News reports from Texas indicate that Barack Obama has pulled ahead of Hillary Clinton in the polls leading up to the state's Democratic primary on March 4.
One major Democratic 'super-delegate' stated on condition of anonymity that unless Clinton wins both Texas and Ohio on March 4 by a wide margin, her campaign is finished.
It is beginning to appear very unlikely that Clinton will win both states. Her best shot appears to be Ohio, but she may end up losing there as well.
Wisconsin's Democratic primary is this coming Tuesday, Feb. 19. This has been a very close race, but most pundits believe Obama will win the state.
It is very interesting that rather than stay in Wisconsin through Tuesday to watch as the vote comes in, Clinton is leaving the state on Monday, a day early.
On the Republican side, John McCain has begun to shore up his support among the GOP faithful and at least one former rival, Mitt Romney. Romney endorsed McCain during the week and encouraged his delegates to vote for McCain at the convention.
Former President George H.W. Bush also endorsed McCain.
But conservatives are still wary. McCain's speech before CPAC did not go quite far enough to satisfy most conservatives who form the base of the GOP.
As I have stated before, McCain is going to have to work hard for my vote. My vote does not come cheap, and I vote on the issues. I set the bar very high. I am still waiting to see what McCain does on McCain-Feingold, unfettered individual gun rights for all citizens, and illegal aliens.
McCain needs to repudiate McCain-Feingold has a big mistake. He also needs to make clear that his 'support for the Second Amendment' means individual rights for all citizens and that self-defense is an unalienable right. And he needs to make clear that illegal aliens get NO BREAKS for breaking the law. They must get in line behind everyone else coming here legally.
He has yet to be specific about any of these issues. Therefore, I am withholding my support and my vote until I hear something more than generalities that even Hillary and Osama-'Bama spout.
Showing posts with label John McCain at CPAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain at CPAC. Show all posts
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
What McCain Did NOT Do At CPAC
As far as it went, John McCain's speech before conservatives at CPAC this week contained much to applaud. There is no doubt he would be an excellent commander-in-chief whose experience far surpasses most everyone else with name recognition in the Congress.
He is to be commended for his support of the Second Amendment, the First Amendment and personal, individual liberties, securing the borders, making the Bush tax cuts permanent (which neither Hillary nor Obama would do), smaller government, and the right to life.
There is much, however, that McCain did NOT say in that speech, and therein is where the trouble lies.
Here is a brief run-down on what McCain failed to say that he needed to say to win the votes of people like me:
--He refused to repudiate McCain-Feingold as an attack on Free Speech.
--He said nothing about his support to clamp down on gun shows, in spite of his supposed 'support of the Second Amendment.'
--He failed to define 'securing the borders,' meaning, simply, that sanctuary cities can continue breaking the law unpunished, and illegal aliens who are already here will be given an unfair advantage over those who come here legally.
--He failed to define himself as a person who stands for lower taxes, in light of the fact that he voted twice against the Bush tax cuts, while claiming he supports making those cuts permanent.
In addition to these core issues of critical importance to Reagan conservatives, let us not overlook the fact that McCain has hitched his wagon to the most extremist of the alarmists within the 'environmentalist movement,' which is made up of wackos who believe that human beings themselves are the single biggest threat to the planet.
One begins to wonder at times in listening to these people if perhaps they would like to see a massive extinction of the human race in order to 'save the planet.'
Yet McCain has embraced many of the precepts propounded by these looney-toons wackos who probably belong in mental hospitals.
Thus, my friends, it is not so much what McCain said on Thursday but what he did NOT say that is of paramount importance.
He is to be commended for his support of the Second Amendment, the First Amendment and personal, individual liberties, securing the borders, making the Bush tax cuts permanent (which neither Hillary nor Obama would do), smaller government, and the right to life.
There is much, however, that McCain did NOT say in that speech, and therein is where the trouble lies.
Here is a brief run-down on what McCain failed to say that he needed to say to win the votes of people like me:
--He refused to repudiate McCain-Feingold as an attack on Free Speech.
--He said nothing about his support to clamp down on gun shows, in spite of his supposed 'support of the Second Amendment.'
--He failed to define 'securing the borders,' meaning, simply, that sanctuary cities can continue breaking the law unpunished, and illegal aliens who are already here will be given an unfair advantage over those who come here legally.
--He failed to define himself as a person who stands for lower taxes, in light of the fact that he voted twice against the Bush tax cuts, while claiming he supports making those cuts permanent.
In addition to these core issues of critical importance to Reagan conservatives, let us not overlook the fact that McCain has hitched his wagon to the most extremist of the alarmists within the 'environmentalist movement,' which is made up of wackos who believe that human beings themselves are the single biggest threat to the planet.
One begins to wonder at times in listening to these people if perhaps they would like to see a massive extinction of the human race in order to 'save the planet.'
Yet McCain has embraced many of the precepts propounded by these looney-toons wackos who probably belong in mental hospitals.
Thus, my friends, it is not so much what McCain said on Thursday but what he did NOT say that is of paramount importance.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Text of McCain's Remarks: Did He Succeed?
The following link will take you to the complete text of John McCain's remarks before CPAC this afternoon.
Did he succeed in addressing the issues most important to conservatives? Did he say enough to satisfy the concerns of conservatives?
I will leave that to your judgment.
As for me, I would say it is a mixed bag...but I was slightly encouraged.
Click here for the text of the speech:
http://www.examiner.com/blogs/Yeas_and_Nays/2008/2/7/Text-of-John-McCains-CPAC-Remarks
Did he succeed in addressing the issues most important to conservatives? Did he say enough to satisfy the concerns of conservatives?
I will leave that to your judgment.
As for me, I would say it is a mixed bag...but I was slightly encouraged.
Click here for the text of the speech:
http://www.examiner.com/blogs/Yeas_and_Nays/2008/2/7/Text-of-John-McCains-CPAC-Remarks
Will He Draw Back a Nub After the CPAC Speech?
John McCain will speak before CPAC today--the most influential and powerful conservative political action committee in the country.
The question is, after the speech is given, will McCain be in a much stronger position after reassuring conservatives, or will he 'draw back a nub,' as in, 'he put his arm in the tank and drew back a nub'?
Giving a speech before this group is sort of like putting one's hand in a tank full of sharks for McCain. As much as he has expressed disdain for many within the conservative ranks through the years, if he says the wrong thing we can rest assured that those sharks will leave him with a nub instead of an arm, or even worse.
In order for McCain to hit a grand slam at today's meeting he MUST address the following four key issues.
One, he must repudiate McCain-Feingold and, frankly, apologize for the manner in which this terrible bill has squelched free speech. He can do this and save face by claiming he did not know that the bill would be interpreted the way it has and promise that he will fight to protect ALL free speech.
Two, he must be clear that he supports only legal immigration. This means that illegals get no special pathway to citizenship, particularly in light of the fact that they broke the law. He must also make it abundantly clear that so-called 'sanctuary cities' are disgraceful and a travesty of American law.
Three, he must make a forceful statement in support of the Second Amendment....meaning, the INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS have a right to own and bear firearms. Stating that he supports Heller in the D.C. case would be even better.
Four, he must address why he wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent when he voted twice against them when they were first proposed. Either McCain is a tax-cut proponent, or he's not. He cannot ride the fence on this issue and be acceptable to conservatives.
Glossing over these glaring shortcomings--in the eyes of conservatives--will not be enough, neither will stating that he 'hears and understands the concerns of conservatives' while issuing a continued determination to do the very things we deplore.
In fact, such a thing will spell disaster for his candidacy among the conservative base, without which he CANNOT win the Presidency.
Clearly, McCain needs us more than we need him. And unless we hear to our satisfaction that the candidate intends to take our concerns seriously in terms of public policy in his administration, he can kiss our support good-bye.
The question is, after the speech is given, will McCain be in a much stronger position after reassuring conservatives, or will he 'draw back a nub,' as in, 'he put his arm in the tank and drew back a nub'?
Giving a speech before this group is sort of like putting one's hand in a tank full of sharks for McCain. As much as he has expressed disdain for many within the conservative ranks through the years, if he says the wrong thing we can rest assured that those sharks will leave him with a nub instead of an arm, or even worse.
In order for McCain to hit a grand slam at today's meeting he MUST address the following four key issues.
One, he must repudiate McCain-Feingold and, frankly, apologize for the manner in which this terrible bill has squelched free speech. He can do this and save face by claiming he did not know that the bill would be interpreted the way it has and promise that he will fight to protect ALL free speech.
Two, he must be clear that he supports only legal immigration. This means that illegals get no special pathway to citizenship, particularly in light of the fact that they broke the law. He must also make it abundantly clear that so-called 'sanctuary cities' are disgraceful and a travesty of American law.
Three, he must make a forceful statement in support of the Second Amendment....meaning, the INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS have a right to own and bear firearms. Stating that he supports Heller in the D.C. case would be even better.
Four, he must address why he wants to make the Bush tax cuts permanent when he voted twice against them when they were first proposed. Either McCain is a tax-cut proponent, or he's not. He cannot ride the fence on this issue and be acceptable to conservatives.
Glossing over these glaring shortcomings--in the eyes of conservatives--will not be enough, neither will stating that he 'hears and understands the concerns of conservatives' while issuing a continued determination to do the very things we deplore.
In fact, such a thing will spell disaster for his candidacy among the conservative base, without which he CANNOT win the Presidency.
Clearly, McCain needs us more than we need him. And unless we hear to our satisfaction that the candidate intends to take our concerns seriously in terms of public policy in his administration, he can kiss our support good-bye.
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