A liberal friend recently asked me a question, and the answer seemed appropriate for US Conservative Politics & Perspectives.
Here's the discussion:
Q: ...When McCain did his first go-round with "The Straight Talk Express" (or whatever he was calling that bus-thingy) I thought carefully about crossing the aisle for him. I'm frankly amazed that he is the GOP candidate. Is this a failing of the right-wing in allowing him to secure the nomination? Is this an indication that the GOP is moving center? An acknowledgement that he's more likely to win crossover votes than a more conservative choice? Or just a fluke?
A: This is going to sound hard to believe coming from the US Conservatives Guide, but I honestly believe he’s more conservative than most people realize. Granted, he’s not as socially conservative as the radical right wing of the Republican Party would want, but that doesn’t mean he’s center. He’s pro-life, pro-gun, in favor of a strong national defense, smaller government and adherence to the US Constitution. Those are all the basic tenets (these days) to qualify as a conservative. The reason he’s considered a “maverick” by the radical right is because he’s repeatedly shown a willingness to compromise and reach across the aisle in an effort to move government along. If it were up to the radical right, there would be no compromising under any circumstances.
In many ways, that’s the problem with the far-left, too. Unfortunately what’s happened in America is that those who repeatedly run for and are elected to Congress are the exaggerated ends of the same political spectrum. The Democrats typically run on a far-left campaign, while the Republicans typically run a far-right campaign. Different factions vote for the candidate who is most unwilling to compromise. These candidates are then perceived as the ideal candidate because of their unwillingness to compromise. The end result when you have a bunch of politicians who are unwilling to compromise is political chaos, which is exactly what we have now. Bush is the worst example of this because not only did he become unwilling to compromise, by betraying his conservative supporters and abusing his office to circumvent the constitution he proved once and for all just how powerful the presidency is.
All that being said, think back to 2000 when the differences between Bush and McCain were far more apparent. These differences, in fact, cost him the election. I think many conservatives see now how important it is this time to elect a candidate with some proven consistency. McCain may not be the radical right’s first choice, but even they can now see what a mistake it was to nominate Bush in 2000. At the very least, McCain will prove more conservative than either of the other choices, at best he’ll make all their wishes come true.
Q: Although I sometimes may define myself as a single-issue voter who feels strongly that choice must be kept legal, and a woman's right to determine her own reproductive future is essential to a democratic and forward-advancing society, still I do see McCain as someone who may actually shape government in the ways that I think would benefit us all. Compromise is useful when the compromiser is a good horse trader and knows what is gained and what is lost in the deal.
Obama's track record is still too fresh, and his leadership not clearly demonstrated, for me to feel secure about him in the White House. I fear he may be another Jimmy Carter - personally liked but not cut out for the job. I am one of those "pay your dues" people and don't think Obama's paid enough dues or forged enough connections for him to be effective in the long run.
Clinton is the devil you know... and I guess I'd vote for the devil we all know, though she is certainly not without significant flaws. But in another horse race, I'd have felt the strong urge to vote for McCain.
A: I understand your feelings. There are two things to bear in mind, and then I’ll stop trying to persuade you:
- Hillary Clinton is not her husband. I was actually OK with Clinton. My far-right friends say he was the devil because of his personal behavior while in office, and while I can’t disagree, I have to give him credit for balancing our budget and eliminating our national debt. I don’t vote party lines. I’d be inclined to vote for him if it were a runoff between him and Bush.
- Roe v. Wade probably won’t be overturned in our lifetime. There are a couple of reasons. First, the hope of the radical right wing voters to one day have it overturned is the only thing that keeps them going to the polls. As long as it isn’t overturned, Republicans will keep “trying” to make it happen. That means that in Congress, the Republicans still have bargaining capital. Another reason it won't be overturned is that even for a strict constructionist judge, taking away broad sweeping rights already granted in the Constitution is difficult to justify, even under the best of circumstances ... because by overturning Roe v. Wade, there is no wiggle room for exceptions to be made (something even many hard-line conservatives outside the radical right have trouble justifying). Even if it were overturned, it would only be a brief time before it would be readjusted and loosened. In other words, if this single issue is your only reason for not voting for McCain, you might want to re-think it. I think your issue is safe.
