There’s trouble in River City!
Sunday, July 5th, the Washington Post published a story that revealed big problems for John McCain’s struggling presidential campaign. The problems don’t stem from his opponent, or the Democrats, but from members of McCain’s own party.
The headline of the Washington Post story is telling…
“CONSERVATIES TO BATTLE McCAIN OVER PLATFORM”
(Activists don’t want his views on warming, stem cells, other issues adopted)
The story states, “Conservative activists are preparing to do battle with allies of Sen. John McCain in advance of September’s Republican National Convention, hoping to prevent his views on global warming, immigration, stem cell research and campaign finance from becoming enshrined in the party’s official declaration of principals.”
That would indicate that the views of John McCain that brought him to the position of his party’s presumptive nominee are totally unacceptable to his own party, and they intend to attempt to make him change all his core positions. Apparently his own party does not want a “maverick” or any “straight talk”. What they want is a puppet on a string, a ventriloquist’s dummy willing to be the front guy for their behind the scenes manipulations.
They want another George W. Bush.
John McCain has already come under criticism for his volume of flip-flops on a wide variety of issues, leaving independent voters puzzled on what his real views are on the important issues of the day. Now, facing an assault from the power brokers within his own party to flip-flop again on a long list of issues, McCain has serious problems trying to get his own party to just tolerate him.
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One portion of the Washington Post story illustrates that point. “McCain is really out of step with the strong majority of his party”, said Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which opposes McCain’s positions on climate change. “He might get what he wants, and he might get a change, but I don’t think it’s going to sit well with a lot of Republicans.”
“He attracts a lot of votes in the middle, independents and moderates”, Ebell said. “But if he pushes on each one of these issues… campaign finance, immigration, or global warming and energy issues, he’s likely to keep a lot of people at home on election day.”
The story also stated, “It is something that we are very concerned with”, said Donald J. Devine, vice-chairman of the American Conservative Union, which will have a convention operation to monitor proposed changes to the platform. But he is prepared for the worst. “There is no question it’s going to be changed radically”, he said of the platform.
Colleen Parro, executive director of the Republican National Coalition for Life, said her group will “cause problems” if McCain or his allies try to change the Republican plank on stem cell research.
At this point in a campaign, a candidate should have a carefully crafted cohesive, consistent message to project to voters. At this point in a campaign, a candidate should have his own party rallying around him and his message. At this point in John McCain’s campaign he now has to prepare for battle, not with his Democratic opponent, but from the assault from within his own party. John McCain has to prepare himself to once again flip-flop on his positions that helped him win his party’s nomination.
There will be no more “maverick”. There will be no more “straight talk”. John McCain doesn’t even know yet what his new positions will be until the Republican power brokers sit him down for their “come to Jesus” talk. He’s already shown a willingness to flip-flop his positions, so this won’t be that much of a leap. He’ll allow the puppet masters to chart his course.
He has no choice, or his own party is prepared to carve him up. Apparently it’s true, Republicans do eat their own.
Here’s the link to the Washington Post story… <link>
