McCain’s conservative supporters demonstrate why he must not be elected

Though I have been writing about it every day for the last five days, I had missed the central significance of the establishment conservatives’ amazing refusal to comment on McCain’s globalist foreign policy speech. Yes, I have kept pointing to their silence, which I described as “Soviet-like.” I have been fascinated by the political and psychological dilemma in which the speech placed McCain-supporting conservatives. And I kept wondering what would they say about it, if they ever said anything at all. But, ironically, I had missed the obvious fact that their silence is the strongest possible proof of my long-standing argument against the election of McCain: that as president he will move America to the left, even radically to the left, and the conservatives will not oppose this.

I was snapped back to the reality by the following e-mail from a reader that came in this morning:

As I look at NRO and other conservative places and the paucity of comment on McCain’s awful foreign policy speech, there is the prospect with a McCain presidency of a semi-totalitarian silence from conservatives about his egregious violations of conservative principle, or even their complicity in it, and I would rather have the out and out opposition that an Obama presidency would entail. It would be the difference between living in the Eastern Bloc during the soul-corroding time under Stalin or during the soul-arousing time of Lech Walesa.

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Tim W. writes:

And the thing is, no matter how far to the left McCain goes, the far left won’t welcome him. They’ll simply move further to the left, declare him to be on the “far right,” and accuse him of being an international criminal. We know this is the case because that’s how they’ve treated Bush as he has moved the GOP leftward. The same hysterical leftist blogs which rant against Bush will rant against McCain. Michael Moore will trot his worthless carcass out to produce a propaganda film accusing McCain of being in league with Big Oil, or whatever.

The entire center of political gravity will move to the left as mainstream conservatives rally to defend McCain against charges that will certainly be unfair and even outright false. McCain’s liberalism will become the new conservatism, and true conservative positions will be marginalized as being beyond the pale, far to the right of the “conservative John McCain.”

Rachael S. writes:

If what you say is true, then traditionalists should vote en masse for the democrat to prevent McCain from getting elected.

LA replies:

Everyone has to make up his own mind on this. But to me there is a world of difference between refusing to vote for McCain over Obama, and actually voting for Obama.

A reader writes:

“Barack Obama has no imperfection or shortcoming that can’t be glossed over by liberal pundits.”

Jennifer Rubin says the above in a post at Contentions/Commentary. Couldn’t the same/reverse be said of conservatives?

George Bush/John McCain has no imperfections or shortcomings that can’t be glossed over by conservative pundits.

Richard W. writes:

You’ve written a lot on the campaign, and it’s hard not to read and think about it. I would be very interested in seeing a bit of a summing up from you. I believe as things now stand you support Hillary over Obama as the Democratic nominee, but in either case (Obama or Hillary) you support the Democrat over the McCain.

I think I’ve read the columns where you’ve supported this position, and your arguments have a lot of merit, while being unconventional.

I would very much like to see a complete exposition of this, and think it might very well become a critical signpost for the election and conservative positions on it.

LA replies:

Good idea. And I could frame it in this: that I oppose Obama with my whole being, I absolutely dread the thought of his being president, I see it as a historic disaster. But it’s the conservatives’ own slavish support for the liberal Bush and now the liberal McCain that forces me to prefer the election of Obama, because only under Obama will conservatives oppose the left. Under McCain they will support the left. It’s a horrible situation, and a horrible choice. But the conservatives’ treason forces us to it.

But as I look at my own argument above, I realize how truly unconventional it is. Refuse to vote for Obama’s opponent, while saying that Obama is horrible? That will strike many people as strange. But the reality we’re responding to is strange.

Daryl writes:

This is a tough decision. On one side, McCain will disarm the conservative base. But on the other hand, the Democrats are even more radical than he, including on the immigration issue. I hope McCain picks a legitimate right winger as his running mate. Otherwise, it may not even be worth voting.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 31, 2008 10:26 AM | Send