Why does the far right hate John McCain?
February 3rd 2008 20:47
Arizona Senator John McCain is the favorite for the Republican presidential nomination as Super Tuesday approaches. That said, he is far from a lock. What I find interesting is how the far right is responding. I'm talking about the part of the Republican Party who still likes Bush, who is pro-war and anti-American, and who uses fear and hate and bigotry and religious fervor to push their agenda. Of course there are Republicans not of that group who don't like McCain, but they do so for valid reasons. The fear, hate, and bigotry crowd don't.
I, like a good many Americans, don't like the politics of Senator McCain. He is far too fond of war as a first resort, even putting his desire to song. He is not someone I would consider voting for, unless he was running against a Bush or something. He is pro-war and supportive of much of the Bush agenda, and he follows conservative values. Well, at least what used to be conservative values. So why are they so pissed off?
First, he doesn't like torture as an instrument of American policy. Having "been there, done that" he knows how evil and unsupportable any form of torture is. Apparently just wanting to "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" isn't enough for the neo-cons. They want to torture 'em too! Who needs sport when you can waterboard!
Second, they aren't sure he will continue Bush's tax giveaways to the rich. McCain has waffled on it of late, but they don't want to take any chances. Go figure, as most of them aren't the rich who got the big cuts.
Third, they don't like his attempts at campaign finance reform. They know that what has given them power has been the undue influence of corporations and religious groups, and they don't want to lose that power. They know they could never win on the issues, they need to find ways to stack the deck.
And perhaps the biggest bone of contention is immigration reform. He doesn't hate brown people. He is pragmatic enough to know that the immigration concerns need to be addressed from a bi-partisan and open-minded standpoint. And, sin of sins, he was willing to reach across the aisle to do it. Anti-immigrant sentiment is looking to be the next big thing for the far right. They aren't getting as much traction from gay-bashing these days, and need a new domestic enemy. And McCain isn't nearly vitriolic enough for them.
Don't get me wrong, McCain is seriously flawed and would make a dangerous president, continuing many of the downward trends started by the worst president in history, (so far) Mr. Bush. Still, I find it amusing how the far right is so up in arms about him. They say he's not "conservative enough." Truth be told, they mean he isn't willing to sell his soul to hate and fear enough to satiate them. I say let them eat themselves.
I, like a good many Americans, don't like the politics of Senator McCain. He is far too fond of war as a first resort, even putting his desire to song. He is not someone I would consider voting for, unless he was running against a Bush or something. He is pro-war and supportive of much of the Bush agenda, and he follows conservative values. Well, at least what used to be conservative values. So why are they so pissed off?
First, he doesn't like torture as an instrument of American policy. Having "been there, done that" he knows how evil and unsupportable any form of torture is. Apparently just wanting to "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" isn't enough for the neo-cons. They want to torture 'em too! Who needs sport when you can waterboard!
Second, they aren't sure he will continue Bush's tax giveaways to the rich. McCain has waffled on it of late, but they don't want to take any chances. Go figure, as most of them aren't the rich who got the big cuts.
Third, they don't like his attempts at campaign finance reform. They know that what has given them power has been the undue influence of corporations and religious groups, and they don't want to lose that power. They know they could never win on the issues, they need to find ways to stack the deck.
And perhaps the biggest bone of contention is immigration reform. He doesn't hate brown people. He is pragmatic enough to know that the immigration concerns need to be addressed from a bi-partisan and open-minded standpoint. And, sin of sins, he was willing to reach across the aisle to do it. Anti-immigrant sentiment is looking to be the next big thing for the far right. They aren't getting as much traction from gay-bashing these days, and need a new domestic enemy. And McCain isn't nearly vitriolic enough for them.
Don't get me wrong, McCain is seriously flawed and would make a dangerous president, continuing many of the downward trends started by the worst president in history, (so far) Mr. Bush. Still, I find it amusing how the far right is so up in arms about him. They say he's not "conservative enough." Truth be told, they mean he isn't willing to sell his soul to hate and fear enough to satiate them. I say let them eat themselves.
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