Thursday, February 07, 2008

JOHN McCAIN: PHLEBOTOMIST ?

Bloodletting: "a medieval medical practice that involved bleeding out a patient. It was believed that afflictions resided in the blood and could be eliminated by draining away a large quantity."

I did not vote for McCain on Super Tuesday; I voted for Romney. It's not that I'm a Romney fan, per se, but he was my only other real choice. It now appears McCain will be the Republican nominee.

I honestly don't know if I'll vote for McCain in November. A lot can happen between today and November 4^th. However, since I will not vote for the Democrat, I am seriously considering not voting for a president at all. This has nothing to do with sour grapes or running away pouting or this notion of demanding party purity (AJ Strata's theory).

Nor did Rush Limbaugh give me the idea. Some of the nuttiest statements, most of them misinformed, have been made about Rush. All of this speculation as to whether he's irrelevant, speculating his career is over, is hilarious. And silly. You either like Rush or you don't; I don't care either way.

But I digress...

Those of you who support McCain can quote all of his virtues until you're blue in the face. It doesn't matter. The fact is, I don't trust McCain. He has favored the Democrats too often, stabbing his own party in the back (front, sides) in the process. He did so primarily not for reasons of bipartisanship, but for his own political viability and the favorable press, and he did so with glee. He's addicted to the MSM adulation, which I doubt will change should he become president.

I don't like McCain, either, but I can vote for a man I don't like. However, I must be able to trust him/her. Which brings me to my quandary in November.

After the 06 elections, Rush announced that he was through carrying the water for candidates; they'll have to win or lose on their own. When he said just recently that he may not vote for president in November, he was only verbalizing what many were privately considering already. For most of us, not voting is abhorrent. So for any of us to seriously consider it is indicative of our deep anger and concern. People who listen to Limbaugh have been hearing this anger and discontent from his callers -- and sometimes from Rush -- for years. This is nothing new. I don't know what I'll do in November until I get into the booth.

What can McCain do or say? Nothing. Not a blessed thing as far as I'm concerned, because I do not trust him. Period. At this point, he'll say anything it takes to secure votes. Talk is cheap. We've been down that road before too many times.

From The American Spectators mailbag today:
The rejection of McCain by conservatives won't be the only problem facing the Republican "establishment" if this RINO becomes the party's standard bearer. There will doubtless be a dramatic plunge in campaign contributions to the GOP. The urgency of fighting a Democrat takeover of Washington just won't be there if a Democratic Republican like McCain gets the Republican nomination. As a prior contributor to the "good fight," this committed conservative will absolutely NOT open his wallet to a Republican party that will at best -- if McCain wins -- be a co-conspirator in his brand of half baked, corrupt, left wing populism. Contributing to such a compromised organization would be akin to trying to keep a horse with two broken legs on life support. For this reason, if McCain gets the nod, humane conservatives will do the right thing in November '08 and put the worthless GOP out of its misery.
-- Peter R. McGrath
Winter Park, Florida