Is John McCain Considering a Pro-Choice VP Pick?
by John Little on 19/08/2008Rich Lowry posted a “VP Alert” at The Corner:
NR has learned that the McCain campaign has been calling key state GOP officials around the country the last couple of days and sounding them out about the consequences of a pro-choice VP pick. The campaign is asking about the reaction of conservative grass-roots activists to such a pick and whether a pro-choicer can be sold to them.
This has, not unexpectedly, set off a round of conservative hand-wringing. Michelle Malkin gets right to the point:
Is McCain going to screw conservatives (again)?
Wouldn’t put it past him. Would you? Which is why, despite all the encomiums he’s received from his Saddleback appearance, I haven’t joined the ga-ga bandwagon (and won’t).
Dan Riehl, who shares my relative lack of interest in the abortion issue, sees a more fundamental flaw in McCain:
I don’t consider myself Pro-Choice or Pro-Life in the contexts they generally seem to be defined. The abortion issue has simply never been a primary driver in my political views. Unfortunately, what we’re hearing from McCain as per above would likely make it extremely difficult to actively support him in the Fall.
This trial balloon, and I hope that’s all it is, suggests McCain is determined to always do things his way, do only that which he wants to do to such an extent as to call his judgment as a political leader into question.
Besides that, at 71, he would be setting up, at best, a middling Republican like Ridge to take his place in 4 or even 8 years. And Lieberman, though I respect him, is out of the question for me, too. He’s far too Liberal beyond his national defense views.
If that’s McCain’s wish, it’s his campaign. Frankly, what he should do is select a qualified genuinely conservative woman. I suspect that combination couldn’t be beaten in the Fall.
Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, if it’s always going to be “John’s way,” he can go it alone. He simply wouldn’t be the man to unite, let alone lead the Republican Party.
I’d rather ignore politics for a spell as I did during the early Clinton years and find something else to occupy my time. Let the Dems have it and muck it up. We’ll just have to gamble on coming back in 4 years – hopefully with better leadership.
I’m not nearly as pessimistic as Michelle and Dan although I understand where they’re coming from. John McCain is far from my ideal candidate. He is, however, the only man running against Barack Obama. In McCain we have a highly experienced war hero with rock solid national security credentials and a less than ideal, from the conservative perspective, domestic track record. So, a McCain presidency is not conservative nirvana but it’s far better than the alternative.
McCain is running against a man with a resume so thin he can hardly be called a serious candidate. I’m not going to refuse to participate in the political process, or toss a vote to the guy who body surfed during the Georgian War, because John McCain, or his VP choice, isn’t perfect. That is inviting disaster.
Update:
More from Dan:
Blogs of War has a good round-up of blogger reax. He’d still be with McCain and I understand his points. Problem is, it would so de-motivate a critical portion of the base McCain needs – I honestly believe the issue would be moot. It would end up Obama hands down due to McCain’s poor choice and lack of respect for a significant portion of the Republican base.
If he can’t respect them, why should they respect him as a candidate for President? Actually, it would be more than a lack of respect for them he’d be demonstrating – contempt might be a better word at this point.
Others Blogging:
Right Wing News
Honestly, I think that if this is really the batch it’s down to (and who really knows), I’d go with Pawlenty because he’s the only one who wouldn’t rile up the right. At this point, given that Obama and McCain are neck and neck, I don’t think McCain needs to reopen wounds with conservatives by taking a VP who reminds them of why they didn’t like him in the first place (and yes, with segments of the GOP base, Mitt Romney would produce that same reaction). At this point, a “better safe than sorry” VP pick should beat a “high risk/high reward” selection for McCain.
Commentary Magazine
All that said, I do agree that Barack Obama has proven himself to be so extreme on social issues and so frivolous on matters of national security that McCain, rightly or wrongly, may feel empowered to choose a candidate who is less than ideal to the conservative base. Where are they going to go on Election day? (”Home!” might be the answer, but McCain may not be convinced.)
The Other McCain
McCain brings enough seniority and national-security cred for the ticket. What he needs is a fresh, energetic, popular domestic-policy guy — Pawlenty or Jindal. It’s important for McCain to have a young CONSERVATIVE running mate, to reassure conservatives about the future of the Republican Party in the post-McCain era.
I Took the Red Pill
Pro-choice people are more than welcome in the Republican Party as voters, but not as leaders who could have a profound impact on policy. Just like pro-life people are more than welcome in the Democrat Party as voters, but not as leaders who could have a profound impact on policy.
The Independent Streak
With two of the country’s most prominent conservative magazines mentioning the possibility, is McCain seriously thinking about picking Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), whom McCain often refers to as his “favorite Democrat?” Obviously, such a move could help shore up support among independents and inject an element of excitement into the campaign with the prospect of a bi-partisan ticket. But many religious conservatives have warned that this would spell disaster for McCain among this pillar of the GOP base.
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