hispanics, conservatives, and even liberals couldn't stomach doing this first and not securing the borders.

Folks, McCain is a pragmatic leader trying to solve a difficult situation.

Conservatives will do anything to stop him, with some even suggesting -- especially evangelicals -- that they might run a third-party candidate.

Word to the wise: Shut up, suck it up and deal with it.

If McCain wins the nomination, he is the best option the GOP has to stopping the candidacies of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and CNN contributor. Martin is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian communications at Louisiana Baptist University, and he is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." You can read more of his columns at http://www.rolandsmartin.com/

[cobb]

Word to the wise: Shut up, suck it up and deal with it.

I am, I will have my own Boston Tea Party and vote for Fred Thompson, or maybe Ron Paul, but it ain't going to be McCain.

[meltedeyes]

I'll deal with it by voting for Ron Paul.

[rucker]

I'll deal with it by voting for Ron Paul.

I can't decide what to do yet. If both candidates end up being equally evil I will write in Ron Paul. If one is slightly less evil than the other I will vote for them.

That's sad

[mnglocker]

Word to the wise: Shut up, suck it up and deal with it.

I am, I will have my own Boston Tea Party and vote for Fred Thompson, or maybe Ron Paul, but it ain't going to be McCain.

Let's ransack a ship.

I'm with you.

[justaguy]

If you vote for someone that you don’t want to win what will that tell other “weak” conservatives? If it is a record breaking total disaster for the GOP they would have to listen. The only bad thing is we will have to endure the wrath of Clinton for 4 years and I’m sure she will do her best at destroying America.

[princewally]

If you vote for someone that you don’t want to win what will that tell other “weak” conservatives? If it is a record breaking total disaster for the GOP they would have to listen. The only bad thing is we will have to endure the wrath of Clinton for 4 years and I’m sure she will do her best at destroying America.

+1

I'm voting conservative, regardless of the candidate. If the Republican party doesn't field a conservative, they don't want my vote. I'll vote libertarian before I'll vote for D-Lite(McCain).

I will NOT vote for Hillary or Obama, hoping to 'hasten the decline' or send a message. That's a stupid message.

Like I've said elsewhere:

Voting for the democrat candidate will send the wrong message. It will be telling the republicans to get more liberal, not more conservative. It’s not possible to read your mind or your mood in the way you mark your ballot.

If you want to send a message, send one it’s possible to read. Vote libertarian or write in a conservative candidate. Tell the political machine you want more conservatism by voting more conservative, not less.

[rucker]

If you vote for someone that you don’t want to win what will that tell other “weak” conservatives? If it is a record breaking total disaster for the GOP they would have to listen. The only bad thing is we will have to endure the wrath of Clinton for 4 years and I’m sure she will do her best at destroying America.

+1

I'm voting conservative, regardless of the candidate. If the Republican party doesn't field a conservative, they don't want my vote. I'll vote libertarian before I'll vote for D-Lite(McCain).

I will NOT vote for Hillary or Obama, hoping to 'hasten the decline' or send a message. That's a stupid message.

Like I've said elsewhere:

Voting for the democrat candidate will send the wrong message. It will be telling the republicans to get more liberal, not more conservative. It’s not possible to read your mind or your mood in the way you mark your ballot.

If you want to send a message, send one it’s possible to read. Vote libertarian or write in a conservative candidate. Tell the political machine you want more conservatism by voting more conservative, not less.

Ok, you've convinced me. I'm writing in Ron Paul. That's a load off my chest

[Pinnacle]

When faced with the choice of the "Lesser of two evils" I choose not to cast a vote at all.

I do not care for McCain for a lot of reasons. I know he is a war hero - I can appreciate that - but on the issues that matter most to me he falls short of the mark. His record as a politician is weak.

McCain/Feingold is an abomination to the founding fathers and a direct affront to the Constitution and our 1st Ammendment Rights - I cant hith my wagon to that horse.

Obama - NO FREAKING WAY would I vote for him - freshman senator that has NO Experience in anything at all.

Clinton - need I say more?

Ron Paul - AKA Dr. No - I like him in principal - but not in practice - he has no shot

Romney - I kind of like the guy and his politics - sadly I dont think that he is going to make it.

Thompson - Showed his balls a little too late - almost like running for the seat was a nussiance and not a passion.. Too bad. I liked Fred.

[cobb]

I choose not to cast a vote at all.

At least do a write in for one that you would vote for if he/she was on the ticket. Maybe if there are enough write in votes, someone will see and understand what is going on.

[Aceq2jot]

Obama the man and he's got all the votes in my household

[someone1980]

If it looks close in MN, I will probably vote for McCain as he is the lesser of two evils. i.e. playing the game

If it isn't close I am going to vote for who I didn't hate, and might even take into account that one of those people might have a political future to take another run.

[Burnsville Guy]

Just look at the turn out from last night this state is going to be blue. I am going to write in FDT just like I did last night. I am hoping if he gets enough votes it will get him to run again. Plus our local Pols need to see that some of us around here want a REAL Conservative.
I was chosen to be a delegate last night and will continue to talk to everyone I can at the next level, about all the same things I talked about last night. It was amazing to me that once I got up and introduced a resolution and started taking about why I cared about it. People got excited and started really interacting. It was a lot of fun.

[cobb]

I am going to write in FDT just like I did last night........... Plus our local Pols need to see that some of us around here want a REAL Conservative.

Exactly!!!

[Pinnacle]

Here is the problem

With the young Obama and the Woman Clinton

DOes anyone think that McCain has a shot? I dont think that he can win. Unless the raging popularity of Obama is all smoke and mirrors.

Lets see McCain draw in 25000 people for a rally.....