This is a perfect example of the schizophrenic nature of the left. They will whine and complain about Republicans being too conservative and now they are complaining that the presumptive Republican candidate, John McCain, is not conservative enough. Bu…

If any wish to endorse a candidate, that being done up front is better than behind a curtain of intrigue.

Rush & Co. enjoy the same liberties as any American. Timing aside, it is the entire election system that needs reformation.

1. No ballot machine. Uniform national paper ballot only.
2. Single national primary election day.
3. Proof of citizenship for registration voter picture ID.
4. Popular vote, national tally. NO DELEGATES.

This is the 21st Century. Voters can read and write. The internet allows scrutiny of issues and candidates prior to elections. It is an absolute insult to have our votes “interpreted” into what political hacks incorporate “on our behalf”, denying the voice of the people. When it is the CONSERVATIVES screaming for reformation, the revolution must have begun.

What we GOP here is a failure to communicate.

Why shouldn’t Rush do it? He’s telling you that he doesn’t care as much about the MSM’s attack on his ego as he does about the triumph of conservatism. Rush doesn’t drop one whit in my estimation if he loses. In fact, he rises.

JiangxiDad on February 5, 2008 at 10:22 AM

Because I truly don’t believe that Rush could say with a straight face “stay home, don’t vote for McCain, let a socialist win the Presidency”. I understand supporting another candidate, right up to the end.

But the general election is a whole nother thing.

Actually, it’s the McCain bashers who tend to be name-calling, & his supporters are more likely to be appealing to reason.

jgapinoy on February 5, 2008 at 12:16 PM

What will you McCain supporters have to say when he gets in office with the support of conservatives, and flips back to McShamnesty? Will you be “appealing to reason” then?

As will I, as will most of even the hardest hardcore Hot Air readership

Not I

I must not be Hardcore for no one owns my vote, not even if they think it is good for me

McCain has a rabid hatred of the conservative base, and Hillary has a simple distaste.

McCain has a deep need for revenge, and Hillary doesn’t have time

McCains biggest enemy is me.

Hillary’s biggest enemy is not me

I do not want McCain running my nation even if others think I must want it for their sakes

My second biggest enemy are those who think I must give my vote to their preferences

At the point where all my votes must be scripted for the good of the nation as determined by people other than myself, my vote is no longer mine

I see no evidence to trust McCain on any of his promises to conservatives including Supreme Court appointments

McCain’s best revenge against the conservatives he hates more than anything would be to appoint justices hated by the conservative base. He has already promised to sign amnesty. He has already said that although he thinks McCain Feingold was a mistake, he would not sign a law to rescind it since the issue is over

Nope, I am not hard core. I own my vote and I will not give it to a liar, no matter how many people tell me lies about him

Now, because he wants to be President, he denies what he has done in the past or spins it all to seem somehow noble and conservative. It wasn’t noble or conservative folks and it won’t ever be with John McCain.

Laura, I’ve respected you for a long time, usually agree with you too but voting for someone you know is wrong is insanity. Our values are just about the only thing we have left these days and once we sell them off we are no better than the Democrats. For me, I would rather be ruled by Hillary and be right than be ruled by McCain and be wrong. No more nose holding for this conservative, anyone want to join me and demand our candidates reflect our values for a change.

I think he keeps his promises. When he ran for Governor he promised to govern slightly center-left. And guess what? He governed slightly center-left just like he said he would.

NOW that Mitt is running conservative he’s makin’ all the RIGHT PROMISES. I believe he will keep them.

I don not care that Mitt’s grown MORE conservative over the years- SO HAVE I.

I think something ugly has happened to John McCain in the last eight years- He has become a bitter nasty old man who holds the conservative wing of our party responsible for his loss in 2000 and for the CRUSHING of his amnesty bill.

I believe that McCain will lie and has lied to try to get gullible GOP voters to back him. I do not believe that he will govern conservatively.

I believe that John McCain will attempt to CRUSH the conservative wing of the party and will try to portray us as ineffectual and out of touch.

I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR McCain!

And Allah- you’d best know that there are ALOT of folks who would rather at least see a DEMOCRAT git blamed for ruining the country than a LIBERAL REPUBLICAN.

AT Least McCain loses (ala Ford) and Hill or Obama ruins the country (ala Carter) CONSERVATIVES MAY HAVE A CHANCE TO RISE AGAIN (ala Reagan).

MANY CONSERVATIVES WILL STAY HOME IF McCAIN IS THE NOMINEE. Take it to the bank.

But given how much so many of us do not want McCain, it would have been good for talk radio to recognize that Fred had no chance, Hunter had no chance, and Giuliani was sinking.
Hawkins1701 on February 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM

Keep in mind that prior to New Hampshire most informed people would have said that McCain had no chance of getting the nomination.

And if it turns out that McCain isn’t “moderate” enough to win the general election, who should we pre-emptively compromise on then? Olympia Snow, one of McCain’s other Gang of Seven lackies?

Do you see how this works? Once you decide that the only route to victory is compromise, that path can lead to only one place.

logis on February 5, 2008 at 1:36 PM

I’m well aware of how this works.

When the entire conservative digital and radio medium is pulling for Mitt, he doesn’t seem like much of a compromise candidate to me.

Did you read my whole post? Read it again.

I said that I agreed with the idea that if talk radio felt as they do know weeks ago, that Mitt Romney was the best remaining candidate to represent conservative ideals in the presidency, than they should have come out and said it then.

But given how much so many of us do not want McCain, it would have been good for talk radio to recognize that Fred had no chance, Hunter had no chance, and Giuliani was sinking.
Hawkins1701 on February 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM

And if it turns out that McCain isn’t “moderate” enough to win the general election, who should we pre-emptively compromise on then? Olympia Snow, one of McCain’s other Gang of Seven lackies?

Do you see how this works? Once you decide that the only route to victory is compromise, that path can lead to only one place.

As will I, as will most of even the hardest hardcore Hot Air readership.

Not I.

Oh, and to those that are predicting the readership’s ultimate voting tendancy… That is wishful thinking on your part. I will not fall in line behind this RINO. Ever.

tickleddragon on February 5, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Ditto that Tickledragon.

Where was the big talk radio endorsement push on Romney’s behalf two weeks ago before South Carolina, when it might have helped? Answer: Nowhere, because too many of them were still jerking around with Fred at the time.

I am forced to agree. I’ve been wrestling with this question for a bit.

The position of Rush and Laura (until her Romney endorsement last week) and Hannity is that their job is to inform the audience, not to dictate to them who to vote for.

That’s all well and nice, and I think, generally, that’s how I would prefer it.

But given how much so many of us do not want McCain, it would have been good for talk radio to recognize that Fred had no chance, Hunter had no chance, and Giuliani was sinking.

They would not have lost my respect at all for saying “if you stand for conservatism, Mitt is our best bet now”, and tell us why (as they are good at doing).

The “no endorsements” policy is fine. But then, we can’t very well get upset at the results, can we?

Maybe it’s all moot though. The people who are voting for McCain either wholly support him on amnesty, global warming, class warfare, ending the Bush tax cuts, punching real conservatives in the mouth, and telling us we don’t matter.

Or they’re voting for him because of his Vietnam service. And they’re not examining or they just don’t care one way or another about the rest.

Maybe throw in “best bet against Hillary or Obama” hedge bets in there too.

We know where the talk radio audience stands.

The polls still are what they are.

So it goes.

Some McCain supporters are basically saying that, thanks to the moderates, he doesn’t need conservatives. I say, lets test that theory.
thirteen28 on February 5, 2008 at 12:24 PM

In other words, conservatives are the African Americans of the Republican Party: The ultra-liberal wing of our party feels perfectly secure in ignoring us because we have nowhere else to go.

Well, maybe not. But we can tell our “moderate overlords” where to go.

…And anyone who has a problem with that is perfectly welcome to join them there.

McCain wanted to court the moderates, fine. More power to him, literally. But why are WE evil for letting him reap what he’s sown? McCain, and the Republican Party leadership in general, have done everything in their power to court the moderates and leave conservatives out of the picture. So you’d have to be a complete jackass to blame US when this blows up in their faces.

Why does it never occur to anyone to blame all those trillons of rabidly enthusiastic moderates who are supposedly primed to storm the polls and carry McCain to a landslide on their broad shoulders?

One reason: It’s because, for all practical purposes, they don’t exist as a political force. They don’t exist now; they won’t exist next November; they never have existed; and they never will exist.

And absolutely NONE of that is going to be my fault, no matter who I decide to vote for – or to not vote for.

logis on February 5, 2008 at 11:16 AM

Bravo!!! Well said.

Some McCain supporters are basically saying that, thanks to the moderates, he doesn’t need conservatives. I say, lets test that theory.

Ollie North also went to Annapolis where he was a stellar student and won the intramural boxing championship.

Just to add, in the championship match, Ollie beat James Webb (yes, THAT James Webb, senator from VA), and Webb is bitter about it to this day.

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!

abinitioadinfinitum on February 5, 2008 at 10:03 AM

Fat Tuesday in Mobile, AL… can’t beat it.

I NEVER WILL. Those who will have surrendered their will to the notion there is no other way.

I will never vote for the RINO again. Bush was the last.

Lehosh on Feb 5

Actually, it’s the McCain bashers who tend to be name-calling, & his supporters are more likely to be appealing to reason.

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone!

abinitioadinfinitum on February 5, 2008 at 10:03 AM

Throw me some beads!
For the season of Quadragesima falls upon us tomorrow.

Still, it doesn’t excuse all the BS the last couple of weeks by the pundits, including Ingraham, which had reached the level of Daily Kos shrilling. There’s a lot of residual damage to be cleared up when you start promoting Hillary/Obama over the GOP’s most likely elected nominee.

I don’t like Gretchen Carlson (she’s not the brightest bulb), but she was spot on asking Laura why she came so late to the Romney party, and Laura’s answer sounded disingenuous.
Buy Danish on February 5, 2008 at 10:47 AM

It’s almost never “too late” to compromise. And no one who does it ever wants to admit it – sometimes even to themselves.