John McCain Lies in State

Senator John McCain lies in state at the capitol after recently succumbing to brain cancer.  He was a war hero and a patriot. For that he deserves our respect.  While I disagreed with his politics, which I considered weak, I can set that aside and offer my condolences to his family. 

Thankfully, nobody gets the real reason for unwavering Trump support

The media, the Democrats and the left would have you believe that the reason for president Trump's high level of support among Republican supporters is that because he's Hitler and Republican voters are Nazis, or at a minimum, they are all racist, bigoted, homophobic, mouth-breathing Neanderthals. That's awfully simplistic and simply a salve for their hurt feelings over losing the election in 2016.

But a lot of conservative media also misunderstand president Trump's support, at least in part.

American Greatness, a conservative website recently had this to say;

The GOP nominated Trump because he represents the views of a majority of the party’s voters. His views on immigration have at times been bluntly and offensively expressed, but polls have shown for years that nearly half of the GOP’s general election voters want to deport illegal immigrants. Will is upset by Trump’s tariffs, which he called his “border folly,” but clear majorities of Republican 2016 primary voters thought international trade cost America jobs. The so-called “Muslim ban” that has so outraged some NeverTrumpers? Analysis of the primary and general elections show it was the single most important reason Trump won both races.

The same holds true for other issues motivating other prominent NeverTrump figures to break ranks with the GOP. Some are furious over the President’s now-rescinded policy of separating children from parents who seek asylum at the border, but polls showed that Republicans supported it by a wide margin. Prominent evangelical conservative writers frequently criticize their co-religionists’ embrace of Trump, but most evangelical voters think their position is too tenuous to question a deal for judges and policy with a man whose ethics they may privately deplore. A plurality of Republicans also think NATO helps our allies more than it helps the United States, a 2016 Pew poll found. Trump’s calls for our NATO allies to spend more or else risk American disengagement is anathema to prominent NeverTrumpers who write about national security, but such demands reflect the views of a very large number of Republican voters.

All true, but not the whole truth.  To understand why the support has not only not faltered but indeed stiffened go back and look at the first sentence above.  Back in 2008, this happened:

But instead of doing what his supporters begged for, McCain did this:

Seeing the enthusiasm for McCain's VP nominee, Sarah Palin, candidate Trump was ahead of the curve on understanding the frustration of Americans, while John McCain just did not get it. Palin did, but McCAin was just to anemic to win.  In 2012, Mitt Romney was still too reserved and allowed a potential win to slip away. The frustration remained pent up for eight years and only grew.

What Main Street America wanted was someone who would push back against the creeping socialism, and someone who was not afraid to fight back hard.  President Trump understood that earlier than most and he still gets it.  And here's how it plays out:

-Americans see someone who has resolve and fights back when attacked and it is clear that resolve applies to global politics as well as political opponents using personal attacks.  McCain was Neville Chamberlain and Donald Trump is General George S. Patton.  Honestly, who would you rather have as a leader?  Peoople want a leader with a backbone; president Trump clearly, unapologetically, has a backbone.

-Americans who support the president's policies empathize with the attacks because attacks on him represent attacks on them.  In fact, increasingly, the attacks are now coming directly towards Trump supporters because attackers are realizing that president Trump WILL fight back.

-Because the attacks are incessant, the empathy is steeling the resolve of his supporters.  The fact is that the attacks are personal, and clearly an attempt to bully the president and conservatives into submission, the empathy, and the resolve of supporters has two possible outcomes - submission or fighting back.  President Trump's resolve has inspired Republican voters to be like him instead of John McCain.

Combined with president Trump delivering on conservative justices, tax reform, jobs, better trade deals and immigration reform the notion becomes that president Trump is fighting for me so I will fight, or at least vote, for him.

The irony that liberals and Republican never-Trumpers fail to realize is that the attacks only help president Trump and like-minded individuals in Congress to win.  I for one have come to a peace with the idea that hopefully the unhinged Left, just keep it up for another 7 years or so.

I don't think Mitch McConnell gets it

First let me give GOP Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell credit, he got an imperfect but good tax bill passed through the senate. That's no small tax given the slim majority of Republicans and the rogue elements within the party who are more liberal than conservative and a series of failures on Obamacare.  So good job Mitch.

But...

That Obamacare thing got even slightly more irksome after the win because despite the fact that the tax bill removes the healthcare mandate, perhaps choking Obamacare off for good (and how did McConnell get McCain's support on that?), McConnell still had to put his foot in it afterwards;

“Just what the country needs to get growing again,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in an interview after a final burst of negotiation closed in on a nearly $1.5 trillion package that impacts the breadth of American society.

He shrugged off polls finding scant public enthusiasm for the measure, saying the legislation would prove its worth. “Big bills are rarely popular,” he said. “You remember how unpopular ‘Obamacare’ was when it passed?”

That last part sure sounds like someone who has come to terms with Obamacare as being palatable now. So despite the senate victory, I don't think he really gets it. 

Well, maybe he gets some of it:

Back home in Kentucky just hours after the Senate narrowly pushed through the nearly $1.5 trillion tax bill, McConnell predicted that the boldest rewrite of the nation’s tax system in decades would generate more than enough economic growth to prevent the burgeoning deficits being forecast.

“I not only don’t think it will increase the deficit, I think it will be beyond revenue neutral,” he told reporters. “In other words, I think it will produce more than enough to fill that gap.”

That's true, as this video points out.

But that whole Obamacare comment...Mitch might be so out of touch as to have to go. After the win we should give him a chance to clarify, but the implication of him not getting that is scary.

McCain about to kill Obamacare repeal again. I blame Rand Paul.

I'm not sure if there's an option for a recall election for a U.S. senator in the state of Arizona, but if there is senator John McCain should be recalled for his political treason against the Republican party and the supposed values he espouses when he runs for election.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain of Arizona announced on Friday that he would oppose the latest proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act, leaving Republican leaders with little hope of succeeding in their last-ditch attempt to dismantle the health law and fulfill their longstanding promise to conservative voters.

A promise he personally signed on for in the past.  This is no doubt personal for McCain, but it  is a gross abuse of his office for the sole person of vindictiveness.   But conservative voters should not be surprised by his actions. He's a "maverick"  - by that I mean weak-kneed Republican in name only (RINO).

The real problem is senators like Rand Paul or maybe even others like Ted Cruz - those who are unwilling to take at least a step in the right direction and are living proof that perfect is the enemy of good.

My suspicion is that if any sort of repeal, skinny repeal or even a mandate removal were to occur, the dam would burst and within 2-3 years something entirely different would be in place of the doomed healthcare ponzi scheme that is Obamacare.  But we may never know. 

Send a message to Rand Paul, who can make a difference by removing his opposition to the potential START of a fix.

Who gives a damn what Senator McCain has to say anymore?

 Up front - yes, I feel bad for John McCain because of his health issues.  Yes I appreciate his service for his country, both in the military and in the senate.  That said, he's not a maverick - he's not a real Republican.  He's a liberal squish with hawkish military views on international geopolitics.  That may have flown in the GOP in 1985 when the Soviet Union was an existential threat.  But today the world has changed and John McCain has not.  He was the self-appointed thumbs down on the Obamacare skinny repeal after a potentially sidelining emergency surgery.

And now, this piece of foolishness from McCain's own website:

“President Trump’s decision to eliminate DACA is the wrong approach to immigration policy at a time when both sides of the aisle need to come together to reform our broken immigration system and secure the border.

“I strongly believe that children who were illegally brought into this country through no fault of their own should not be forced to return to a country they do not know. The 800,000 innocent young people granted deferred action under DACA over the last several years are pursuing degrees, starting careers, and contributing to our communities in important ways. While I disagreed with President Obama’s unilateral action on this issue, I believe that rescinding DACA at this time is an unacceptable reversal of the promises and opportunities that have been conferred to these individuals.

“The federal government has a responsibility to defend and secure our borders, but we must do so in a way that upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation. I will be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to devise and pass comprehensive immigration reform, which will include the DREAM Act.”

This is as much about presidential overreach by Trump's predecessor as it is about a truly broken immigration system and rampant illegal immigration. Senator McCain can offer all the bluster he wants but his ideas have not been successful in stopping illegal immigration. McCain must have some powerful backers in Arizona because his position is out of touch with his state. Arizona Republicans need to do some serious house cleaning on their elected representatives. Just re-electing the guy with the tenure is a waste of representation.

John McCain, fall guy

I'm not much of a fan of Glenn Beck.  But this opinion makes sense given the deafening silence of GOP Senate leadership in response to his vote.

It's not just John McCain who lied to constituents

Some of the blow back to John McCain, for his Benedict Arnold actions on Obamacare is detailed in this video. But it's not enough.  The real blowback should be coming from Mitch McConnell. Why is he so silent on this?  The GOP did not want top repeal Obamacare - at least not Republicans in the ssenate.

But McCain is not alone in his lies. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also lied to their constituents.

John McCain, turncoat

Just a follow up to my previous post. Via Breitbart:

This man does not deserve a pass because of his condition, because he's abandon people who supported him for medical reasons of their own. He betrayed their trust.

Perhaps I was a bit cynical

Earlier this week I was speculating that the GOP were deliberately dragging their feet on the Obamacare repeal and replace legislation. I was, and am under the impression that the steps to the edge of doing something by the Senate were window dressing and they never had any intention of doing anything.  So far, I have no disagreement with my earlier assessment.

However, I did speculate that senator John McCain's sudden need to be hospitalized was also window dressing.  Today it was announced he's been diagnosed with brain cancer.  Clearly I was wrong.

I'm not a fan of McCain's even though back in 2008 I thought he would make a better president than would Barack Obama. Despite my issues with his weak-kneed politics, I do appreciate his service in the defense of freedom as well as his service in the Senate.

I wish him and his family well and hope this is a manageable or treatable condition.

That said, it does open some questions about his senate duties and his seat. I'll leave that political discussion for later, although I'm sure Democrats are full of ideas already.

Kay Hagan not serious on ISIS

Why would you want to vote someone who doesn't take her job seriously North Carolina? The question is especially pertinent due to the fact that the specific part of her job I'm talking about is as a member of the Armed Services Committee and the issue at stake is ISIS. And her flimsy excuse for not attending is not convincing other members of the Armed Services Committee.

How about electing Nina Hagen instead? She'd likely be more serious than Kay Hagan.  Failing that, give Thom Tillis some consideration.

Quick Grading GOP Convention Speeches - Day 2

Speech of the night.

A close second.

For comparison, here are my quick assessments from Day 1. 

Unfortunately I missed Rand Paul, so I'll have to update that here after watching a replay.

The speeches tonight were good and certainly from a generally higher profile group than the first night (Christie being the obvious exception yesterday as the keynote speaker, and Abbe Romney also).

John McCain - the speech was okay, but he seemed tired and quite uninspiring.  D

Rob Portman - some great parts and some dull parts, but overall - pretty good. B-

Tim Pawlenty - A lot of good one liners kept the crowd engaged but not on their feet. B

Mike Huckabee - His prior speaking experience showed.  On point, well spoken, and engaging.  B+

Condoleeza Rice - Resolute, stirring and focused on national security which has only been casually mentioned heretofore.  Included the topics of trade and energy and economy and tied it all back to conservative philosophy. Inspired the crowd, and me. Rousing. A+

Susana Martinez - I wouldn't have wanted to follow Condi Rice. But her family success story was inspiring and important.  I wonder if MSNBC showed her. B

Paul Ryan - He hit all the right notes but it was not moving the way Rice's speech was. If it had started a bit more energetically the way it was when it had built up, his would have been the speech of the night. Still, a forward moving speech that was very strong over the latter half.    A

John McCain - False Conservative.

Have you seen John McCain's new ad on the border fence? Call it opportunism or leadership by polling, McCain is talking tough on border security today. Just because he's up against a challenger in his primary, he's tacked a lot further to the right than usual. But is it real?

I come to bury McCain, not to praise him.

There's got to be an age joke in that Shakespearean line as applied to John McCain.  But before anyone gets carried away, let there be no misconception - I am talking about his Senatorial career being buried, not the Senator himself.  Let me also add the usual pre-amble of those who seek to disparage the Senator; I wholeheartedly respect and appreciate the sacrifices he has made for his country as a soldier.  But let me also add that in his terms in Congress he has done some good, (typically fighting pork projects, and as a member of the Armed Service Committee) and carried himself with a measure of propriety not seen in the likes of say, a Charlie Rangel.  For all that he deserves his due.  But let's face it, he took over a Senate seat formerly held by conservative icon Barry Goldwater.  I didn't know Barry Goldwater, I never worked with Barry Goldwater, but I'm safe in saying - McCain is no Barry Goldwater.

Starting with full disclosure, I wrote a series of posts last year dissecting what I saw as flaws in McCain's Presidential campaign.  I did not really address his conservatism, more so his tactical errors.  I'm happy to say that in this mid-term election year, it would seem ideals are more important than tactics.  Good news for conservatives, but not any better for McCain, who is weak on conservative values as well.

Politico had a piece today about all the high level Republicans McCain was lining up endorsement deals with in order to stave of a more conservative, Tea-Party-relating contender for his Senatorial throne, in one J.D. Hayworth. The latest to climb aboard the McCain Express is one Mitt Romney, who could not resist the opportunity to take a swipe at populism Sarah Palin (who also happens to be endorsing McCain).

But these endorsers are all party elite, party insiders. It strikes me as this being McCain's Marie Antoinette moment. While it's true that McCain has moved right this year, in order to counter Hayworth, it's also true that he was begged by his constituency to do so in October 2008 and pooh-poohed the idea - it was beneath him. Besides the voters of Arizona being smart enough to see through the charade of McCain's conservatism-of-convenience, they have to be more than a little annoyed that McCain is seeking beltway endorsements. Did he not see the town hall energy last summer? Did he not witness the Tea Party frustration over the last year? Surely he must understand that he needs to be seen connecting with Joe the Plumber types and not Pawlenty the Presidential candidate or Scott Brown the rising Republican star. Otherwise he can claim to be no less out of touch than the obstinate health care Democrats. 

Endorsements from Republicans will help him more than endorsements from Democrats like Lieberman to be sure, but  McCain has a lot to prove to conservatives.  He is not embraced but endured. McCain-Feingold, a prime example, was a travesty and conservatives recognize it.  Or being part of the Gang of 14 group that forged a useless compromise on Bush's judicial nominees and prevented a nuclear option being triggered so it wouldn't be used again in the future inappropriately - wait, what? 

Remember too, that Arizona voted for Barry Goldwater before it voted for McCain.  Notwithstanding the relative Republican safety of the seat, it is no more his seat than was Kennedy's seat Kennedy's.  It too belongs to the people.  John McCain, if he wants to represent them, has to do more than get high profile endorsements, as impressive as those might be. 

More insiders = more out of touch.

That might not be fair, but it is perception, which makes it reality.  And as much as at any point in his career, including 2000 and 2008, John McCain has something to prove - not meaning he's on a mission, meaning he should be because voters deserve it and hopefully will expect nothing less.

Step aside McCain

Going forward, the only McCain I'd consider voting for is Robert S. McCain - the other McCain. I supported John McCain during the election, but it was one of those "if this is all we've got, okay, I'll take it I guess." types of support. To be sure, by October many Republicans were feeling buyers remorse with respect to their February decision, but most still felt it was better than the alternative.

McCain obviously didn't win, but he didn't die either. He has showed up here and there, mostly it seems for the purpose of deliberately ignoring or maligning Sarah Palin. How ignoble. He has done a disservice to her and to himself as well with his lack of support for her.

Meanwhile, his silver-spooned daughter has taken upon herself the task of trashing the party of her father. The party she toyed with not voting for in 2008. Her criticisms could be considered legitimate if they were given in a constructive light. It appears though as nothing more than harping on the party. Her motivation may be that she is secretly a liberal, or that she's disgruntled by the lack of enthusiastic support her father received. It doesn't really matter though. Her input isn't needed or wanted. She's speaking for a congregation of what - 2 or 3? Rich, out of touch young, inheritance Republicans who don't really hold conservative values that dearly and don't really understand politics or economics or national security enough to appreciate conservative principles. To her I say go away. But she is not running for election, at least not for now. She is of course. entitled to her ill-informed opinions. But her father is the real concern.

During the 2008 campaign, John McCain promised he'd 'make you famous' if you were involved in pork barrel spending. With $1.8 trillion you'd think he'd be busier outing the offenders.

During the 2008 campaign, he pointed out he was the national security guy. Given the trouble with Iran, the trouble with North Korea, the problems with China, Russia and the dangers of closing Guantanamo and the possible release of internationally damaging photos, you'd think he'd be front and center on the talk circuit pointing out what should be done, and what shouldn't be done.

Instead... *Crickets chirping*. So John McCain, where have you been? Or was that all just election bluster? Did it only apply if you won? Or are the issues just not mavericky enough? Too mavericky maybe? You didn't die - so why aren't you screaming from the mountain tops about these issues you supposedly held so dear?

Now to be fair, perhaps you have been saying those things but the press was not listening and reporting. If that's the case then the press didn't like you John, and you were what they considered not a maverick, but rather a 'useful idiot'. They never were your friends. And you let them misguide you into a soft tack in the election battle. They weren't serious on questioning Obama, and they made sure you weren't either. And now that you are no longer needed as a patsy, you have been dismissed from their A-list. They understand the GOP has moved on from you, so you serve them no purpose. They've moved on too. At least until you are willing to attack Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh with a well-timed backstabbing. Is the media attention really worth that betrayal Mr. McCain? Was it worth it in Sarah Palin's case?

You claim to be a man of honor, but many of your actions appear to be dishonorable, and in some cases shameful.



Maybe it's just that you have simply run out of steam. You may lack the energy to fight on after the election '08 battle. In any case, you aren't doing what you said you'd do as President. But you don't have to be President to do it. You still can work on making people famous. At least the ones you aren't too cozy with. Otherwise it appears that your political career has run its course at this point. You should think about retiring. If not, might I suggest a bit of soul searching. Conservatives didn't sit out the election to be spiteful to you - they sat out because you were too moderate. Our word for that is wishy-washy. At least our nice word for it. Democrat lite is does not taste great, and it's your own fault you didn't energize the Republican base, and you didn't win. I'm not even so sure I'm still buying that Obama tailwind phenomenon story any more. Despite it all, he was catchable. You got into a reasonably tight race before the wheels came off. But they came off because of your actions, no one else's, not even Obama's.

This is going to sound harsh to someone who served his country honorably in the military and in the Senate, but it needs to be said. With all due respect, make yourself useful to conservatives or get out of the way.

As for the rest of us, we'll look elsewhere for inspiration, leadership and conservative vision - and it doesn't even matter if it comes in the form of another conservative McCain - after all, what's in a name? It's the ideas that count.