GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
“She will be stronger on the war on terrorism…I will campaign for her if it’s McCain.“-Ann Coulter
Jake Tapper has more:
In case you missed it, on Hannity & Colmes last night, controversial pundit Ann Coulter — who supports Mitt Romney for president — said she would back Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
“She’s more conservative that he is,” she said. “She will be stronger on the war on terrorism…I will campaign for her if it’s McCain.”
Coulter says McCain has been more liberal than Clinton on the interrogation of detainees at Guantanamo because he has made an issue of it and she’s hasn’t, really. (Of course, he was tortured as a prisoner of war.)
Factually, it’s a ludicrous claim. On judges, abortion, same sex marriage, taxes, health care, the war in Iraq , and on and on…he’s demonstrably more conservative.
Clinton ’s 2006 vote ratings from liberal groups: Americans for Democratic Action - 95%; ACLU - 83%; League of Conservation Voters - 71%.
Her 2006 ratings from conservative groups: National Taxpayers Union - 17%; Americans Conservative Union - 6%; Club for Growth - 8%; Family Research Council - 0%.
McCain’s liberal group ratings: ADA - 15%; ACLU - 33%; LCV - 29%.
And conservative group: NTU - 88%; ACU - 65%; CFG - 76%; FRC - 62%.
It’s silliness to pretend otherwise.
But it does get at how much blind rage against McCain drives some of these conservative commentators.
Conservatives really do have a choice … How many will go the way of Ann Coulter versus the way of Sen. Tom Coburn, Ted Olson, Miguel Estrada, Steven Calabresi, etc…
February 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Ask me after the CPAC speech.
Last chance.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:20 pm
We don’t need to find out if the wheels fall of the Straight Talk Express over the next two weeks.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Kavon…how do you know what McCain would do on judges, abortion, same sex marriage, taxes, and health care??
His words?? He has lied too often to voters and the GOP.
McCain will do much better on spending and a bit better on the war in Iraq. Other than that, Senators have said that McCain wasn’t as strong of an advocate as he was a voter in regards to abortion and marriage. Taxes…he voted against the tax cuts! Healthcare, who knows.
Rumor is that McCain will change party ID after being sworn in…GOP will be dead!
February 1st, 2008 at 4:22 pm
“do you really not understand the Hillary over McCain argument?
The claim is not that they are the same. Well, some may claim that.
The claim is that economic conservatives in Congress will STAND UP to Hillary and block her tax-and-regulatory schemes.
But when McCain proposes similar ones, Republicans in Congress will not stand up to him, and we’ll be stuck with it.
But it’s much worse than that: When McCain attacks capitalism and wealth, it gives LEGITIMACY to liberal arguments — for decades. Young people will see that even a Republican President sides against economic conservatism, and will thus give it no respect for the rest of their lives.
Do you not understand?
Economic conservatism will be invigorated and alive as it fights Hillary. But if McCain is President it will be dead for decades and we will drift into European style socialism.”
- Metro Republican
February 1st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
And what the hell is wrong with the GOP and pundits who don’t actually listen to McCain. People say that McCain changed his position for the better on IMMIGRATION. No he didn’t. He admitted that himself many times, once being right after his SC victory speech on H&C. He will secure the border first and then he would put forth his plan. That is why he dodged the question in the last debate!!
February 1st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I agree. Conservatives do have a choice. But we’ve not yet reached the false dichotomy posed here.
Don’t vote McCain on Tuesday.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Metro well said.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Metro..you and I have disagreed a lot. But that is one of the best posts I have ever read!!! Hats off to you!!
February 1st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Need more McCain conservative group ratings?-
National Right to Life: 82
John Birch Society: 90
Christian Coalition: 83
Concerned Women of America: 100
American Security Council: 100
And NARAL? Zero
February 1st, 2008 at 4:25 pm
And I find it galling to no end that the same folks who get their panties in a bunch over Romney becoming conservative on abortion regularly defend McCain by saying he’s become conservative on taxes and immigration. Especially when the later is a blatant lie.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Coulter’s strident tone is simply part of her schtick. However, the sentiments she expresses are more widely held than the long term and Johnny-come-lately McCainiacs want to believe. I suspect they are more widely held than the anti-Morman sentiments that we Rombots don’t want to attribute to our fellow Republicans.
I won’t go so far as Ann. I simply can’t pull the lever for Lady Hill. Obama, on the other hand …
February 1st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
How can you stick up for a man like McCain. I’m with Anne on this one. I, too, am sick and tired of holding my nose voting for someone I totally disagree with in my party. Voted against Bush’s tax cuts not once, but twice? No waterboarding?? Amnesty will come no matter what with Hillary and McCain. Unfortunately we need to clean house in our party and unforunately, things will get a lot worse before they get better. When Hillary destroys this country, I’d rather have a democrat do it and not a republican. She will be a one termer. We will take back congress in 2010. He wants to close Gitmo for pete sake. Is that supporting our troops? Giving rights to the terrorist that our men and women put their lives on the line for? No thank you.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Admin…do you not understand that there is a difference between voting in Congress and being an EXECUTIVE??? A vote does not dictate always what you believe, often times it is a qui-pro-quo.
Why would McCain speak negatively about pro-life issues behind closed doors yet vote for it….well it is to protect himself. What major pro-life bill did he fight for???
What major economic conservative bill did he push???
What liberal bills has he pushed??
McCain-Kennedy
McCain-Feingold
McCain-Lieberman
A simple vote out of 100 is not that powerful esp. when you are in the majority. However, he was one of 2 GOP to vote against Bush tax cuts.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Ann Coulter is just too over the top and she does nothing to advance the causes that she so vehemently rants about.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Kavon, The Club for Growth has as its subtitle for the report on McCain, “John McCain is No Supply-Sider”.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
this makes me want to support McCain more.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Brett being liberal as you are..we are not surprised!
February 1st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
The fact is Romney is more conservative then McCain. I wouldn’t go so far as endorse Hillary, but it is pretty widely accepted that Romney is the more conservative.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Romney’s web ad for California voters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRjmJof1OIY
February 1st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
People who claim an 80% or so approval rating from the ACU proves that McCain is a conservative are missing the point.
On the big things, McCain is provably not conservative. McCain Feingold was NOT conservative. Voting against the Bush tax cuts was NOT conservative. His proposed immigration bill was NOT conservative.
Real conservatives score in the 90s and above on ACU’s scorecard. Real pro-lifers don’t fail 18% of the time on National Right to Life’s scorecard.
He’s not a conservative and he’s not trustworthy. He’s a recipe for disaster in November.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Antother great thought by Metro Republican on this issue(hope he doesnt mind me posting his quotes):
“Assuming McCain wraps this up, as he almost assuredly will, he is going to feel even MORE entitled. He should be extending olive branches to economic conservatives, but instead pissed all over us twice in the debate. After winning the nomination with a huge delegate lead, he will get even worse. With the power of the Presidency, he will get even worse. In the White House, when the media strokes his ego precisely because he defies economic conservatives, he will get even worse.”
This is why he is more dangerous to conservativesb than Hillary.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
17 - do you really think I am liberal?
do I want to increase taxes or remove the IRS?
do I want to kill unborn babies, or promote life?
do I want to support a Marriage Amendment?
do I want “dont ask dont tell?”
\you really have out done yourself….
February 1st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
my argument is that Romney is un-electable. Ill support McCain over Mitt anyday.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:36 pm
others have covered it so I won’t repeat it; I differ slightly in that I won’t vote for McCain - but I won’t vote for HRC or Obama either.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
ilfigo: Right on. Kavon says look at his pro life record. Ok let’s talk about that. He tried to stop a pro life ad to run in Michigan against Feingold. But since McCain and Feingold are buds, he fought to stop the free speech and won to run this ad. Pro life, yeah sure. I blame Huckabee for this election. What’s wrong with people. So, he’s a Harry Reid, pro life liberal. Does any other issue matter to our side supporting this idiot. Let’s out criminals to murder on his watch. Tax increaser? But wait, that doesn’t matter, he carrys a bible and chummies up with the liberal McCain to throw the election
February 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
McCain generally votes conservative on bills when you force his hand.
We see the real McCain when he LEADS on an issue. Other than Iraq, what issues does McCain lead on?
McCain-Feingold
McCain-Kennedy
McCain-Lieberman
Does anyone doubt how much McCain would enjoy ramming a McCain-Clinton bill down our throats?
February 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
17, Brett is not a liberal, but in his heart of hearts he is embarrassed by having to defend all of the liberal positions that Huckabee has taken.
Brett will be glad when Huck drops out. It is just too hard to say with a straight face that “The government of Arkansas really needed that money when Huck raised taxes” and “some nanny state regulations are ok”…
February 1st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Oops, I meant Wisconsin, not Michigan!
February 1st, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Brett, and you have not explained how McCain can do better against the Democratic nominee (whereas Mitt does better than him on fund raisings and grassroot organizations).
February 1st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
29 Fox News today explained how McCain can do better against either Democrat in November:
General: McCain 45, Clinton 44
General: Obama 44, McCain 43
General: Clinton 50, Romney 36
General: Obama 51, Romney 33
February 1st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Brett I apologize if I was harsh with the tag of liberal…however, your support for Huck and now McCain (in a two-man race) is sad if you are a conservative.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Nice that mccain wants to attend cpac this year. isn’t that funny. now all the sudden he cares about conservatives. he must realize he is vulnerable.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:41 pm
The same H2H polls showed Rudy crushing both DEMS 8 months ago…there are still 9 MONTHS till the general. H2H polls mean nothing right now!!!
Let’s not sell our soul to the Devil based on polls 9 months out. Esp. when polls have been kinda crappy this year so far.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Quack, pop quiz.
What did general election polls say about Reagan’s chances nearly a year before he went up against Carter?
What did ANY poll say about Rudy’s chances even 6 months ago?
February 1st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
32, looking at the delegate counts and the polling in the Feb. 5 states I bet McCain is sitting in the corner sucking his thumb and bawling like a baby because he is feeling so vulnerable about how things are working out.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Quack … remember too how Dukakis was 17 pts. ahead of George HW Bush much closer to Nov. than we currently are; and how did that turn out? These general election polls now aren’t worth squat.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Quacknhack: Fox news in bed with McCain. Watch the round table with Brit Hume. Guess I’m stuck listing to internet now. Fox has finally crossed over to the liberal mainstream. Did you see the Fox news poll? McCain 48, Romney 20 something? Please. Carl Cameron could hardly contain his giddy
February 1st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
“The polls are wrong” is the last refuge of a campaing that is about to bite the dust. Throwing out the small minority of times in which the polls are wrong does not mean in the vast majority of times the polls are right.
The Republican brand name has been tarnished by the war in Iraq, big spending, criminal scandals, and gay escapades by some people in the party of family values. We are lucky that any candidate is close to even in the national general election polls, and we better nominate that candidate unless you want another night like the one we had in 2006.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Quack,
I’m not saying the polls are wrong. I’m saying they’re a poor predictor.
Pointing to the polls is the last refuge of a campaign that can’t think of any good reasons to vote for their guy. It appeals to group lemmings mentality.
You think McCain’s polls are going to still be high 9 months from now after the media stops carrying his water?
February 1st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
37, the idea that the “MSM is out to get me” or that this channel is biased is a crutch that conservatives need to throw in the garbage can. The fox polls are similar to all the polls that test McCain and Romney against Hillary and Obama. McCain is about 15 points better than Romney in most of them. Are they all biased too? It everything is as biased as some say it is and the media make as big of a differnce as some say they do, we are all toast anyway.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
39, whatever shortcomings that polls have in terms of predicting the outcome of elections, they are better than anything else anyone has ever used to try to predict the outcome of an election.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Actually, Quack, the polls are absolutely correct. Today. Just as they were correct showing Rudy the big winner 6 months ago. But the election isn’t today. That’s why we won’t give up the fight.
February 1st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
It would be nice if someone got a list going for conservatives who can sign up to vote for Hillary (if McCain wins) …
February 1st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I hoped the polls were wrong with Bush in 92, Dole in 96, in US Senate races since the early 80s, in countless elections for years and years. I hoped the polls were wrong in IA in 2008. Sometimes the polls are wrong, usually the polls are right.
This is going to be a bad year. The US Senate map is horrible. We have a huge number of retirements in the House. We are behind in the generic congressional ballot, in fund raising, in candidate recruitment. We are behind in enthusiasm, behind on almost every major issue. There is a giant ball of shit that is heading straight for us and it will land on our heads in Nov. of 2008. Abortion on demand, gay rights, higher taxes, surrender to terrorists, government health care, liberals on the court promoting judicial activism. You better start looking for a life raft.
This is not 1988, this is not 1996, this is not 1976. This is 1964 or 1974. We are lucky as hell to have anyone within 10 points of any Dem.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:02 pm
#43 Put me on the list.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Quack #41: whatever shortcomings that polls have in terms of predicting the outcome of elections, they are better than anything else anyone has ever used to try to predict the outcome of an election.
Wrong. So completely wrong.
How many people predicted Rudy would fall, DESPITE his sky high polls, due to his personal/political history and crazy campaign strategy? I did. And I was sure not the only one.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
47, he wasn’t sky high in the polls. Did Rudy ever crack 35%? The polls move more when the candidates are unknown. They are not unknown anymore. I doubt if Romney’s BEST poll one on one v. Hillary is better than McCain’s worst one on one v. Hillary poll.
We pay a 10 point penalty if we nominate Romney, and we don’t have 10 points to spare.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Oh, yeah, right.
You and the rest of the Choir Rombotic also attempted to drill us all on how Mitt would win in a romp in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Florida. Something tells me this is just the backup harmony you guys sing.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Quack,
I’d rather roll the dice on polling accuracy than take a candidate who spends his time attacking conservative economic principles.
McCain is simply a policy disaster for this party.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:17 pm
McCain isn’t a disaster. Did you see Hillary calling for a 5 year interest rate freeze? Who in hell would loan money for houses with that? What do you think will happen to the housing market if you suck out the remaining financing? McCain was not my first choice, but its alot better than Hillary.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
MarkG,
Not only are you wrong, you’re missing the point.
I predicted Romney’s poll numbers would improve in early states as people got to know him there. And they did. He went from single digits to second place in each state. Two months before the primaries I was optimistic for Romney to win both states based on polls.
Trusting the polls ahead of other factors was the mistake. And this far ahead of the general election, the polls are probably among the least informed metric we could use to make predictions.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
#50 - so what do we do when McCain starts pushing Amnesty and moving terrorists onto U.S. soil?
February 1st, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Quack,
Though McCain’s not your first choice, that’s the standard McCainiac defense.
“McCain’s not a disaster because Hillary’s worse.”
How’s this one? Doesn’t McCain think the interest rates should be zero? Does he have any concept of what economic effect that would have?
February 1st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Coulter and some of the other high-octane, over the top, talking heads are a principal reason why the Conservative movement (at least as it used to be known) and the GOP are in their current predicament. What used to be thoughtful advocacy of individual freedom, limited government, and a strong prudent national security policy by well reasoned analysts and commentators has in recent years been reduced to gaudy electronic political theater. I might note that some of the “talking heads” who seem to consider themselves the high priests of conservative anointment and that are currently so intense in their attacks on McCain are the same folks who swore by the credentials of George W and who to this day defend Tom DeLay. We all know how that movie ended. Perhaps conservatives should review the track record of those talking heads in whom they put so much faith.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
For heaven’s sake, people are just beginning to get to know Romney and his positions, we have almost a year before the election, and the media has been falling all over itself promoting Obama and Hillary. John McCain is also a very well known figure and the media, at least for now until the nomination is finalized, is falling all over McCain. To follow these polls now is ridiculous. Every time people see Romney and hear his positions from him and not the talking heads, his numbers go up.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I’m going the way of Ann Coulter, to answer your question, Kavon. As she noted on Cavuto today: the recent influx of endorsements are occurring now (and not three months ago) not because of some principled stand for McCain — THEY WANT A JOB IN HIS ADMINISTRATION!
February 1st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Hey Kavon — CHECK THIS OUT –
You wanna boast about McCain’s ACU rating?
“
Even worse is that McCain, particularly in his 2000 bid for the presidency, regularly vocalized his irritation with many of the leading lights of the movement.
“He relishes kind of tweaking conservatives,†said Don Devine, vice-chairman of the American Conservative Union.
“He doesn’t have, or has very few, friends in the leadership of the conservative movement. There is no question about it.â€
Devine said he would likely not vote for McCain should he win the Republican nomination.
”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8268.html
February 1st, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Chris:
Excuse me, but was Delay convicted of anything yet??? As a matter of fact, one of the charges was dropped. He has more character in his pinky that McCain ever has.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:54 pm
So, regarding the polls, I think that people repeat what they have heard when polled, and the MSM has been telling them for a while now that McCain can beat both Cruella DeClinton and Obama. It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy sort of thing. If the media was trumpeting that Romney could beat the dems then the polls would show that way. PEople are mostly followers. They don’t take the time to study the issues or the candidates, but rely on “conventional wisdom” and follow the crowd. And that frustrates those of us who read, learn, and think. I will not be voting for McCain under any circumstance, and neither will my wife.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:05 pm
re: #54 “I might note that some of the “talking heads†who seem to consider themselves the high priests of conservative anointment and that are currently so intense in their attacks on McCain are the same folks who swore by the credentials of George W”
You took the words out of my mouth. Fiscal conservatives are rightly furious with
the fiscal mismanagement of the last eight years, but that was in the hands of
supposed rock ribbed conservatives like the ones you cited. McCain wasn’t the one
who doubled the budget for the Department of Education after abandoning his pledge to at least soften the blow with a voucher program, McCain wasn’t the one who rammed through the wastefull perscription drug for seniors. McCain wasn’t the won who actively obstructed earmark reform. And while McCain was every bit on board the debacle that was McCain/ Kennedy, he was not the one who deliberately stalled and delayed any progress on building the fence or otherwise enforcing our borders.
If conservatives feel the movement has lost its way the step to recovery isn’t savaging a man who was never considered part of their movement in the first place, but calling into account those who have been.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:18 pm
ugh, this normally would make me like the candidate she supports less. It’s a good thing I am loyal to my man Mitt. I can’t freaking stand Anne Coulter. She is a facist.